Perceived Onboard Service Needs of Passengers with Mobility Limitations: An Investigation among Flight Attendants

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore flight attendants' perceptions of the in-flight service needs of passengers with mobility impairments. In addition, this study seeks out flight attendants' recommendations for improving services to passengers with mobility impairments. The existing literature draws attention to the service needs of passengers with disabilities from the customers' perspectives. However, this study aims to understand these service needs from the service provider's perspective. Participants of the study are flight attendants who have extensive in-flight service experience and have served passengers with disabilities. The study finds four types of in-flight needs from people with mobility impairments: (1) the need for help in using in-flight amenities, (2) the need to be treated the same as passengers without any disabilities, (3) the need for individualized services, and (4) the need for effective communication and accurate information. To address these needs, flight attendants suggest that airline managers should provide adequate flight information for people with disabilities and sufficient training to front line airline and airport employees.

Navigating services for consumers with disabilities: a comprehensive review and conceptual framework

“…From the selected articles, the highest (61%) studies were set in the hospitality, transportation, leisure and tourism areas. Studies focused on service design and planning (Chiscano, 2021; Kim et al , 2012; Liasidou et al , 2021; Navarro et al , 2015; Popović et al , 2022); accessibility of tourism sites/leisure services (Daniels et al , 2005; Mogaji and Nguyen, 2023; Rėklaitienė et al , 2016); ability of services to empower PwD (Burns et al , 2009; Rubio-Escuderos et al , 2021); CwDs’ service failure and complaint (Kim and Lehto, 2012; Lee et al , 2021; Major and Hubbard, 2019); PwD’s service needs (Chang and Chen, 2012; de Faria et al , 2012; Wang and Cole, 2014); and service providers’ perceptions towards CwD and their accessibility (Darcy and Pegg, 2011; Nicolaisen et al , 2012). Health care and social support together (14%) are an area of research wherein preferences and values that PwDs seek in services (Peltier and Scovotti, 2004; Randle et al , 2023; Randle and Zainuddin, 2022), and health-care services accessibility for PwDs (Hamidi and Karachiwalla, 2022; Whitehead and Barnard, 2013; Zandam and Juni, 2019) are the prominent themes researchers have followed.…”

A Qualitative Research on the Holiday Experiences of Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Travelling is one of the most problematic issues for families with disabled children (Wang & Cole, 2014). Such families usually travel differently than the families without any disabled child (Huh & Singh, 2007;Jo, Kosciulek, Huh & Holecek, 2004), due to the adaptations that they have to make to travel together (Kim & Lehto, 2013).…”

A PERSPECTIVA TRANSFORMATIVA NA ANÁLISE DE SIGNIFICADOS DE PRODUTOS DE TECNOLOGIA ASSISTIVA DOI - 10.5752/P.1984-6606.2015v15n40p172

“…A questão da mobilidade urbana, foco do presente trabalho, apresenta grande relevância para pesquisas em marketing que tenham por foco os consumidores com deficiências, haja vista que barreiras de mobilidade costumam dificultar, ou até mesmo impedir, que PcD desempenhem o papel de consumidores (GANT, 2002;GOODRICH;RAMSEY, 2012;WANG;COLE, 2013). Outro aspecto que torna relevante a perspectiva de marketing sobre a mobilidade é a constatação de que as dificuldades enfrentadas por PcD para se locomover fazem com que elas busquem produtos oferecidos pela indústria da tecnologia assistiva, que se encontra em expansão (SMITH, 2005).…”