by Flying Angels Editorial Team | Aug 16, 2018 | News & Resources
The inability to access lavatories on single-aisle planes has lead an advocacy group to file a lawsuit against the federal department of Transportation (DOT). The lawsuit seeks to force the DOT to mandate that airlines make lavatories wheelchair accessible for disabled travelers.
It’s a change that those with disabilities have waited on for more than 30 years. Requiring single-aisle planes to have accessible lavatories was envisioned in the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act.
Disabled Travelers Lawsuit
James Thomas Wheaton, the veteran who leads the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization that filed the lawsuit, told USA Today he has spent three decades hoping that DOT would make the change. He said the inability to use the bathroom during long flights is “a horrific feeling. In my 30 years of being disabled, I feel the most paralyzed and the most limited in those settings.”
Wheaton was paralyzed after getting hit by a drunk driver while serving with the Navy in Australia.
Bathroom Issues
For those without disabilities, it’s difficult to imagine the discomfort and pain for disabled travelers who cannot use the bathroom.
Most domestic flights use single-aisle planes, so without handicapped-accessible bathrooms, disabled travelers are forced to wait until the plane lands and everyone disembarks before they can get to an accessible bathroom in the airport.
It’s a terrible experience. Two-thirds of those surveyed by the DOT on the issue in 2016 said that it’s enough to make them avoid flying entirely.
As it stands, it’s difficult to maneuver to the bathrooms even while using an onboard wheelchair designed for the narrow aisle. There are raised bumps on the threshold of the lavatory that are hard to cross. Also, bathroom doors tend to face each other across a narrow aisle, making it hard to maneuver.
Airline Issues
For airlines, expanding the size of onboard lavatories to make them wheelchair accessible would require an investment of money and a loss of space in the plane cabin.
Representatives of the airlines have told Congress that expanding the bathrooms could cost them three passenger seats in the cabin, leading to a loss of $33 billion over the next 25 years, according to USA Today.
There’s been inaction on the issue by the federal government. The Trump Administration has suspended the creation of new regulations pending review of ones proposed during the Obama Administration.
On its website, the Paralyzed Veterans of America urges members to contact their representatives on several related issues. They include formation of a disabled traveler’s bill of rights and harsher penalties for those who injure disabled travelers or break their wheelchairs.
Both things happen with regularity, according to the advocacy group.The organization states that while some changes have been made to help the disabled on flights, “It’s clear that more must be done.”
by Flying Angels Editorial Team | Aug 9, 2018 | News & Resources
An airline nurse provides care for patients during every phase of air transportation. While salaries for the position vary based on many factors, including years of experience and level of education, the average salary for airline nurses across the United States is $82,207 according to Salary.com.
Across the country, airline nurses typically have salaries that range between $73,000 and $92,000. However, it is often found that airline nurses or associated medical transport professionals are paid on a per diem basis vs. a salary.
What An Airline Nurse Does
In many ways, the job of an airline nurse mirrors that of an emergency room nurse.
Nurses who work in an ER must manage diverse types of patients suffering from a wide variety of illness and injuries. They are trained to make fast, smart decisions in an often-frenetic environment.
Many airline nurses have years of experience working in an emergency room. The skills gained there help them better perform their job as an airline nurse.
An airline nurse has many responsibilities. They assess a patient’s condition before traveling. Then, they develop a transport plan to get the patient to their destination safely. They also work with airline personnel to make the trip through the airport as easy as possible. They may also coordinate ground transportation on both ends of the trip.
Most importantly, they are specially trained to provide quality care to patients during the flight. They have expertise in the details of providing medical care while thousands of feet in the air.
An airline nurse can work in emergency situations. However, many also work with patients who are ill or have had injuries but must still take a flight. Others also work with older or chronically ill patients who require professional medical care while taking a flight.
Salary Differences By Region
Location is a key component of salary in all professions. The online salary aggregator site Salary.com allows you to look at places where some of the highest salaries are available for an airline nurse. As with most professions, the highest salaries are in California and the Northeast.
Some of the highest salaries are in counties that include the following cities:
- San Francisco ($100,525)
- San Jose ($99,735)
- New York City ($99,471)
- Boston ($93,911)
- Los Angeles ($92,411)
Others area where salaries are above average include Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Miami.
Many factors other than location play a role in salary. They include years of experience in both emergency rooms and as an airline nurse, Also, the level of college degree attained and certifications earned play a role. Higher salaries also are typically given for positions in management.
Growth in the field continues as more people become aware of the benefits of medical transport service. For nurses, it offers an exciting opportunity outside the typical environments of a hospital, physician’s office or long-term care home.
