CALGARY — WestJet is doubling down on its commitment to accessible travel with three new service enhancements for guests travelling with mobility aids.
The enhancements are outlined in the WestJet Group’s first annual accessibility plan progress report, which comes one year after the launch of its inaugural accessibility plan.
“Across the WestJet Group, we remain wholly committed to delivering the services all our guests require, while proactively addressing accessibility issues across the travel journey,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Group, Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate and Sustainability Officer. “Every year, we serve more than a quarter million guests who request accessibility support as part of their travel and our teams on the frontline and behind the scenes strive to meet their diverse needs. We have made significant investments over the past year to remove barriers to travel and these enhancements will better serve our guests with disabilities and our people supporting them throughout their journey.”
The three new service enhancements are as follows:
- Updates to wheelchair size & weight policy and handling protocols: Following a comprehensive review of its fleet and associated equipment such as baggage lifts, WestJet has expanded the size and weight limitations for mobility devices. This will allow the airline to accept a broader range of mobility aids, increasing the accessibility of travelling with WestJet for more guests. In addition, the airline has adopted a standard industry practice, which ensures powered mobility devises are exclusively handled in a fully upright position, helping safeguard the devices throughout the journey. More details can be found here.
- Confirmation of loading of checked mobility devices: WestJet has implemented an updated tagging procedure that ensures mobility devises are loaded onto the aircraft with their owners. Under this new protocol, once a mobility device is securely placed in the aircraft’s cargo hold, the flight crew will receive notification and provide the owner with a physical tag as positive confirmation that their device is onboard and travelling with them.
- New identification codes enabled for mobility devices: WestJet carries a multitude of wheelchair types, including manual devices and highly sophisticated powered chairs. To ensure WestJet employees who are supporting guests travelling with wheelchairs are equipped with the information they need, the airline has launched three new device-specific Specific Service Request (SSR) codes:
- WCMP: Manual non-powered wheelchair
- WCBD: Wheelchair containing a non-spillable, nickel-metal hydride of dry battery
- WCBW: Wheelchair containing a wet cell battery
To read WestJet’s first annual accessibility plan progress report, click here.
