Air France at the service of disabled and reduced mobility passengers

Transcription

1 September 2011 Air France at the service of disabled and reduced mobility passengers As a responsible leader, Air France has been committed over the past few years to making travel easier for disabled and reduced mobility passengers by offering them a range of adapted services. In 2001, Air France was the first airline to set up SAPHIR, to assist disabled and reduced mobility passengers with information and reservations. A unique service, SAPHIR is free of charge and today provides personal assistance in 20 countries. An easy reservations system, adapted equipment on board, specific training for ground staff and crew, dedicated counters and self-service kiosks from booking to arrival at destination, Air France has thought of everything to ensure all its passengers travel in optimum conditions and has developed its offer of products and services for its disabled and reduced mobility passengers in line with their needs. Proof of this mutual trust, 400,000 disabled and reduced mobility passengers travel every year on the Air France network. Over the past few years, this innovative and proactive approach has made Air France a leader in the field of transport for people with disabilities and reduced mobility, in terms of assistance, medical agreements and services offered. It is now possible for our disabled and reduced mobility passengers to access all Air France services, but Air France wants to make even more progress in the field of accessibility, to continue to be recognized as a pioneer in identifying our passengers needs in the future.

2 Services especially tailored to travellers with disabilities Air France invites all passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility to travel under the best possible conditions of comfort and safety while enjoying maximum autonomy throughout the trip. From the time of booking, minimizing any apprehension with respect to the organization of the trip by proposing services tailored to each situation is a central concern for Air France. A dedicated phone number Customers can call dedicated numbers in 20 countries where agents are especially trained in serving passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility. In France, a special team of 20 based in Nice, trained by a physician specialized in disabilities, responds to some 300 calls a day, or 50,000 calls a year, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 7 pm, and on Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, except on holidays. This complimentary booking and information service called SAPHIR is designed for customers with reduced mobility due to a physical disability (sensory or motor, permanent or temporary), a mental disability or any other cause for handicap, and whose situation requires personalized service at each step of the trip. addresses have also been created for each country with a dedicated phone line, to enable customers who so wish to make initial contact by . Immediate recognition thanks to the SAPHIR card Customers who so wish can request a SAPHIR card. It is free of charge and personalized, and enables the traveller to be recognized and not to have to describe the disability or specific need for assistance at the time of each trip. When booking (by phone, in an Air France ticket office, a travel agency or by internet), the customer simply gives the SAPHIR card number. On internet as well In the last few weeks, for the assurance of increased freedom and autonomy, it has become possible for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility to book their ticket and the assistance they need directly on line at 24/7. Ticket payment and issuance can be carried out directly. Some requests for assistance such as travel with a personally-owned wheelchair or with a guide dog may require additional information. In this case, once the booking is made, the customer is automatically contacted by a SAPHIR agent to finalize organization of the trip and proceed to payment as well as to ticket issuance. 400,000 disabled and reduced mobility passengers every year A service offered in 20 countries... SAPHIR is available in 16 countries in Europe (France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), as well as in the United States, Canada, India and Mexico. If the customer resides in another country, he/she can directly contact a travel agent or the Air France reservations centre in his/ her country....for over 10 years June 2001: creation of SAPHIR service in Nice, for customers flying out of metropolitan France September 2003: extension of SAPHIR service to customers in the Overseas Departments April 2007: creation of dedicated SAPHIR contacts in call centers in Europe, the United States and Canada October 2007: extension of SAPHIR service to India July 2011: extension of SAPHIR service to Mexico 2

