Mastodawn

Do you think that passengers who have purchased or been upgraded to a more expensive class of travel, such as business or first with an airline, should also receive a better class of #disability/#health assistance? Why or why not?

Please only vote if you are or have been a user of such assistance.

#accessibility

Yes, unequivocally.

8.3%

Only if such an assistance tier is itself a paid extra.

8.3%

Only if it doesn't disadvantage other passengers who can't afford it.

16.7%

No, absolutely not.

66.7%

Poll ended at Apr 10 at 1:25pm.

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Simon Jaeger 2d ago

@jscholes Disability assistance is meant to make up for the deficit that comes from trying to use the service with said disability, essentially trying to get the traveler's experience back to baseline. At least, that's how I see it. It's an accommodation, not a luxury. I'm not opposed to having something extra as a perk of paying for a higher seat class, but it would really have to be 100% extra, never something that was required by anyone, otherwise it immediately becomes gatekeeping to those who need it. It would be interesting to have this conversation with examples. I wonder what inspired this question.

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James Scholes 2d ago

@simon Let's say you were flying business class, and your ticket included complementary access to a lounge with a gym, showers, and a self-service buffet.

The baseline experience for other passengers with a similar ticket, but who did not require assistance, would be an ability to use those facilities as much and as frequently as they liked. But expecting a member of assistance staff to help you do the same would probably place a disproportionate burden on the system.

What is the solution here? Is it for the Lounge staff to take over? Better assistance capacity? A tiered assistance approach?

What about if you wish to visit multiple duty-free shops and a restaurant outside of a lounge, with or without an upgraded ticket?

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Tara Owton

@jscholes @simon If you’ve paid to access a lounge, then you should get help to access that lounge, either from the lounge staff or Assistance people. But Assistance in general, it’s an necessity not a luxury, and there shouldn’t be different teers for it.