reasonable adjustments ? flight cancelled

mrsshadow

We’ve just been told our flight for August 2026 has been cancelled and offered several options, but we have a severely disabled daughter they are aware of, and I don’t think any of these are lawful reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. First, they want to move us from a small airport to Gatwick, but we need the small airport as our child would be a flight risk and become dysregulated at Gatwick. Second, they suggested switching to an evening flight arriving at 1:30 am, which isn’t suitable for our daughter. Third, they offered to change the holiday, but we only go to the same hotel where our daughter is comfortable and staff know how to support her. Fourth, we could cancel and get a refund, but we’ve been preparing her for months with social stories, and changing now would cause huge distress. Lastly, we could move the dates to keep the small airport and same hotel, but we’d lose the free child place and pay thousands more, which is unreasonable. They say they can’t do anything and have no contact for their legal or complaints team. I’ve explained this is unlawful and that they must consider reasonable adjustments, but none of their offers meet that standard. What should I do?

elsien

if your flight has been cancelled, what exactly do you expect them to do? 

Have you found other more suitable alternatives you can ask them about that don’t cost a lot of extra money? 

Seems to me, they have actually offered quite a lot of alternatives already but which aren’t suitable for various reasons. 

Reasonable adjustments do have to be reasonable. If they become disproportionate, then they do not have to be offered, and an extra cost to the company of thousands could be deemed to be unreasonable.

eskbanker

I was just posting in one of the duplicate threads when it was closed but agree with the above - they can only work with what's actually available, so if you know of a suitable flight from the right airport at the right time, aligned with a suitable hotel, then suggest it to them.

soolin

I'm sorry but I agree with elsien, reasonable adjustments, if applicable to cancelled flights, must still be reasonable. You have several alternatives which I suspect would be considered reasonable to most people.

If the flight has been cancelled then I'm not sure what else can be offered, unless you can negotiate a different airline flying the same route at the same time from the same airport. if you are somehow hoping to get the original flight, then that would not be reasonable at all, an entire flight cannot be reinstated for the needs of one group.

Mands

mrsshadow said:

We’ve just been told our flight for August 2026 has been cancelled and offered several options, but we have a severely disabled daughter they are aware of, and I don’t think any of these are lawful reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act. First, they want to move us from a small airport to Gatwick, but we need the small airport as our child would be a flight risk and become dysregulated at Gatwick. Second, they suggested switching to an evening flight arriving at 1:30 am, which isn’t suitable for our daughter. Third, they offered to change the holiday, but we only go to the same hotel where our daughter is comfortable and staff know how to support her. Fourth, we could cancel and get a refund, but we’ve been preparing her for months with social stories, and changing now would cause huge distress. Lastly, we could move the dates to keep the small airport and same hotel, but we’d lose the free child place and pay thousands more, which is unreasonable. They say they can’t do anything and have no contact for their legal or complaints team. I’ve explained this is unlawful and that they must consider reasonable adjustments, but none of their offers meet that standard. What should I do?

From what you have said they have offered:

* A full refund, which is unacceptable
* Same flights and hotel but different dates, which is unacceptable
* Same flights and dates but different hotel, which is unacceptable 
* Same dates and hotel but different flights, which is unacceptable 

What outcome would you like here? 

born_again

Is this a package holiday?

la531983

To be blunt, most of that sounds like a you problem than a them problem. 

You will have a very very difficult time suggesting a change of airport is a breach of the DDA given that assistance at an airport can be booked from door to gate.

Has the entire route been cancelled from the unnamed airport in question?

soolin

born_again said:

Is this a package holiday?

Good point.

Might I also suggest that the phrase 'flight risk' is a risky term to use regarding any traveller, an airline might decide a 'flight risk ' passenger is not someone they feel comfortable carrying at all . Might I  suggest a different term or phrase to use when negotiating. 

Exactly what outcome are you hoping for, is it an achievable option? 

saajan_12

What's the small airport? As many around London are equally chaotic etc. 

Also what's the destination? If not too far, then a flight 9 months out may not be too expensive, and then you can argue the toss about a partial refund to cover the cost of separate flights. 

Re same hotel, that may not be considered a reasonable adjustment - surely she had to get through a first time at that hotel? (Though I thought it was the flight that's cancelled, so how does a different hotel help?)

Ultimately if their alternatives are unsuitable, you need to suggest something they could reasonably do, and debate IF they refuse. 

elsien

I think the OP is hoping for the same hotel on a different date but there is a large extra cost which they do not wish to pay, which presumably the holiday company have decided is unreasonable for them to pay as well. 

elsien

la531983 said:

To be blunt, most of that sounds like a you problem than a them problem. 

You will have a very very difficult time suggesting a change of airport is a breach of the DDA given that assistance at an airport can be booked from door to gate.

Has the entire route been cancelled from the unnamed airport in question?

It is no longer the DDA, it’s the Equality Act. And I suspect that the daughter’s disability may have an autism component so assistance from door to gate is not an issue. Change and dealing with change is the issue.