Originally Posted by
GM1985
Assistance…yes, absolutely, and quite rightly so. But an ask or expectation of a complimentary upgrade I would argue goes beyond assistance and in to the realm of subsidy. And I can’t think of any other walk of life - be it a hotel, attending a football match or concert - where accessibility requirements would entitle someone access to services or facilities for free that would otherwise be chargeable.
For instance, someone’s needs may make a penthouse suite more practical than a standard bedroom in a hotel. But a hotel owner is under no obligation to offer the former for the price of the latter. But they absolutely must ensure their hotel is accessible.
I think this is right. Yes a business has an obligation to make a product accessible to a disabled customer within reason, but the customer still has to pay for the underlying product.
Here, an economy vs a business class seat and accompanying service (lounge access, priority boarding, meals, etc.) are two different products. Whichever one the customer chooses to pay for, the airline has an obligation to assist with accessing (maybe through wheelchair assistance and a seat on the aisle). But the customer still has to pay for the underlying seat / service.
(After I posted I saw that
cvision pretty much said the same thing I did. Sorry for the repetition.)