3 Reduced fares to some destinations Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, along with their escorts, enjoy a discount 1 on all domestic flights in metropolitan France and in the Voyageur and Alizé cabins between Paris and Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne and Saint-Denis de la Réunion. This discount applies on the segments where the two people travel together. It is granted on simple presentation of an invalidity card or the FREMEC 2 card stating escort mandatory, and each time the Air France medical department requires an escort for a trip. The discount also applies to the escort travelling alone to take charge of the disabled/ reduced mobility passenger or returning from escorting the passenger. 1 Reduction applicable to the full fare. In all cases, a more attractive fare may be possible, subject to compliance with the conditions that apply to the fare. 2 The FREMEC card (FREquent traveller MEdical Card), valid on all IATA airlines, is delivered by the medical departments of these airlines. A written request for the card must be sent to the airline s medical department and accompanied by a certificate from the passenger s physician. Simplified procedures for passengers Air France is one of the least restrictive airlines as concerns transport of passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility. The requirements relating to medical authorizations are minimal and only concern passengers whose physical condition requires the loading of specific medical equipment. The presence of an escort is required only in a very limited number of cases. In the airport and up to the time of boarding, Air France has tailored its services and infrastructure to the needs of passengers with reduced mobility. Check-in All customers with disabilities or reduced mobility can check in (or be checked in by a friend or relative) on the Internet and on the self-service kiosks. The boarding pass can be printed out at home, at the office or from a self-service kiosk. Passengers in wheelchairs or travelling with an escort animal must, however, pick up their boarding pass at the Customer Service desk in the airport to be assured of the best service and assistance. Lower Customer service or Baggage dropoff desks offer optimum accessibility to wheelchair passengers. Some self-service kiosks are wheelchair passenger-accessible on the departure and connections levels at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly airports. Newgeneration Air France self-service kiosks will all be wheelchair-accessible; they are scheduled to be introduced between 2013 and Thanks to dedicated queues for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, waiting time at check-in is reduced, as it is for the various formalities (border police, security, etc.). Staff familiar with dealing with disabilities To make travelling easier for the 800 to 1,000 passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility who choose Air France flights each day, the company has developed training on understanding disabilities and the behaviours to adopt, designed for all airport personnel in contact with customers. Baggage In addition to the baggage allowance associated with the ticket, passengers are entitled to complimentary transport in the hold of: - two personal mobility devices (wheelchair, electric scooter, gyrocar, etc.) - an additional bag, whose maximum weight is equal to the allowance indicated on the ticket. Baggage is accepted directly at check-in. A specific tag is used to facilitate identification. Facilitated boarding On departure from the Paris airports and from most international airports, passengers may keep their personal wheelchairs (manually-operated and weighing less than 20 kg) all the way to the door of the aircraft, and recover them on disembarking. Passengers in wheelchairs or who have requested individual assistance are offered pre-boarding whenever possible. This priority boarding enables them to settle in comfortably before the arrival of the other passengers, and to be individually welcomed by the cabin staff who will give them all useful information to ensure that they travel under optimum conditions of comfort and safety. On arrival For their greater comfort, passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility leave the aircraft after the other passengers. On arrival of long-haul flights, baggage, the wheelchair (if it was placed in the hold) and, where applicable, the second mobility device will receive priority delivery. In the case of connections between Paris- Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly airports, Air France offers complimentary transfer by taxi for passengers whose disability does not permit them to use the Air France coaches. 3

4 Welcome and assistance in the airport Since July 2008, under the terms of new European regulations, welcome and assistance in the airport for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility is the responsibility of the airport management within the European Union. Specifically, this assistance helps them to move around, carry out check-in for the passenger, his/her baggage and mobility devices, go to the aircraft, board and get settled on board, leave the aircraft, retrieve baggage and mobility devices and leave the airport. Both the Air France hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris-Orly Airport offer various types of facilities aimed at making things easier for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility: parking in the near vicinity of the airport with access to the terminal via lifts, call stations to notify staff of the presence of a customer to be assisted, information desks and waiting areas equipped with magnetic loops for the hearing impaired, specially designed and equipped toilet facilities enabling access for those in wheelchairs, even electrically powered, dedicated waiting areas in departure lounges, wheelchair-accessible telephone booths and ATMs. Specific equipment and service as well as specially trained cabin staff help to make the flight a pleasant, comfortable experience. Specially designed seats To facilitate access for certain passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, 100% of all Air France aircraft are fitted with seats with movable armrests. On the most recent aircraft, seat numbers are given in Braille. Free transport of guide dogs in the cabin Guide dogs accompanying passengers are welcomed in the cabin free of charge. Ease in moving around All Air France aircraft are equipped with a transfer chair to enable passengers to move around while on board. Specific fittings and service The entire fleet is fitted with toilets accessible for passengers with reduced mobility. On most flights lasting more than 2 ½ hours, it is possible to order a menu adapted to a special diet (salt-free / sugar-free meal, etc.). This must simply be requested when making the booking or, at the latest, 48 hours before departure. Air France allows passengers to keep manual folding wheelchairs in the cabin on all aircraft in the fleet. On board the A380, one zone is especially dedicated to passengers in need of first aid, where patients can lie down in privacy. This zone is fitted with a defibrillator, a doctor s kit, a first aid kit, oxygen, and a satellite communication system (SATCOM). A leaflet detailing the safety instructions in Braille (in French and in English) is available on board. On long-haul flights, the safety videos as well as certain information and entertainment videos have high-contrast subtitles (French and English). The continuous inflight entertainment programme also includes an audio book, 5 films sub-titled in French including one from the most recent releases, and English subtitles for all French and foreign (non-english language) films. 4

