It was only in booking her third flight that a visually impaired woman was successfully able to book a flight for herself accompanied by her guide dog. On the two other occasions, her reservation was cancelled is because of her dog. A few hours before the departure of her flight, she and her dog were refused: the company had not entered the required approval into the reservation system.

Wheelchair not welcome

An aeroplane from the same company refused to allow a passenger’s electric wheelchair on board, despite the fact that the wheelchair-dependent passenger had followed all the required steps when booking the flight. Again, the error was on the part of the airline’s customer service. They had not followed the procedure. This is a case of denied boarding.

Discrimination

According to Unia, the company in question is practising discrimination. That is why Unia asked them to explain themselves. The problem was acknowledged and they are prepared to find a solution together with Unia, without having to resort to the courts.

The passengers will receive compensation. The airline company will have its services audited by an external expert and will then take measures to improve the accessibility of its flights.

See also:

• the full description of the negotiated solution;
• regulation (EC) 1107/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air.