Dignity Travel

Air Travel, Disabilities, And The TSA

Posted in Dignity Travel

Air Travel, Disabilities, And The TSA

One of the primary goals of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is to provide the highest level of security and customer service to all who pass through our screening checkpoints. Our current policies and procedures focus on ensuring that all passengers, regardless of their personal situations and needs, are treated equally and with the dignity, respect, and courtesy they deserve. Although every person and item must be screened before entering each secure boarding area, it is the manner in which the screening is conducted that is most important.

In order to achieve that goal, TSA has established a program for screening of persons with disabilities and their associated equipment, mobility aids, and devices. Our program covers all categories of disabilities (mobility, hearing, visual, and hidden). As part of that program, we established a coalition of over 70 disability-related groups and organizations to help us understand the concerns of persons with disabilities and medical conditions. These groups have assisted TSA with integrating the unique needs of persons with disabilities into our airport operations.

Since the initial total ban on liquids, gels and aerosols took effect we have learned enough from the UK investigation to say with confidence that small, travel size liquids are safe to bring through security checkpoints in limited numbers. We are confident in our increased security measures throughout the airport. Therefore, passengers can purchase drinks in the secure boarding area and bring them aboard their flights.

TSA’s checkpoint security screening procedures for persons with disabilities and medical conditions have not changed as a result of the current threat situation. All disability-related equipment, aids, and devices continue to be allowed through security checkpoints once cleared through screening.

Additionally, we are continuing to permit prescription liquid medications and other liquids needed by persons with disabilities and medical conditions. This includes:

* All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
* Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
* Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs;
* Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
* Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.

However, if the liquid medications are in volumes larger than 3 ounces each, they may not be placed in the quart-size bag and must be declared to the Transportation Security Officer. A declaration can be made verbally, in writing, or by a person’s companion, caregiver, interpreter, or family member.

Declared liquid medications and other liquids for disabilities and medical conditions must be kept separate from all other property submitted for x-ray screening.

Things To Know About Travel Consolidators

Posted in Dignity Travel

Things To Know About Travel Consolidators

Travel consolidators are high-volume ticket brokers. They purchase large scale tickets and sell them to customers for a lower price than the published fares.

A travel consolidator buys a large amount of tickets directly from the carriers or the airline companies. This way they get discounted prices because of the volume they purchased. They negotiate with these carriers so they get big discounts. Some travel consolidators even have their own contracts with the airline companies.

However, they only negotiate for a specific region. Somewhere they know that is a popular destination, this way they could sell their tickets faster. Some consolidators are even owned by the carriers themselves. Big airline companies normally have several travel consolidators under their wing. These are done because there may be instances that a number of seats are not sold for a specific flight. What the carriers and the consolidators do is to sell these empty seats at a lower fare. Consolidators buy the extra tickets at a lower price and sell them to travelers on a lower fare than the published rates.

It is not publicly known how consolidating works for travel. Consolidators get their tickets in a much lower price than an ordinary person because of the volume of tickets they bought. This way they could resell the tickets at a much lower price to travelers. But they do make profits. Yes they sell tickets at a lower rate but that doesn’t mean that they are sacrificing their profit. Everything is all about money. And they well know how to make money. They also sell the tickets with the same price as the published fares. This way they earn a bigger profit.

They have their own market. Some consolidators sell their tickets to travel agents alone and some sell them both to the travel agent and the public. Some also sell their tickets online.

Travel consolidators even come with different classifications. There may be those who only do wholesale, meaning they resell their tickets in volume. Other travel consolidators might be those specializing on the destinations. This means that they only buy tickets on specific regions. However there are also those that specialize on multi-stops or those tickets on fights that have several stops.

Like any other jobs travel consolidators have their own pluses and minuses. They have the privilege of buying tickets below the published fares and have the liberty of buying them until the departure date of the said flight. However, they also have their own setbacks. The ticket that they could buy only goes on a specific route which narrows their market. Another thing is they have to negotiate well because it means profit!