Sean Foley is a self-advocate, based in Co. Kerry. Sean frequently writes and speaks about his experiences living with Aspergers Syndrome. In this article, Sean returns to a common theme of his – the challenges of travelling with Autism. He has written to a number of airlines asking what supports they provide and he got some interesting responses … especially from one airline!
I wanted to find how Airline Companies respond to the subject of Asperger Syndrome (AS). How do different airlines respond to the news they may need to cater for the needs of a person with AS on a flight. Are their staff trained to support people with Asperger Syndrome and Autism? I put these questions to some major airlines. Some were easier than others to contact in this regard.
This is the message I sent…
My name is Sean Foley and I have Asperger Syndrome. I am doing a survey to see what policies and procedures and training exist in major airlines to cater for people with Asperger Syndrome when they disclose their disability in advance. People on the Autism Spectrum experience high levels of anxiety in everyday life and flying can be quite a daunting experience in addition. I would be grateful for any advice or information you may have on this matter. I look forward to your reply I received some good replies – especially from Virgin Atlantic who seem to be leading the way in terms of responding to the needs of flyers on the Spectrum.
The responses from the airlines ….
Virgin Atlantic
Dear Sean Our Special Assistance department has forwarded your email onto me. I’d be delighted to answer your questions. I’ve pasted my contact details below. Please feel free to get in touch with me via email or telephone. If you can travel to Crawley, where I work, I’d be delighted to show you our facilities at The Base. We have mock up aircraft here which have been very useful for several people who are on the autistic spectrum. A visit to these rigs can really help them prepare for their trip. I could also discuss the training we provide with you. Looking forward to hearing from you soon,
Kind regards
Geraldine Lundy
Passenger Accessibility Manager Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, The Base, Fleming Way, Crawley, RH10 9LX, UKOther airlines:
Dear Mr Foley, thank you for your email we do have an assistance service at the airport but no assistance during the flights .We do not have a special assistance or training for people who have Asperger Syndrome .
Best regards
XXXX
Dear Mr Foley,
We thank you for your email. We can offer assistance for people with Asperger Syndrome. The assistance would be starting at the check-in counter to the aircraft door. The same service will apply at the arrival airport. We do not offer any assistance during the flight(s), so the passenger needs to be self-supporting on board. Unfortunately we do not offer any specific training to staff. We hope to have informed you sufficiently.
Conclusions
On exploring the websites of some other airlines I found that there is often only a general mention of special assistance and a set of listed criteria of circumstance that you must fall into to avail of the support. If you don’t fall into a particular category there is often no email address for you to communicate your individual concerns. In a lot of cases there is just a phone number which, if you’re trying to explain about the Spectrum and flying, is far less easy than a private email address where you concerns can be aired in a more detailed and less stressful way. Some airlines seem more concerned with showing you what the first class cabin looks like in pictures and what airline thrills you can avail of if you have a certain amount of money – a real case of style over substance. So from my research it is my opinion and my hope that more training be done by airlines in relation to Autism and Asperger Syndrome. If Virgin can do it there should be nothing stopping the others. At the end of the day we have the same right to courtesy empathy and respect as anyone else. The example being set by Virgin Atlantic should be followed by ALL airlines.
I sent an email to Richard Branson commending him and the staff member that sent me this email on their work to help people on the Autistic Spectrum in relation to flying. I am also reliably informed that Virgin provide priority boarding to people on the Autistic Spectrum should they require it. I have not had a reply from Mr Branson yet but it may be winging its way to me soon!
