ACC Special Passenger Assistance Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An 11-year-old is ticketed as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM). The designated pick-up person calls to say they are stuck in traffic and will be significantly delayed. What is the correct procedure for airline personnel?
- Allow a different family member who has arrived at the airport to sign for and pick up the child.
- Contact airport law enforcement to take custody of the child until the designated person arrives.
- Keep the child under direct and constant airline supervision in a secure area until the pre-authorized guardian arrives and presents valid photo ID. (Correct answer)
- Permit the child to wait in the public baggage claim area, as they are old enough to understand instructions.
Correct answer: Keep the child under direct and constant airline supervision in a secure area until the pre-authorized guardian arrives and presents valid photo ID.
The airline has a strict duty of care for an Unaccompanied Minor. The child must remain under the airline's supervision until released to the specific individual designated on the UM paperwork, whose identity must be verified with a valid photo ID. Releasing the child to anyone else or leaving them unsupervised would be a major security and safety violation.
Question 2: Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), what is the primary role of an airline's Complaint Resolution Official (CRO)?
- To provide medical assistance to passengers with disabilities during the flight.
- To serve as the airline's specially trained expert on disability regulations and resolve disability-related issues as they occur at the airport. (Correct answer)
- To process all monetary claims for mobility devices damaged during transport.
- To coordinate the logistics for all wheelchair requests across the entire airport.
Correct answer: To serve as the airline's specially trained expert on disability regulations and resolve disability-related issues as they occur at the airport.
The ACAA requires airlines to have a CRO available (in person or by phone) to serve as an in-house expert on disability regulations. Their primary function is to resolve disability-related complaints on the spot and ensure the airline is in compliance with the law.
Question 3: A passenger presents at check-in with a service animal. Which of the following is a legitimate reason for an airline to deny transport to the animal under current U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rules?
- The animal is a large breed, such as a Great Dane, but fits within the passenger's foot space.
- The passenger does not have a vest or special harness for the animal.
- The animal is barking uncontrollably and lunging at other passengers, and the handler is unable to control it. (Correct answer)
- The animal is a psychiatric service dog rather than a guide dog.
Correct answer: The animal is barking uncontrollably and lunging at other passengers, and the handler is unable to control it.
According to DOT regulations, an airline can refuse to transport a service animal if it is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or if it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Breed, lack of a vest, or the type of service performed (including psychiatric service) are not, by themselves, valid reasons for denial.
Question 4: A passenger requires the use of an FAA-approved Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) during flight. What is a key requirement the airline must verify before boarding?
- That the passenger has paid the required 'medical equipment fee'.
- That the passenger has a doctor's note and sufficient battery life for 150% of the total expected flight time. (Correct answer)
- That the device can be safely stowed in the overhead bin during takeoff and landing.
- That the passenger has a backup compressed oxygen tank in their checked luggage.
Correct answer: That the passenger has a doctor's note and sufficient battery life for 150% of the total expected flight time.
Airlines must permit passengers to use FAA-approved POCs. Key procedures include verifying the passenger has a sufficient battery supply to last for 150% of the flight duration to account for potential delays. While some airlines may require a physician's statement, they cannot charge fees for this accommodation, and the device must be stowed under the seat, not in the overhead bin. Compressed oxygen tanks are generally forbidden.
Question 5: According to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which of the following is a requirement for aircraft with 100 or more seats regarding a passenger's personal wheelchair?
- The airline must offer to purchase the wheelchair from the passenger if it cannot fit in the cargo hold.
- The airline must have a designated priority space in the cabin for the stowage of at least one passenger's folding, collapsible, or break-down manual wheelchair. (Correct answer)
- The airline must provide a complimentary adjacent seat to store the wheelchair if the passenger requests it.
- The airline is only required to store wheelchairs in the cargo hold, but must load them last and unload them first.
Correct answer: The airline must have a designated priority space in the cabin for the stowage of at least one passenger's folding, collapsible, or break-down manual wheelchair.
The ACAA mandates that aircraft with 100 or more seats must have a priority storage space in the cabin, such as a closet, designed to hold at least one folding manual wheelchair. This gives passengers with disabilities quicker access to their mobility device upon arrival. While wheelchairs do get priority in the cargo hold, the cabin storage requirement is a specific provision of the act.
Question 6: Which of the following passengers has a federally protected right to pre-boarding under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)?
- A passenger traveling with two small children under the age of five.
- A passenger with a disability who self-identifies at the gate as needing additional time to board or stow accessibility equipment. (Correct answer)
- Any passenger holding a first-class ticket.
- A non-rev airline employee traveling on a space-available pass.
Correct answer: A passenger with a disability who self-identifies at the gate as needing additional time to board or stow accessibility equipment.
The ACAA explicitly requires airlines to offer pre-boarding to any passenger with a disability who self-identifies at the gate as needing extra time or assistance to board, be seated, or stow their accessibility equipment. While airlines often extend this courtesy to families, elite flyers, or others, it is only a legally mandated right for passengers with disabilities who request it.
ACC Special Passenger Assistance Questions and Answers
An 11-year-old is ticketed as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM).
The designated pick-up person calls to say they are stuck in traffic and will be significantly delayed.
What is the correct procedure for airline personnel?