AN AIR FRANCE SERVICE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE TRAVEL FOR PASSENGERS

AN AIR FRANCE SERVICE DESIGNED TO FACILITATE TRAVEL FOR PASSENGERS WITH REDUCED MOBILITY The SAPHIR information and reservations service celebrates its fifth anniversary 1 CONTENTS PRESS RELEASE: SAPHIR (INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS SERVICE FOR DISABLED PASSENGERS) CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY I. SAPHIR – MAKING TRAVEL FOR DISABLED PASSENGERS AS EASY AND SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE A. Prior to departure B. At the airport C. On board the aircraft II. SAPHIR: OPTIMAL TRAVEL CONDITIONS TO ENSURE PASSENGERS TRAVEL COMFORTABLY AND SAFELY A. Medical consent B. Grounds for refusing to transport disabled passengers C. Transport of disabled passengers with individual requirements D. Travel companions E. Visually-impaired passengers III. THE SAPHIR TEAM: RESERVATION SPECIALISTS 2 Roissy/Nice, 19 June 2006 N° 5 084 SAPHIR, THE INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS SERVICE FOR DISABLED PASSENGERS, CELEBRATES ITS FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ________________________________________________________________________ SAPHIR, the information and reservations service for disabled passengers, celebrates its fifth anniversary. 5,740 Saphir cards have been allocated up to now. The 18 members of qualified Saphir personnel based in Nice handle on average some 300 calls daily, with over 50,000 calls received per year. However, not all reduced mobility passengers use the Saphir service. Every year, Air France carries over 300,000 disabled people on its network. Passengers enjoy a large range of seamless services throughout their trip: • • • • • • • • • Special assistance at check-in Provision of a wheelchair at the airport Free transport of a guide dog Carriage of disabled passenger’s wheelchair free of charge in the hold An anti-shock protection system for the passenger’s wheelchair Priority boarding Personalized in-flight service Assistance during the flight Personal welcome on arrival “The SAPHIR service is the only one of its kind and one of our biggest achievements. Our ambition in the medium term is to extend access to our international network for our passengers with reduced mobility. Moreover, we are constantly seeking ways to facilitate travel arrangements for these passengers, to guarantee conditions of optimal comfort and in line with safety requirements. » said Air France Chairman and CEO, Jean-Cyril Spinetta. If you live in France or in the French Overseas Departments and would like to benefit from the Saphir service, you must contact a Saphir agent at least 48 hours prior to departure by calling 0 820 01 24 24 (0.12 euro / min), by fax on 04 93 18 53 50 or by email: mail.saphir@airfrance.fr Opening hours (Paris local time): From 9am to 7pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 6pm on Saturdays 3 I / SAPHIR – MAKING TRAVEL FOR DISABLED PASSENGERS AS EASY AS POSSIBLE SAPHIR (Information and reservations service for disabled passengers) was set up in June 2001 to provide assistance and facilities to ensure passengers with reduced mobility receive the best possible service and to provide them with easier access to air transport. SAPHIR is a large range of adapted services tailored to make departure and arrival formalities easier for disabled passengers and their flight more comfortable. SAPHIR is a free service provided by a specialized team working in close collaboration with the passenger and the Air France medical department. Each of the 18 Saphir team members was trained by a physician specialized in a particular disability (physical, mental or sensory disability). 1. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE At the time of booking At the time of booking, the disabled passenger provides all the practical details on the degree of and type of his or her disability and indicates the kind of assistance they need at the airport and during the flight (e.g. special meal requirements). When the passenger needs a wheelchair to move around, he or she must indicate at the time of booking whether the wheelchair is a motorized or manual model, fold-away or not, along with its weight, length, width and height and battery type (dry or wet cell battery). When the passenger cannot look after himself during the flight (impossible to fasten and unfasten seatbelts, to grasp or adjust the oxygen mask; unable to use the toilets on his own or eat his meal without help, on long-haul flights), Saphir will require him to be accompanied. Once the customer has provided the Saphir agent with all the required details, they receive a free, personal card indicating their name, first name, ID number and date of validity of the medical authorization, if required. This card is not required to access Saphir but as the 4 customer’s personal information is memorized in the data base, disabled passengers who travel frequently do not have to provide this information each time they book a ticket. They simply need to quote their Saphir number and their reservation file will be automatically updated. Fares Passengers with special needs and their travel companions are entitled to reduced rates on all domestic flights in Metropolitan France and a special rate is available in the Tempo and Alizé cabins on all Air France flights between Paris and Pointe-à-Pitre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne and Saint-Denis de la Réunion. The disabled passenger and their travel companion must travel together to benefit from the reduced fare. The travel companion is also entitled to these reduced rates (on presentation of the same proof of eligibility) when travelling alone to a destination where he or she is to accompany a disabled passenger, or on their journey back after accompanying a passenger. Both reservation files (that of the disabled passenger and travel companion) must correspond. In all cases, a more advantageous fare (category fare, Tempo fare) may be available, subject to fare application conditions. By showing their invalidity card, the FREMEC* card bearing the reference “mandatory travel companion”, and each time Air France obliges them to be accompanied, disabled passengers are entitled to reduced rates. Customers may collect their ticket from an Air France ticket office or travel agent, or pick up their boarding card at the airport if they have been issued an electronic ticket (70% of tickets issued). * The Frequent Traveller’s Medical Card (FREMEC) is valid on all airlines that belong to IATA and is issued by each carrier’s medical department. Customers must send a written request to the airline’s medical department, and provide a medical certificate drawn up by their general practitioner. 