1. Planning your travel

• What was the purpose of your travel? (business, visiting friends, studying, moving abroad, holiday, etc.)
• Was any other mode available to your destination? If yes, did you consider using these, purely on grounds of your reduced mobility?  If you had more options, why did you finally choose air travel? Was it because of the distance, or the geographic layout (ocean, channel, etc.), or the speed air travel could offer, or was it the price, or other factors (please specify)?
• If there were more airlines flying to your destination, why did you choose the company you finally travelled with?
• Have you ever flown before? If yes, did you need any assistance at that time? How was your experience of that flight? Approximately which year was this flight in?

Please have a look at the survey instructions here before commenting!

2. Booking your ticket

• Did you buy your own ticket? If yes, how did you book: did you go to the airline directly, used a travel agency, booked your ticket online, or any other way (please specify)?
• If someone else booked your ticket, did you ask him/her to watch out for your mobility needs? If not, why? (E.g.: Did you think that no advance notification of your needs is necessary or it is sufficient to notify the airline later?)
• When booking, did you ask for extra information regarding your mobility needs? Was this information made already obvious?  Was it easy to find this information? Was the information comprehensive?
• If you have flown with multiple airlines, what do you think about how the different airlines policies were harmonised in the following areas: carriage of mobility (e.g.: wheelchair) or respiratory (e.g.: oxygen) equipment, or requirements of you to be accompanied.  How did you find these policies? Was it easy for you to comply with these?
• If you didn’t notify your airline about your needs at booking, when did you do so (how many hours before your departure)?
• Do you think that it would be fair to make it compulsory that you give this notification at least 48 hours before departure? Could you have complied with this when you travelled? If not, why would have this been difficult to you?
• Did you check in electronically?

3. At the terminal (if you have departed from multiple terminals, please indicate your answer for each terminal)

• How did you arrive to the terminal building? Was it easy to find an entrance which was accessible for you? 
• Were the signs in the terminal clear, understandable? Could you orient yourself easily within the building?
• If you needed any help whilst in the terminal building, was staff available and helpful?
• Could you use the facilities (toilet, elevator, etc.) without hindrance? If not, what was the problem (please specify – also terminal building and airport)?
• If you were travelling alone, did you have someone to escort you to the terminal? Until which point did he/she stay with you (drop off in car park, into the building, to assistance point, check in, or until security, or with special permission until the gate)?

4. Security scanning

• Did you know what was expected from you at the security scan?
• Did you find going through security easy?
• Was staff at the security helpful, understanding?
• Did you have any problems because of safety regulations and your medical/mobility needs (medicine in liquid/cream form in too big container, or metallic implant)? If yes, how were these problems dealt with?
• Was the pace of the security scan appropriate for you?

5. Boarding

o    How did you get to the aircraft from the building: Did you go through a corridor to the entrance of the plane (i.e. Jetway)? Did you have to go up to the aircraft on the pavement? Were you taken by a vehicle (ambulance, bus) to the aircraft? 

o    If you had to overcome steps immediately before the aircraft, how was this possible? If staff had to take care of you, did you feel being in good hands?

o    Do you think that the staff on the ground – in general – was well trained to handle your needs?

• How did you feel about the overall ground procedure? Did everything run smoothly? Were you treated right? Were there any moments which made you worried? If yes, why (please describe situation)?
• If travelling with mobility equipment, at what point did they ask you to hand it over (in order to place it in the hold of the aircraft)?

6. On board the aircraft

o How long did your flight take? If you have flown multiple times, how long did your longest flight take?
o Did you use the on-board toilet? Was it easy to use? If not, what design feature would you recommend to be improved?
o Was your assigned place comfortable?
o Was the cabin crew looking approachable?
o Did you require any assistance from the cabin crew? If yes, was this provided to you in a professional, appropriate manner?
o Were you satisfied by the safety information given? Were you able to understand every sign? Do you know what was expected from you in case of an emergency? Generally, did you feel safe on board?
o Do you think that the airline you used treated the passengers well?

7. Disembarking

• Did you have to wait for long time to be assisted off the plane? 
• How did you have to leave the plane: via a corridor (jetway), on the pavement or with the help of a vehicle (ambulance, bus)?  
• If you were travelling with checked in luggage, were you able to get your luggage back easily? Did the assistance help you with your luggage? 
• Was your mobility equipment given back to you undamaged and as soon as possible? 
• Were there any issues at passport or customs control (when arriving at an EU-airport) because of your disability?

8. Service within the arrival terminal

• Did you transfer to another flight?
• Was someone waiting for you to pick you up?
• If you were leaving the terminal alone, did the assistance help you get to the car park, bus/train station, etc.?
• Were the signs in the terminal clear, understandable?
• Could you orient yourself easily within the building?
• If you needed any help whilst in the terminal building, was staff available and helpful?
• Could you use the facilities (toilet, elevator, etc.) without hindrance? If not, what was the problem (please specify – also terminal building and airport)?
• Was ground assistance dealing with your needs in a professional manner?

9. In the future…

• Would you travel again by air, or only if this would be absolutely necessary?
• If you would travel again would you consider travelling further? Would you consider taking even long haul flights (flight time is longer than 6 hours) or would you take medium haul flights (three to six hours flight time) or just short haul flights (three hours or less flight time)?
• Would you recommend any changes to the system by which people with reduced mobility were taken care of? If yes, what would you like to change?
• Do you think that the current practice of assistance in air travel could be used as example to help improve travelling with other modes (bus and train)?
• If it would be mandatory to notify the airline at least 48 hours prior to departure of your assistance needs, do you think you could manage to do the notification until this time? Would you regard this – if implemented – as inequitable/discriminatory, or would you think that it is necessary for the airport and airline in order to plan with their resources in advance?