Disabled duo paid out on flight refusal
Print Edition
TWO wheelchair-bound passengers who were not allowed to board a Juneyao Airlines flight as they had not requested onboard wheelchair equipment in advance have received an apology and compensation, according to Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People’s Court.
The two male passengers booked tickets two days before the flight, departing from Hainan Province’s Sanya City to Liaoning Province’s Dalian City, on November 19, 2015.
They arrived at the airport nearly three hours ahead of schedule and applied to use the specially designed “aisle chair” that can take them to their seat and to the plane’s toilet. But their requests were refused because China’s aviation rules on passengers with disability stated they should notify a carrier at least 48 hours in advance.
The court noted that the carrier flags special needs on its registration page and that passengers can make a wheelchair booking only after they have ticked the confirmation box.
The two men were refused admittance onto the plane as “they couldn’t take care of themselves and they didn’t have companions,” the court said.
The carrier later offered them a refund, but refused to apologize or offer compensation. Under the court’s conciliation system, the two sides reached an agreement on compensation, the amount of which wasn’t disclosed.
“We should protect the rights of the disabled passengers,” the court said, adding that there were loopholes in aviation transportation rules. It has sent recommendations to improve the situation to China Civil Aviation Administration.
Currently, every airline operates its own request system, but usually carriers, such as Eastern Airlines and Southern Airlines, require passengers to notify them upon registration or at least 48 hours in advance. Air China, in contrast, only requires two hours’ notice.
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