2. AT THE AIRPORT Getting to the airport 5 Air France provides passengers wishing to be collected from home and taken to the airport (Paris-CDG and Orly and Lyon airport) a personalized service in specially-adapted vehicles. This service incurs an additional fee. Saphir card holders benefit from a 10% reduction. We recommend that to ensure their optimal comfort, passengers arrive at the airport at least 30 minutes before the latest check-in time. special assistance at check-in Passengers with reduced mobility are looked after by qualified personnel from check-in to boarding. The passenger’s personal wheelchair is checked and fitted with a special anti-shock protection system before being transported free of charge in the hold. Disabled passengers checked in on Air France-operated flights departing from Orly West (manual and battery-operated wheelchairs) and Paris-CDG2 airports (manual wheelchairs only) are now able to access the boarding lounge with their wheelchair. The passenger is given the use of a wheelchair, allowing him or her to get around the airport up to pre-boarding and to get to the aircraft. Passengers in wheelchairs or who request personal assistance benefit from priority boarding (pre-boarding). These passengers are transferred to the aircraft via the jetway or in an appropriate vehicle, depending on where the aircraft is parked. baggage The disabled passenger (along with all other passengers) benefit from a hold baggage allowance. Connecting passengers’ baggage is checked in through to the final destination (except when the passenger must change airports in Paris). Baggage is clearly labelled, enabling passengers to identify their own items immediately. Personal wheelchairs (maximum of 2 allowed per passenger) are carried free of charge. On long-haul flights, the passenger’s wheelchair and baggage are disembarked first. 6 3. ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT During their initial training, the 14,700 Air France cabin crew members are made aware of the specific help required by disabled passengers and learn how to better understand and meet their expectations to ensure they are comfortable during the flight. More than 600 flight attendants have received an additional day’s training to become “disabled passenger referents”. They must identify themselves to their fellow flight crew members and advise them on how to respond to this type of passenger’s specific requirements. Flight attendants welcome the disabled passenger on board and ensure he or she is comfortably seated. An onboard transfer wheelchair is available on long-haul flights so that passengers can move around the cabin. Passengers with special needs must specify any requirements they have when reserving (salt-reduced diet, vegetarian meal, etc.) to benefit from such services. Inside the aircraft, the toilets are fitted with grip bars and handles. Shortly on all Air France long-haul flights, armrests that fold fully away on the seats situated on the aisle side and specially adapted toilets to facilitate access will allow disabled passengers to move around more easily. A booklet presenting safety instructions is also available in Braille, in French and in English. 7 II / SAPHIR: OPTIMAL TRAVEL CONDITIONS TO ENSURE PASSENGERS TRAVEL COMFORTABLY AND SAFELY 1. Medical consent A medical consent form is requested from passengers with reduced mobility. The international IATA regulations governing the transport of disabled passengers stipulate that the passenger’s state of health must be such that he or she does not encounter difficulties during the flight, that their safety is not jeopardized and the operation of the flight not compromised. This medical consent is requested: for mentally handicapped passengers who want to travel unaccompanied on a direct domestic flight. On all international and connecting flights, no medical consent is required but the passenger must be accompanied. (see “Mandatory travel companion) below) when the passenger cannot look after himself during the flight (impossible to fasten and unfasten seatbelts, to grasp or adjust the oxygen mask; unable to use the toilets on his own or to eat his meal without help on long-haul flights). when passenger’s state of health may improve or deteriorate, when passenger needs a stretcher, when passenger requires respiratory assistance, when passenger has recently been operated on. The Air France doctor and the customer’s general practitioner decide together whether to approve the medical consent. The doctors may give their approval on condition that the passenger complies with a number of rules determined by the aforementioned to ensure the passenger’s well-being (the need to be accompanied (relative, nurse, doctor) / oxygen / stretcher (according to type of flight - LH, SH or MH, connecting flight). The customer’s general practitioner completes a medical information form (known as a MEDIF), which SAHIR can provide on request, and sends it to the Air France medical service. The two doctors may contact each other directly by telephone or fax. The Air France medical service informs the reservations agent of all the practical conditions associated with this medical consent. 8 2. Grounds for refusing to transport disabled passengers In very rare cases, when the passenger’s state of health risks deteriorating during the flight or may be worsened by an infectious disease (for e.g., lung infection in passengers with breathing disorders) or when the number of disabled passengers reserved on a flight is higher than predicted), medical consent may be refused. This refusal, which cannot be contested, is justified as follows: • • either by safety constraints (regulatory evacuation time, only a limited number of disabled passengers can be looked after by cabin crew), or by operating constraints (stopover time, necessity to adapt cabin interior in smaller aircraft). 