One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2018 is to bring more news from the travel industry directly to you, with some commentary on how it might impact travelers with disabilities. Since I’m a one-man show and have limited time, I’ll present this information in regular roundup articles like these. For the most critical industry news, I’ll still continue to write dedicated articles with extended analysis.
Travel industry news from around the web:
- Wheelchair securement spaces on airplanes — In a BBC video report, All Wheels Up founder Michele Erwin provides an update on her fight to make wheelchair securement spaces available on airplanes. Michele first introduced her project to WheelchairTravel.org readers two years ago in this guest blog post.
- Rideshare operator Lyft targeting hotel partnerships — Amit Patel, director of partnerships at Lyft Business, plans to target hotels for the inclusion of Lyft credits in certain room rate packages. This could open hotels up to increased liability, if ADA accessible vehicles are not available to guests. Hotels and resorts already have a serious problem with the accessibility of guest shuttles.
- American Airlines requires new de-escalation training for employees — In a program dubbed “LAST,” the world’s largest airline will train its employees to “Listen. Apologize. Solve. Thank.” when faced with an unsatisfied passenger. I can only hope that particular attention will be paid to finding solutions for travelers with disabilities who experience countless ACAA violations.
- Interview with an airport architect — “You need designs…really focusing on older people. It means bigger signs, easily identified, so people who in the aging population can easily navigate an airport,” says Pat Askew, an architect who has worked on many airports, including in Chicago, Doha, London and New York City.
I’ll aim to release these roundups 2 to 3 times a month, offering you a quick glance at the latest happenings in the travel industry.
