Passengers with Reduced Mobility - Disability Assistance

Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) means any person whose mobility is reduced due to physical disability (locomotors or sensory) intellectual impairment, age, illness or any other cause of disability and who need some degree of special accommodation or assistance over and above than what is provided to other passengers.

Medical approval (MEDA) shall not be used for PRMs who only require special assistance or handling and who do not require a medical clearance. Please refer to MEDA handling procedures in case otherwise.

Disability and Medical Assistance

Passengers who, because of their medical, physical or mental condition require special assistance during travelling / flight need to seek prior approval from Qatar Airways. These passengers may require special assistance during any time of travel (e.g. on embarking, disembarking, in an emergency evacuation and/or during ground handling). Incapacitated passengers may have permanent but stable disabilities, or may have temporary disabilities. This assistance will become apparent from special requests made by  the passengers, their family or a medical authority.

When an incapacitated passenger is requesting reservations, Qatar Airways must be advised of the nature of the incapacity and/or of any special requirements and/or conditions associated with the services to be supplied.

 

The Nature of Medical Condition and Special Assistance Required for Air Travel

Incapacitated passengers are categorized into various groups based on the nature of medical condition and special assistance required for air travel:

• Medical Case
• Blind Passenger
• Deaf Passenger
• Diabetics with unstable / complicated conditions
• Incubator
• Leg in Cast (Left)
• Leg in Cast (Right)
• Legs in Cast
• Mental Deficiency
• Medical Equipment e.g. Portable Kidney Dialysis machines, CPAP, BIPAP, nebulizer etc.
• Oxygen – Asthmatic sufferers and other passengers requiring oxygen
• Sitting Case
• Special Needs
• Stretcher
• Ventilator
• Wheelchair

Acceptance of Incapacitated Passengers

Care must be taken when accepting an incapacitated passenger for travel as certain diseases or physical conditions can have an adverse effect on the welfare and comfort of other passengers and/or crew members. A Medical Information (MEDIF) form is required to be submitted to QR by or on behalf of the passenger requiring special assistance. Qatar Airways Medical Centre is the final authority to approve air travel for any patient.
 
Medical conditions for which a MEDIF is mandatory are listed below.

• Stretcher
• Incubator
• Wheelchair
• Diabetics with Unstable / Complicated Condition
  
• Mentally Deficient Passenger
• Divers
• Asthmatic Sufferers
• Sitting Fracture Case
• Passengers with Portable Kidney Dialysis Machines or any Medical Equipment Including Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC)
• Passengers with Implants
• Communicable Disease (SARS, Swine Flu etc.)
• Severe / Hyper Allergies 

The following requirements are mandatory in order to avoid delays in handling the case/request:

• MEDIF: Details filled in completely by passenger’s Physician in the MEDIF form (part 2 on page 3) i.e. MEDA 01 through MEDA 16 and signature & stamp of the attending physician. A detailed Medical Report is mandatory with MEDIF;
• Indemnity Form (standard) (Not to be used for travel between Doha and U.S. stations and vice versa);
• Certification: If the passenger needs to be provided continuous oxygen and if unescorted by medical team then certification is required from the attending physician on a prescribed form that the non-medical escort is trained to administer oxygen;
• Medical Report is a mandatory requirement for Stretcher cases, Incubator, Ventilator, requests requiring medical escort, Wheelchair WCHC for passengers with recent temporary disabilities,  Diabetics with unstable / complicated conditions, Mentally Deficient passengers, Pregnancy cases (Condition No.1 - Beginning of 33rd week and up to and not beyond 35th week for normal / single pregnancy without complication. Condition No. 2 - Beginning of 29th week and up to and not beyond 32nd week for multiple or complicated pregnancy), asthmatic sufferers requiring oxygen, passengers using any medical equipment/s on board and where required by QR Doctor.
• Medical Certificate includes a brief diagnosis and states whether the passenger is fit for air travel. Medical Certificate may be required in less serious medical condition for which there is no need to fill in MEDIF. The certificate should state if this condition is communicable or infectious or if there is a need to have precautionary measure/s to observe.

The following is applicable for Medical Certificate:

• In general, the Medical Certificate must be dated within 10 days of the scheduled date of the passenger’s initial departing flight and remains valid for the return journey;
• The validity requirements of the Medical Certificate vary for Pregnancy cases and communicable disease.

Ensure that the accepted MEDIF is for QR flight departing at least 48 hours but not more than 7 days from the time of receipt of MEDIF complete in all respects / requirements. Special requests for emergency travel and stretcher cases are entertained within 24 hours provided the MEDIF, medical report and other forms are complete.