3. Transport of disabled passengers with individual requirements Disabled passengers with individual requirements: • • • • Passengers travelling on a stretcher Passengers requiring an additional seat (e.g., leg in plaster) Passengers requiring respiratory assistance Physically handicapped passengers travelling unaccompanied in a wheelchair Passengers with reduced mobility with no individual requirements, but who need to comply with the same requirements when travelling as part of a group (the acceptance and the conditions for acceptance of groups of passengers with reduced mobility depend on the type of disability and aircraft type): • • Physically handicapped passengers who cannot move around inside the cabin by themselves Physically handicapped passengers travelling with a travel companion and who cannot move around inside the cabin by themselves (except for La Navette shuttle flights where passengers travelling alone and as part of a group are subject to the same requirements) Requirements differ according to whether the passenger is travelling alone or as part of a group. The Air France Exceptional Transportation Department decides how many passengers are allowed on board (example criteria: degree and type of disability, number of disabled passengers who have reserved tickets on this flight). 9 4. Travel companions For adult passengers: The Air France medical department may require that the passenger travels with a travel companion, depending on the degree of his or her disability, age, or duration of the flight. In this case, the passenger, and their travel companion, are entitled to reduced rates on all domestic flights in Metropolitan France and long-haul flights from/to Overseas Departments (routes between Paris and Fort-de-France, Pointe-à-Pitre, Cayenne, Saint-Denis de la Réunion). The travel companion must be aged over 18 and be able to care for themselves. Air France requires that the disabled passenger travels with a travel companion: on all flights (long-haul, medium-haul and short-haul) when the passenger with reduced mobility cannot fasten and unfasten their seatbelt, grasp or adjust the oxygen mask without help), on long-haul flights when the passenger is not able to use the toilets or their own or eat their meal without help, passengers with a mental disability must be systematically accompanied on mediumhaul and long-haul flights and all connecting flights. Children: Physically disabled children under 12 who are able to carry out the four movements described above may travel unaccompanied on all flights in Metropolitan France (direct or connecting flight). In this case, they are considered as UM’s. A travel companion is requested on medium and long-haul flights, according to the conditions stipulating the mandatory presence of a travel companion (see “travel companion” section). Children under 12 with a mental disability must be accompanied on all flights. Children over 12 with a physical disability but who are able to carry out the movements defined in the travel companion section may travel without medical consent and unaccompanied to all Air France destinations. Children over 12 with a mental disability may travel unaccompanied on all direct flights in Metropolitan France after obtaining medical consent. They do not require medical approval but must be accompanied on flights with a stop-over or connection in Metropolitan France, or on international flights. 10 Special case: person accompanying a passenger with reduced mobility Passengers with reduced mobility may be accompanied by a minor aged over 12, related or otherwise, subject to approval by the Air France medical department. If the passenger with reduced mobility is aged under 12, the accompanying minor must be their father, mother or legal guardian. In this specific case, formal evidence of medical consent (reservation file) must be supplied to the captain prior to boarding the disabled passenger. Special case: passenger with reduced mobility travelling as accompanying person A passenger with reduced mobility may be accompanied by another disabled passenger subject to approval by the Air France medical department and providing the seat allocation conditions are met (the Air France medical department must be contacted for all requests in this case). This type of approval, for safety reasons, may not be given for a visually-impaired passenger, passengers with a mental disability or who need a stretcher, for example. Disabled person accompanying a child All passengers with reduced mobility who are able to carry out the 4 movements (fastening and unfastening seatbelts, using the oxygen mask, eating their meal without help and using the toilets on their own) and travelling with their children (0-11 years old) who they are legally responsible for are considered apt to do so. If this passenger cannot carry out the movements above Children aged 4+ travelling to destinations in Metropolitan France and the French Overseas departments and children aged 5+ travelling on international routes will be considered as “UM” (Unaccompanied Minor) upon booking and will be seated next to an adult passenger who is able to assist them. A second travel companion will need to travel with babies and children under 4 travelling to destinations in Metropolitan France and the French Overseas Departments and children under 5 travelling on international routes. 11 5. Visually-impaired passengers Certain passengers with reduced mobility may be accompanied by a guide dog. Air France does not consider a guide dog a pet dog, the former being a dog that has been specially trained in an approved school and qualified to assist people with disabilities. On informing the reservations service that they will be travelling with their guide dog, the passenger can travel with their animal free of charge in the cabin. III / THE SAPHIR TEAM: RESERVATION SPECIALISTS Based in Nice since its beginnings, the SAPHIR team is made up of 18 specialized agents who have all been trained by a physician specialized in a particular disability (physical, mental or sensory disability). The Saphir Department works in close collaboration with all the players involved in the chain of customer services (medical departments, Exceptional Transportation Department, airport staff, flight attendants, flight captains and co-pilots, etc.). By working closely together, the Saphir agents are able to anticipate potential difficulties and handle them proactively for the benefit of these passengers. SAPHIR is an original and unique commercial service, providing specialized assistance to passengers with disabilities. It has two basic principles: Providing passengers with reduced mobility personalized assistance in the preparation of their trip, Stipulating specific rules and regulations that may not be contested by Air France. 12