Ottawa - November 1, 2004 - The Canadian Transportation Agency today issued Decision no. 593-AT-A-2004 about the unfortunate experience of a person with an intellectual disability who travelled with Air Canada. This decision highlights the importance of clear communication among persons booking flights, travel agents and carriers. It has led to the Agency issuing a revised Reservation Checklist to help travel agents better identify the specific needs of travellers with disabilities. Decision no. 593-AT-A-2004 concerned a person with an intellectual disability who was booked by a travel agent to fly on Air Canada between Williams Lake, BC, and Lethbridge, AB, and return, via Vancouver and Calgary in December 2001. Because of a breakdown in communication at the time his reservations were made, services were ordered from Air Canada for the individual that did not meet his needs. The individual, who got off the plane in Vancouver, spent a frightening night alone in the terminal when his connecting flight was delayed by bad weather. When Air Canada became aware of the difficulties encountered by the individual, it amended the passenger's reservation file so the service that ought to have been ordered in the first place would be provided for the remaining leg of the trip. Air Canada also provided the traveller with $150 in compensation and a travel voucher for $150. After assessing the complaint, filed by the traveller's mother, the Agency did not find Air Canada at fault. However, to help avoid similar situations, it urged the carrier to issue a general reminder to travel agents and tour operators with which it deals setting out the disability-related services Air Canada offers, highlighting the ¿adult unaccompanied minor service' for passengers with intellectual disabilities, and distinguishing it from ¿meet and assist services' and ¿wheelchair assistance'. The Agency accepted that the travel agent was made aware of the passenger's intellectual disability at the time reservations were requested and that the travel agent failed to advise Air Canada of critical information in this regard. However, the Agency accepted that the travel agent was unaware that Air Canada provides an 'adult unaccompanied minor service' at no charge, which ensures air carrier representatives are responsible for certain travellers during flights, at connection points and during prolonged delays. The decision noted that, had the passenger's mother been made aware of all of the services that Air Canada offers to meet the needs of passengers with disabilities when she requested the reservations on his behalf, she would have been better able to assess whether the arrangements suggested would ensure her son's travel needs would be met. Agency jurisdiction does not extend to travel agencies, which are regulated by provinces and territories. Despite this lack of jurisdiction, the Agency recognizes the importance of travel agents to the accessibility of the federal transportation network. It provides them with an easy-to-use Reservation Checklist to help them identify specific needs of travellers with disabilities and communicate these needs to carriers to help ensure the appropriate services are provided. The Checklist sets out some 60 possible services regarding such matters as accessible seating, service animals (guide dogs), mobility and technical aids, and unaccompanied passengers. The Checklist, which was first issued in 2001 and re-issued in 2003, has been updated this week to deal with situations like the one described in this Decision. The revised Checklist can be found on the Agency's Web site at www.cta.gc.ca and will be mailed this week to the Canadian travel industry. The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent Government of Canada quasi-judicial tribunal. Its mandate includes the responsibility to eliminate undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities within the federal transportation network. Its mission is to administer transportation legislation, regulations and Government of Canada policies to help achieve an efficient and accessible transportation network. -30- For more information, please contact: Lyne Giroux Senior Communications Adviser (819) 953-8926 The Canadian Transportation Agency is online at www.cta.gc.ca To keep up-to-date with our latest news releases and other information, use our subscription service available on our home page under "Subscription".
