Breeze Air hosted a boarding demonstration for travelers with autism on April 30. The demonstration was part of Breeze Air's partnership with Autism Double-Checked, an organization that aims to make travel easier for travelers on the autism spectrum. The airline said it plans to share more information about upcoming events.
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PROVO, Utah — On April 30, Breeze Air Flight 9951 to Provo, Utah, was just like any other flight: All the pre-departure announcements were made in the gate area, passengers boarded by zone, flight attendants gave a safety demonstration, snacks were served, and everything was in order. But the plane never took off.
Because Flight 9951 was an unusual journey for its passengers and crew.
“We don't fly a lot, so being with them, the process is overwhelming,” passenger Travis Hoki said, pointing to his son. “Max is doing great, and we thought this group would be understanding if he was loud and rowdy.”
Hoki's three-year-old son, Max, has autism, and flight 9951 was designed to help travelers like him get used to air travel.
“This is an opportunity to do something very meaningful for a group of travelers who, in many cases, wouldn't have traveled if it weren't for this type of event,” said Tom Doxey, president of Breeze Air. “When we can have an event like this, especially when it's in a smaller community, it's even more meaningful.”
The April 30 flight demonstration was Breeze Air's third training session but the first in Provo; the previous two were held in Hartford, Connecticut.
The initiative is part of Breeze's partnership with Autism Double-Checked, an organization dedicated to making travel easier for travelers on the autism spectrum.
“From the passenger's perspective, this isn't a one-time thing,” Alan Day, co-founder and CEO of Autism Double-Checked, told USA TODAY. He said many autistic travelers take a long time to become acclimated to new environments, so training like the Breeze boarding demonstration is just one way to help them become accustomed to how air travel works.
“The goal is to blend it together so that it's seamless,” Day added.
The boarding gate area in Provo was crowded and a little noisy as participants, many of whom knew each other through area schools and parent networks, waited for the training to begin. In many ways, it felt just like any other flight: Kids played with toys and ran around the terminal before boarding began.
The flight was a little noisier than a normal trip – people on board were chatty and excited – and they may not have followed the seatbelt signs as carefully as they would on a real flight, but overall it was a pretty authentic experience.
Breeze flight attendants received training on how to interact with passengers with autism, and all of the flight attendants who took part in the April 30 training volunteered their time.
The training also included practical advice on making travel easier for people with autism, such as closing bins quietly to avoid sudden or unexpected noises.
Although the plane remained on the ground, passengers enjoyed the flight to the fullest: flight attendants made sure everyone had their seatbelts fastened after the doors closed, circulated around with snacks, the pilot announced the estimated flight time (5 minutes, but the plane arrived at the gate early), and flight attendants walked the aisles again before landing to collect trash.
One passenger excitedly told USA Today that he had never been on a plane before and that it was his first time using airplane mode on his phone on an actual plane.
For participants, the experience meant future travel would be easier.
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Breeze and Autism Double Checked said they often promote their events through local neurodiversity groups and organizations and work closely with host cities on outreach efforts. A spokesperson for the airline said the first event in Provo came together quickly and was a “grassroots effort” with promotion mostly by word of mouth, but they hope to do more to publicize future events. Some potential attendees found out about the April 30 march just before it began, and there's already interest in holding it again.
“We're getting ready to do a big family reunion this summer,” Coreen Jones, who has two autistic sons, Miles, 8, and Alden, 5, told USA Today. “When we heard about this, we immediately thought, 'We have to take advantage of this.'”
Both of his sons also brought practice carry-ons with them for the trip, and Jones said the practice was a chance for them to ask questions and find out what it's like to be on an airplane.
“It's just a way to practice so that you're less anxious when you actually go on the trip,” she said.
The Hoki family felt the same way.
“We wanted to take our kids on a plane but we were nervous about it,” Lindsay Hoki told USA Today. “We saw it and we were so excited.”
In addition to boarding, Breeze Air continues to work to better support travelers with autism. As part of a partnership with Autism Double-Checked, the airline will publish travel guides and create an Autism Concierge Helpline to ensure travelers have a representative available to discuss accommodations before they travel. The airline will also begin accepting the organization's Autism Passport, a document that travelers can fill out once and submit to participating travel agencies. The passport will include details about a traveler's condition and information about what type of accommodations they may need.
“This should be the norm,” Day said. “We want to make the extraordinary the norm.”
A reporter for this story was granted access to the event by Breeze Airways. USA TODAY retains editorial rights to content.
Have you or someone you know ever encountered an accessibility issue while traveling? What happened?
Zach Wichter is a New York-based travel writer for USA TODAY. He can be reached at zwichter@usatoday.com.
