THURSDAY MAR 28, 2024
×
Search AeroXplorer
American Airlines Resuming Practice Flights for Kids with Autism and Anxiety

American Airlines Resuming Practice Flights for Kids with Autism and Anxiety

BY JACK TURNER 708d AGO 1 COMMENTS

For the first time in two years, families now have the option of booking practice flights on American Airlines for their kids and relatives to get them ready for future travels. The program, which had been in operation since 2014, was suspended in 2020 at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many parents may feel helpless when flying with family members dealing with autism, anxiety, or other conditions/special needs; American's practice flights have been implemented to resolve them, and are so popular that there is already a waitlist. 

 

Photo of N819AN - American Airlines Boeing 787-8 at MIA
After two years of hiatus, American is bringing back a popular program for families | Photo: Raul Sepulveda

 

Historically, the program, called “It’s Cool To Fly With American Airlines,” has served 49 different cities across the United States, but is now only being operated out of Charlotte (CLT), Philadelphia (PHL), San Diego (SAN), Santa Ana/Orange County (SNA), Los Angeles (LAX), Cleveland (CLE), and Jacksonville (JAX). The entire program is open to anyone of any age and allows patrons to experience the airport experience with tasks like going through security, boarding a flight, taxiing on the tarmac, and even feeling the experience of thrusters on takeoff. Scarymommy,com quoted the program manager Bruce Sickler as saying that the program targets "kids with autism, but we don’t turn anyone away,” since even adults can experience anxiety surrounding flying.

 

The Special American Program simulates the entire flight process with comfortable amenities to relieve stress Photo: Mark S.


American is not the only airline operating a program like this, but it is certainly the largest. Since its inception, the "It's Okay to Fly" program has helped over 6,000 customers living with special needs. Delta Airlines has operated similar events at Miami (MIA), Atlanta (ATL), and Minneapolis (MSP) in the past, though on a much less frequent basis, with events at Atlanta (ATL) and Minneapolis (MSP) occurring just monthly. JetBlue also occasionally offers "Blue Horizons" events catering to people with special needs at certain airports. JetBlue has not restarted the program yet since the pandemic began. United Airlines partners with "Wings for All" to offer a simulated experience for travelers with special needs twice a year, but these have only been offered out of Houston-Intercontinental (IAH) and Washington-Dulles (IAD). United "Wings for All" partnership events have also not been offered post-pandemic.

 

All in all, American resuming a popular program is a positive development, and hopefully the other major U.S. carriers will follow suit and resume and expand their programs post-pandemic. 

Jack Turner
Jack is a member of the AeroXplorer writing team and particularly enjoys sharing news around domestic flying and news surrounding his favorite airline, Delta. Jack splits his time between his hometown of Burlingame, California and Ithaca, New York and enjoys all things public transport in addition to aviation.

Comments (1)

bhxluca Great work Jack ^Luca
Reply

Add Your Comment

SHARE

TAGS

NEWS americanspecial needsflight trainingmiamicharlottephiladelphialos angelesorange countysan diegojacksonvillecleveland

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

NASCAR Drivers Who Became Pilots A surprising number of NASCAR drivers are either pilots during or after their motorsports careers. The collaboration makes sense as both flying and driving are high-octane activities. Here are some of the most notable driver-pilots. INFORMATIONAL READ MORE »
Why Pilots Never Eat the Same Meal Imagine you are onboard a long-haul flight, and dinner has just been served. There are usually a variety of options to choose from; chances are, one of the pilots may have also had a similar meal. The key word is "one," as there is a common myth that the pilots of a flight never eat the same meal. INFORMATIONAL READ MORE »
How Airbus Uses Animals to Develop More Advanced Aircraft Biomimicry is the study of how engineering can be based on biological structures. Although a novice in the study, this new science can provide answers to the future of airline sustainability. INFORMATIONAL READ MORE »


SHOP

$2999
NEW!AeroXplorer Aviation Sweater Use code AVGEEK for 10% off! BUY NOW

FOLLOW US ONLINE