Access to air travel: guidance for disabled and less mobile passengers

Annex 3: Travel agent checklist and airline codes

ABTA CHECKLIST FOR TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES

We want everyone to enjoy completely successful travel arrangements. We therefore ask that this checklist be completed before confirming a booking for any customer who has a disability or medical condition requiring special travel, accommodation or dietary arrangements. The questions may seem intrusive but they are necessary to ensure disabled customers receive a quality service tailored to their particular needs.

This information will be used to check the suitability of the accommodation, transport and facilities in the destination. This form should also be used to give information regarding specific needs for equipment and / or medication.

A. Booking Details

Lead name:
Name of customer with special requirements:
Departure date:
Booking ref:
Outbound flight number:
Inbound flight number:
Contact phone number or e-mail:

B. General

1. How would you describe your disability?

It may also be helpful to give the medical term for the disability

Please circle Yes or No as appropriate

C. Mobility

1. Do you have any kind of mobility difficulty?

Yes / No
If No please go to Section D. If Yes please give details...

2. Can you walk or travel on your own without assistance in an unfamiliar place?

Yes / No
For example:
although you may not need assistance all the time some distances at the airport terminal can be long - between the airline check-in desk and the departure gate, say.

3. Are you taking your own wheelchair?

Yes / No
3 (a) If Yes, is it battery operated? Yes / No
3 (b) If Yes, is it: i) Dry Cell Yes / No
ii) Wet Cell Yes / No
3 (c) If Yes, does it fold up? Yes / No
3 (d) If Yes, what are the dimensions and weight of your wheelchair?

OPEN:
Width........................ins.
Height.......................ins.
Depth........................ins.

CLOSED:
Width........................ins.
Height.......................ins.
Depth........................ins.

WEIGHT:

4. Do you need to borrow a wheelchair to / from the aircraft?

Yes / No
There may be a charge for this. Please ask your travel company for details immediately.

5. Can you walk up/down the aircraft steps without assistance?

Yes / No
These can be steep with narrow treads

6. Do you require a wheelchair to visit the WC on board the aircraft?

Yes / No

7. If there is a transfer coach provided as part of your arrangements, can you board and leave a standard coach without additional assistance other than from your travelling companion?

Yes / No
Buses and coaches may have steep steps

8. If there is no transfer coach provided as part of your arrangements, do you need a taxi transfer from the airport to your accommodation and return?

Yes/ No
There may be a charge for this. Please ask your travel company for details

D. Accessible Information

1. Do you have a disability that would make it difficult to see or hear important information, or communicate easily with people providing important or emergency information?

Yes / No
For example:
some routine flight departure information will not be announced over loudspeakers and will only appear on a television screen; and on some aeroplanes the safety demonstration may not be accompanied by full spoken explanation

E. Flight / Coach Tour

1. Is it best for you to sit near to the WC?

Yes / No

2. Is it best for you to have an aisle seat?

Yes / No
If yes, why?

3. Do you prefer a no smoking seat?

Yes / No

4. Will you be taking medication during the flight?

Yes / No
If Yes, please provide details...

5. Are you taking any medical equipment?

Yes / No
If Yes, please provide details...

6. Are you asthmatic or do you have other breathing difficulties?

Yes / No
If Yes, please provide details...

7. Are you likely to require supplementary oxygen?

Yes / No
There will almost certainly be a charge for supplementary oxygen

8. Are you travelling with any kind of assistance dog?

Yes / No
You must make sure that the dog has been micro-chipped, processed and immunised against rabies in accordance with the pet passport scheme (Check with the Guide Dogs Association, telephone: 01189 835 555)

F. Accommodation

1. Can you walk up/down stairs unaided?

a) all / most of the time b) some of the time c) occasionally
It is important to know how many steps you can cope with unaided and whether this applies all the time.

2. Would you prefer a ground floor room?

Yes / No
For example:
if the property has no lift, would you be able to cope with a room on the first floor.

3. Would you prefer a room near the lift?

Yes / No

4. What special facilities do you require in your room to be accessible?

For example:
some disabled customers may simply need grab handles, while others may need special facilities to allow access to showers, washbasin and taps, say.

5. Would you like medication to be stored in a fridge?

Yes/ No

G. Meals

1. Do you have a special dietary requirement?

Yes / No
If YES, please give details.

IMPORTANT CUSTOMER INFORMATION

This information will be passed on to your travel suppliers, who will do their best to meet your needs. However it is very important to remember that:

• Meeting your needs cannot always be guaranteed. For example, aeroplanes, coaches and other elements of your holiday may need to be substituted without prior notification due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e. breakdown, cancellation or non-availability of accommodation).
• Your holiday insurance policy should adequately cover any pre-existing medical conditions and cover any expensive equipment you may be taking.
• Any change in your requirements may affect the suitability of the travel arrangements you have made. It is important to let your travel agent or tour operator know of any changes immediately.
• Airlines use an internationally recognised coding system to identify the level of assistance they need to provide to individuals. A copy of that list is included in this checklist.

I confirm that the information given on this form is correct and understand that there is no guarantee that these needs will be met. I also understand that this information will be passed on to those people responsible for supplying all the arrangements for my travel, but that it will not be communicated to any party which is not responsible for the supply of any of my travel arrangements.

Customer signature / Date

If you are answering the above questions on behalf of a disabled person please sign below to confirm that this information is accurate and that you have the disabled person's permission to pass it on for the purpose of making travel arrangements.

Customer signature / Date

(I am over 18 years of age)

AIRLINE CATEGORIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE REQUIRING ASSISTANCE

MEDA: Passenger whose mobility is impaired due to clinical cases with medical pathology in progress, being authorised to travel by medical authorities. Such a passenger usually has social coverage in relation to the illness or accident.

STCR: Passenger who can only be transported on a stretcher. Such a passenger may or may not have social protection or specific insurance.

WHCR: Passenger who can walk up and down stairs and move about in an aircraft cabin. Passenger who requires a wheelchair or other means for movements between the aircraft and the terminal, in the terminal and between arrival and departure points on the city side of the terminal.

WCHS: Passenger who cannot walk up or down stairs, but who can move about in an aircraft cabin. Passenger who requires a wheelchair to move between the aircraft and the terminal, in the terminal and between arrival and departure points on the city side of the terminal.

WCHP*: Passenger with a disability of the lower limbs who is unable to take care of him/herself. Passenger who requires assistance to embark or disembark and who can move about in an aircraft cabin only with the help of an onboard wheelchair.

WCHC: Passenger who is completely immobile who can move about only with the help of a wheelchair or other means and who requires assistance at all times from arrival at the airport to seating in the aircraft or, if necessary, in a special seat fitted to his/her specific needs. The same kind of assistance is required at both ends of the journey.

BLIND: Blind or visually impaired.

DEAF: Passenger who is deaf or a passenger who is deaf without speech.

DEAF/BLIND: Passenger who is both deaf and blind, who can only move around with the help of an accompanying person.

MAAS: Meet and assist - all other passengers in need of special assistance.

* WHCP is not yet internationally recognised

Published: 1 April 2003

• Air travel

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