Still up in the air: government regulation of airline websites and continuing price inequality for persons with disabilities online

Abstract

US Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require that persons with disabilities not be discriminated against in the pricing of airline travel. To comply with these regulations, the websites of airlines are not currently required to be accessible for persons with disabilities. However, if an airline website is inaccessible, the airline must offer to customers with disabilities over the phone the same price that is available on the website and may not charge a fee for purchasing tickets over the phone. A 2009 data collection effort (published in 2010) of the application of these government regulations in cyberspace found many cases of airline non-compliance with the regulations, resulting in price discrimination against airline passengers with disabilities. This paper reports the findings of a follow-up study conducted in 2011 to determine if any progress has been made in a two- year period, revealing mixed results in the attention paid to the regulations. Some airlines still are charging higher fares or including call center fees at rates of 30% to 90%. This paper details the findings from the 2011 data collection and analyzes the data in terms of website accessibility, civil rights for travelers with disabilities, and e-government policy implications.