United adds wheelchair accommodation filter to its flight search results

28.03.2024 - 22:01 / thepointsguy.com / Linda Jojo / Airlines

United Airlines began rolling out a new tool Thursday aimed at making travel easier for passengers who rely on wheelchairs for mobility.

The airline introduced a new filter on its search results page that allows passengers to enter their wheelchair's specifications, and prioritize flights on aircraft that can accommodate that particular mobility device.

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The tool, which United first announced last fall, identifies flights based on the physical dimensions of the wheelchair and the type of power source it uses.

After searching for a flight on the airline's website or mobile app, passengers can select the "Wheelchair" option and enter their details.

If a customer has to book a more expensive itinerary in order to be on an aircraft that can accommodate their wheelchair, United will refund the fare difference, the airline said.

Different aircraft have different-sized cargo doors and holds, which can present a challenge for passengers who need to travel with a wheelchair, particularly those with specialized or customized equipment.

Separately, the airline said it is testing a new program at its Houston hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to trial new ways to help passengers if their wheelchair is damaged or lost in transit.

The airline did not share many details of the program in its announcement but said that it would focus on the time between when a customer's flight arrives and when they're either reunited with a lost wheelchair or provided an "appropriate" loaner to use while their wheelchair is located or fixed.

"The more we know about a customer's device, the more likely their experience will be a good one – from booking and check-in to the flight itself," Linda Jojo, an executive vice president and the chief customer officer at United, said in a statement. "These new tools and policies also set our employees up for success, especially those working on the ramp or at the gate."

While the new tool should prove helpful, it does have limits for some passengers, including those traveling to or from smaller airports that are only serviced by regional aircraft, meaning there's no larger plane that they can try to fly on. The tool only includes flights operated by United itself, rather than all Star Alliance partner flights. And passengers whose wheelchairs are lost or damaged at airports other than IAH will not benefit from the pilot until — or unless — it's expanded.

Even so, the announcement marks a relatively major step by an airline to improve how it approaches accessibility, an ongoing challenge for both airlines and affected passengers.

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