Air Carrier Access Act: Surcharges

Regulation Effective May 13, 2009:

14 C.F.R. § 382.31 May carriers impose special charges on passengers with a disability for providing services and accommodations required by this rule?

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this part you must not, as a carrier, impose charges for providing facilities, equipment, or services that this rule requires to be provided to passengers with a disability. You may charge for services that this part does not require.

(b) You may charge a passenger for the use of more than one seat if the passenger's size or condition (e.g., use of a stretcher) causes him or her to occupy the space of more than one seat. This is not considered a special charge under this section.

(c) If your web site that passengers use to make reservations or purchase tickets is not accessible to a passenger with a disability, you must not charge a fee to the passenger who is consequently unable to make a reservation or purchase a ticket on that site for using another booking method (e.g., making a reservation by phone). If a discount is made available to a passenger who books a flight using an inaccessible web site, you must make that discount available to a passenger with a disability who cannot use the web site and who purchases a ticket from you using another method.

Regulations before May 13, 2009:

§ 382.57 Charges for accommodations prohibited. *

Carriers shall not impose charges for providing facilities, equipment, or services that are required by this part to be provided to qualified individuals with a disability.

* Denotes Regulation will be updated effective May 13, 2009.