Domestic carriers must stop charging severely disabled passengers fees for extra space or caregivers.
Ottawa (13 Jan. 2008) - The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has brought down a landmark ruling, ordering domestic airlines to stop charging extra fares for severely disabled people who travel with caregivers or require more than one seat on a plane.
The decision does not cover obese people who are merely uncomfortable in an aircraft seat, nor does it apply to those who wish to travel with a companion for personal reasons. Nor does it cover those who require caregivers on the ground but not on the plane.
Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz and WestJet have been given one year to comply with the "one-person-one-fare" policy. The agency estimates it will cost Air Canada about $7 million and WestJet about $1.5 million a year.
This would add about 77 cents in extra costs per ticket for Air Canada and 44 cents for WestJet. However, it is up to individual carriers how they choose to implement the new policy.
A complaint was brought against the three carriers and the Gander International Airport Authority in 2002 by Joanne Neubauer, Eric Norman and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities.
"Canadians can be proud and I'm proud to be Canadian when rights are fulfilled," says Neubauer, who needs a caregiver when she flies.
The agency estimates that only about 10% of severely disabled and obese people are likely to travel by air, compared with 19% of the overall population.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring that our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
(Published as n13ja08a.htm)
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