DOT Issues Fine on Behalf of Blind Flier

Continuing its recent close enforcement of rules affecting handicapped air travelers, the Department of Transportation fined America West $1,000 for moving a blind passenger from first class to coach when a neighboring passenger objected to sitting next to her guide dog.

The blind passenger, flying on a free pass as a parent of an airline employee, was en route from Baltimore to Phoenix in September 1998 when the incident occurred. In its order, the DOT’s Aviation Enforcement Office said the correct response would have been for the airline to advise the objecting passenger of the rights of the disabled and, if necessary, find another seat for the objecting passenger or remove him or her from the aircraft.

In August, the DOT sought a $250,000 penalty against Continental Airlines for allegedly providing inadequate assistance to wheelchair-dependent passengers, a charge that the airline contested. The same month, the DOT removed the $2,500 cap on compensation for damage to wheelchairs by airlines.

In another victory for advocates for the disabled, Greyhound Lines Inc. agreed to guarantee to provide lift-equipped buses (with 48 hours’ notice and certain restrictions) to wheelchair-using passengers beginning April 1, 2000, rather than waiting until Oct. 28, 2001, as required by an earlier agreement with the Justice Department, the Associated Press reported.