Why would Delta Airlines inconvenience passengers with medical needs to reserve their seats 24 hours before their scheduled flights?
Why would Delta Airlines inconvenience passengers with medical needs to reserve their seats 24 hours before their scheduled flights?
Because AUTISM!
So that they have adequate time to prepare for those special medical needs.
So they get the seats they need that way
In case they need a toilet bowl plumbed in to their airline seat. This can take time.
Your question is confusing. Are you complaining that you have to wait until 24 hours before departure before selecting a seat? If you've booked Basic Economy, then you can't choose your seats until you check in (you might be able to pay and do it earlier starting 7 days in advance - Delta's Basic Economy seems a little more generous than other airlines' basic economy systems). If you have medical needs that need to be met, then you should purchase a ticket that allows seat selection at booking.
Your question reads as if you think it's unreasonable for people with medical needs to tell the airline in advance.
Surely you mean the opposite: Why can't people with medical needs tell the airline LONGER in advance?
Your question doesn't quite make sense. Almost all airlines require advance notice of any special accommodations required, usually at the time of booking but probably at least 24 hours in advance. This is needed so they an ensure seats and or equipment is available. There are certain seats airlines reserve for special needs (usually the bulkhead seats near the front of economy) but within 24 hours of departure, they reserve the right to assign them to any passenger. Also, they may only have a few seats per plane for special needs so once those are reserved, you may not be able to be accommodated on that flight or may have to sit in a less desired seat. It's first come, first served.
I don't think this is unreasonable at all.
Take for instance with greyhound or megabus. They require 24 hour notice for a wheelchair because each bus can only handle 2 wheelchairs. Also, each wheelchair takes up 4 to 6 seats so they must block those seats from sale to other passengers or move those passengers to another bus.
That's why advance notice is needed.
Legally speaking, air transit and intercity buses do not have to follow the same ADA laws as city buses or Amtrak. Airlines have to make a reasonable effort to accomadate
Just think about it. If the airline needs to provide facilities for a person with medical needs, it should be given time to prepare those facilities.
Is it an inconvenience? Reserving seats is common, and I see no harm in Delta wishing to know of passengers that may need specific attention during flight.
- Why don't airlines have larger sized seats for plus sized people? They could probably charge a little more for them, instead of making the flying experience a nightmare for some people.
- I will be arriving in the UK at the airport at the early hours of the morning. Is it ok to wait for 8 hours for when my coach leaves? My coach will leave the airport 8 hours after my plane lands at the airport. Is it ok to wait 8 hours in the airport for the coach?
- Airplane mechanics: why would a plane have to burn off fuel before landing? My local news just talked about a flight having to return to the airport after "mechanical issues with the nose gear", but then it said that the plane had to circle the airport for about an hour "ro burn off enough fuel for landing". I'm curiois why would it have to burn off fuel instead of just landing? Especially if it turned around for mechanical issues.
- Why airplane seats aren't designed to be more comfortable for long flights? Who dafuq thinks it's easy to sit in upright position for 10+ hours? And why is there no gap between seats in the same row? Or enough legroom? Airlines are more focused on entertainment, but I prefer comfort over food and entertainment.