5 Specially trained cabin crew Air France s 16,000 cabin crew are trained to provide optimum assistance to disabled and reduced mobility passengers on board. They are informed of the presence on board of reduced mobility passengers and can therefore identify their specific needs in advance. In cases of pre-boarding, flight attendants welcome disabled and reduced mobility passengers, providing individual assistance, and explain how the cabin is set out and the different stages of the flight. The flight attendants give each passenger useful information depending on their disability. For example, they inform visually-impaired passengers of the whereabouts of their seat so that they are able to locate it in the cabin, in relation to the nearest galleys and toilets. They show visually-impaired passengers where the call button is located, and also show hearing-impaired passengers the associated light indicator. They inform passengers in wheelchairs of the availability of an onboard transfer wheelchair and how to use it, at their request. Moreover, close to 1,000 volunteer cabin crew receive wider training in order to better understand and meet the specific needs of disabled and reduced mobility passengers and pass on their knowledge to their colleagues during flights. These cabin crew are known as Disabled Passenger Referents and are the vectors of a change of attitude towards these customers and the guarantee of providing adapted service on board. Some cabin crew also know how to use sign language. 16,000 cabin crew trained 5

6 Air France involved in future developments Air France involved in future developments It is now possible for our disabled and reduced mobility passengers to access all Air France services, but Air France wants to make even more progress in the field of accessibility, to continue to be recognized as a pioneer in identifying our passengers needs in the future. To do this, Air France has developed close ties with many national and European bodies in the field of disability to design and jointly develop improvements for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. Thanks to these efforts, Air France wishes to build a relationship of trust with all its passengers and further improve their comfort. Air France chairs the «Reduced mobility» committee of the AEA (Association of European Airlines). As such, it takes part in meetings and conferences of the European civil aviation body and other European institutions working on the development and implementation of laws for people with disabilities and reduced mobility. In autumn 2011, Air France is also taking part in the creation an accessibility advisory committee, in collaboration with the National Federation of Commercial Aviation (FNAM), which will enable invited associations and French members of the FNAM to interact directly on projects to improve air travel for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. For several years Air France has sponsored the APF (Association for the paralyzed in France), the European Disability Forum, the FFAIMC (French Federation of Associations for Cerebral disabilities), the UNAPEI (intellectual deficiencies), the CNPSAA (visual deficiencies), the UNISDA (hearing deficiencies) the Handisport Federation and many other associations in the field of disability. 6

7 SAPHIR contact numbers SAPHIR contact numbers Country Telephone Germany Austria Belgium (French speaking) (Dutch speaking) Canada /888-5SAPHIR Denmark Spain United States Finland Metropolitan France and Overseas Departments Fax : mail.saphir@airfrance.fr India (toll free number) (0) mail.saphir.in@airfrance.fr Ireland mail.saphir.en@airfrance.fr Italy mail.saphir.it@airfrance.fr Luxembourg mail.saphir.lu@airfrance.fr Mexico mail.saphir.mx@airfrance.fr Norway mail.saphir.no@airfrance.fr Netherlands mail.saphir.nl@airfrance.fr Portugal mail.saphir.ib@airfrance.fr United Kingdom mail.saphir.en@airfrance.fr Sweden mail.saphir.no@airfrance.fr Switzerland (French speaking) mail.saphir.fr@airfrance.fr (German speaking) mail.saphir.de@airfrance.fr 7