United Launches Wheelchair Search Tool

At least one U.S. carrier will make flying easier for the estimated 5.5 million wheelchair-bound Americans. United Airlines plans to add a search

[{"selector":"#anim-4fe3ddf3-6bfc-4a0b-ba5f-a2fde74cd47d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f1b72367-ac9f-4821-9395-a83b6c3ec720","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-97a880c2-19c2-40ae-a98f-cb1c783d8301","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Customers can enter their wheelchair measurements into flight searches with the filter, planned to appear in early 2024. The site

[{"selector":"#anim-49baa42f-b3f6-4642-8118-3646fed08272","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90591652-1992-436c-98a3-7960911aaf48","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7761e0e4-8df7-4a4b-a5ac-bbd6e3460830","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

will then provide all wheelchair-accessible flights between their departure city and destination. (Not all cargo hold doors can accommodate larger

[{"selector":"#anim-df5f28dc-cd6f-4a40-ad79-42c6cdf369a7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-098cbf15-8d6d-4ecf-9bd4-08120bb71832","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1d72b0ad-606c-4349-8051-75c282bcdbd7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

“By offering customers an easy way to know if their personal wheelchair fits on a particular airplane, we can give them the

[{"selector":"#anim-984dbd47-76b4-4ee5-b362-8adf5bab5810","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6607445-8299-48ba-ad9b-905f00af243a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e92a3a36-00ff-4c48-b6e2-a413508855e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

peace of mind they deserve when flying with us,” United executive vice president and chief customer officer Linda Jojo said.

[{"selector":"#anim-8b1a1c44-8b78-43c8-ae82-37d6db15cadb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-24c04714-50b1-4666-a3e7-e241c877df44","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cded1508-bedd-4e2b-8466-dedbfc16bdf6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United said travelers can schedule an itinerary that works for their wheelchair and get a refund if the trip is more expensive if

[{"selector":"#anim-a86cff95-e67c-4c00-9af1-f74dcaa0d7ef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de4d80ca-8f65-4739-a230-ea0fbd4d36cd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbbc9c6c-5f1e-4375-8918-9222b714bc1a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

the plane doesn't fit. After flying, travelers must fill out a form to get reimbursement for two trips on the same day on the same itinerary.

[{"selector":"#anim-625b83fd-b613-4173-8b65-8709f4ab2ef3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1df2f60-647d-4ed8-852c-9d6a26e45a5e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-78765d60-1a47-4a71-99f9-c9d1c4317b8d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United also said it and its Accessible Travel Advisory Board would start a six-month pilot program at George Bush Intercontinental

[{"selector":"#anim-c7de4073-d023-42d1-9188-f6b5f69211db","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4754943-a0e6-45c2-a481-e13113348f32","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7df9b1d0-9afe-466d-a90f-8d621d0b1d0b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

United launched these measures after a protracted inquiry by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) into a disability

[{"selector":"#anim-935d71c5-3004-4224-9503-bb061211a3d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-110f9f04-96ff-4321-aac3-4d8f88f30a0d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.44684%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-499caf2d-2c19-4519-bcb6-f912aef2fbe8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

check our new stories

[{"selector":"#anim-b238a00d-c75e-4eda-9ce9-5d7f372bf77d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a669aef-2779-47ed-b114-d455dd9a9337","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 98.12409%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more