GadgetGal

Well it makes sense to me.. Parents gets first dibs on the bassinet seats, able-bodied gooldies get their pick of emergency row seats. it's makes sense to reserve the direct aisle seats e.g. 64 JK to pax who need assistance. The stepping over people nonsense is either impossible or painful. Having pay for F accomadate one's ailments hurts the pocket.

UKtravelbear

64k does have aisle access but it's not on the aisle - you still do have to work your away around the 'head' end of 64J and between the toilet wall - it's not exactly a load of room!

But you have dozens of full aisle access seats without impinging on 64k and the others of that ilk.

Tobias-UK

GadgetGal

One trip up the stairs is within some people's ability, although I was citing 64K as the easiest one to remember. I don't keep all the CW seat numbers in my head

And, yes, there are aisle seats but having window seats with easy access would give equal opportunities ^

PJSMITH0

Disabled passengers have equal opportunities now as there is nothing stopping them booking these seats now.

Takiteasy

For as long as I can remember a pax with registered disabilities has been able to book any seat of their liking aside from emergency exists, for free. Not sure this applies to upper deck 747 but certainly works anywhere in lower deck 747 and on upper deck 380. So you definitely (and rightly so) have prio over pretty much anyone else.

Thread over? (On a winning note, unlike most of today’s thread proposals)

GadgetGal

Those seats aren't *reserved* for pax who need assistance, thats the issue. It would work better if they were locked off like the bassinet seats.

gms

I really do think that if an airline provides any suitable seat (e.g. aisle seat for ease of access) they have done everything required of them. If a passenger doesn't like the seat offered for reasons unrelated to their disability, then to be blunt it has nothing to do with equal opportunities. In that scenario, they can either pay to select an alternative or earn the required status to select those seats for free. Surely that is equal opportunity (i.e. their personal preferences are being treated no different to other passengers)?

flatlander

All the aisle seats have direct access to the aisle.

Any Passenger with Reduced Mobility can book an aisle seat when they buy their ticket and will not have to step over any other customer.

Where does "having to buy F" come into it?

What are you actually trying to suggest?

BarneyMcGrew

I type here as a 'mobility impaired' disabled person myself.

Surely every aisle seat has direct access to the aisle by default. Thus there is no climbing over anyone, easy wheelchair access to transfer and easy access should assistance be required from a carer etc.

If, as you are implying, an airline should ’designate' a (or some) seat(s) as 'disabled' seats, then they would just 'block off' aisle seats. There is no requirement that says they would have to specifically 'block off' or 'designate' window seats solely for disabled people.

To be honest, I am sure most mobility impaired disabled people would opt for an aisle seat anyway, as it saves having to negotiate a relatively tight (and height restricted) space to get to one's seat.

As BA offer a 'free pick' of seating for disabled people at the time of booking, one would pick the most suitable seat to cater for their needs, which would again tend to point to aisle seats.

GadgetGal

Bear in mind not very disability involves usage of an onboard wheelchair

There is no requirement, no, but such a policy would afford some passages the enjoyment of a window seat without having to get past another passenger's foot rest.

LondonTechTraveller

So are you proposing two categories of blocked-off seating in Club World? One category for those using a wheelchair and another for those who don't use a wheelchair but, while they can squeeze into a window seat with aisle access but are unable to climb over legs? Are you sure two categories is enough?

T8191

I would also like 'the enjoyment of a window seat', but my wife always gets that pleasure [unless we're flying AA in the 1-2-1 config].

Sorry GadgetGal, I know where you're coming from but now you're asking for extra benefits on top of the physical disability requirement. Not getting my vote, I'm afraid.

gms

So, book early & pay or earn status (such as your Gold card) and select the seats you want.

This has nothing to do with equal opportunities, purely personal preference. I would be quite happy to swap out of an aisle seat if a passenger needed that seat due to mobility issues. But if they asked me to move because the passenger simply wanted to have a window seat, I would politely suggest they should have booked an appropriate seat in advance as I had done (as I would for such a request from any passenger).

GadgetGal

Confession time: This rarely applies to myself anymore ^ but I can see it from both sides If F redemptions get restricted and London Airport bookings turn into a post code lottery then we can debate protecting a few seats, no?

Far from just personal preferences: the reason this came to mind is because I know of some pax with complex issues (sensory, behavioural etc) combined with mobility. In those situations one picks the "lesser evil", so to speak and it isn't always the aisle seat.