Aviation & Transit Accessibility: Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) & Booking Engines

Airlines operating flights to, from, or within the United States are governed by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Carrier Access Act (14 CFR Part 382), which mandates strict WCAG 2.0 / 2.1 Level AA compliance across flight booking engines, check-in kiosks, and mobile applications.

The DOT Air Carrier Access Act (14 CFR Part 382)

Unlike general commercial websites governed under general ADA common law, airlines face explicit administrative rules enforced directly by the DOT. Violations result in hefty civil penalties and mandatory corrective action plans.

Accessible Flight Search & Low-Fare Calendars

Fare matrices and departure date pickers must allow keyboard users to tab through pricing options easily, announcing:

"Departing New York JFK to London Heathrow, Tuesday May 12, Lowest fare: $450 Economy, selected."

Engineering Accessible Airplane Seat Maps

Airplane cabin diagrams are among the most complex UI components on the web. An accessible seat map must:

• Use an ARIA grid structure where rows represent cabin seat rows (Row 12) and columns represent seat letters (A, B, C).
• Announce seat attributes clearly: "Seat 12B, Middle Seat, Extra Legroom, $35 fee, Available".
• Clearly distinguish designated accessible seats and wheelchair storage locations.

Special Service Request (SSR) Forms

Booking engines must allow travelers with disabilities to seamlessly request wheelchair assistance, service animal accommodations, or oxygen concentrator approvals without being forced to call a phone agent.