Note:

• QR does not accept incapacitated passengers for interline transportation.
• Wheelchairs owned by passengers are carried free of charge and not included in the baggage allowance.
• Qatar Airways carries a special wheelchair on board all wide body Aircrafts.
• Fare to be charged is 6 times the highest applicable economy one-way adult market or IATA fare (whichever is higher) on the sector flown as stretcher.

Stretcher

Stretcher cases include bedding, pillows and curtains to provide privacy. Stretcher borne passengers might need oxygen during flight. Approval from QR Doctor on MEDIF is required. Fare is six (6) times the highest applicable Economy One-Way Adult Market  fare (whichever is highest) on the sector flown as stretcher.

Requests for Stretcher / Incubator are entertained on Most QR itineraries except transit itineraries / passengers (certain restrictions apply)

Baggage allowance for stretcher:

• Total free baggage allowance will be equal to the number of fares paid
  (Max 99 Kgs)
• Cabin baggage limits will be as applicable to each passenger

Incubator

Infants less than 8 days old may be accepted, only as approved MEDICAL case. Approval from QR Doctor on MEDIF is required. Fare is one (1) infant plus five (5) times the highest applicable Economy One-Way Adult Market or IATA fare (whichever is highest) on the sector flown.

Rebooking/Cancellation & No-show Charges for the stretcher/incubator passenger

Due to the extensive preparations required to confirm and install the stretcher/incubator, in case of Rebooking/Cancellation or a No-show, a fixed charge of USD200 is applicable (multiply by either 6 or 5 times) based on whether the case is a stretcher or incubator.

For Stretcher, the penalty will be USD200 x 6 = USD1200.

For Incubator, the penalty will be USD200 x 5 = USD1000.

*No-Show is defined as failure to cancel reservations 3 hours prior to departure of the flight.

Note:

• Stretcher/Incubator can only be fitted in Economy Cabin
• Prior approval must be taken from QR medical centre for cases of Stretcher/Incubator
• Stretcher/Incubator cases MUST always be accompanied by MEDICAL escort unless authorised by QR doctor
• Stretcher/Incubator requests will not be entertained for transit itineraries/passengers
• With Immediate effect, all Stretcher cases received will be requested to travel with a minimum of two medical escorts. These can consist of Dr, Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, Critical Paramedic or any other suitable  medically qualified individual.
• Baggage Allowance:
  Check-in baggage allowance for routes with weight concept is 99 Kgs; for routes with piece concept is 9 pieces);
  Cabin baggage allowance is 1 Piece not exceeding 7 Kgs, in the dimension of 50 x 37 x 25 cm (20 x 15 x 10 inches)

QR accepts following special meal requests via Special Service Request (SSR) in the PNR:

AVML / BLML / CHML / CVML / DBML / FPML / GFML / HNML / KSML / LCML / LFML / LPML / LSML / NLML / PRML / RVML / SPML / VGML* / VJML / VLML / VOML

• *For Intra GCC flights (DOH-AUH/BAH/BSR/DMM/DXB/ELQ/IFN/KWI/MCT/RUH/SHJ/SYZ and v.v.),only VGML can be requested.
• QR will not serve any other type of meal.

Special Meal (SSR SPML):

• SSR SPML can only be requested for allergen free meals, i.e. for customers who are allergic to certain type of foods. Please contact QR for further assistance.
• SSR SPML cannot be requested for passenger`s individual requirements or any other special meals.

QR introduced a new special meal code dedicated to Child Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal (CVML) which will be catered and available only to the following:

• QR Prime (operated) flights only.
• CVML is not available to QR Intra *GCC flights.
• CVML is only available to all CRS/GDS Amadeus users only. Any requests received from trade partners using others GDS must contact QR for assistance.

If a passenger does not wish to be served with any meals on-board QR flights, SSR code NOML shall be used to notify the respective teams for relevant action.

There might be instances when some passengers do not accept the meal on board due to various reasons, e.g. fasting during Ramadan.

This code can only be used when passenger himself/herself specifically informs the trade partners that they do not require a meal on board.

Learn more

• Baby Meal (BBML) - Pre-packaged baby food for infants up to two years. This is a standard meal provided for infants onboard and does not need to be requested at booking. 
• Children's Meal (CHML) - This may be a non-vegetarian meal that is suitable for young travellers. It may contain: Pancakes, pasta, breaded  chicken / fish fillets, chips, sweets, fruit, etc. For vegetarian choices, please request Veg CHML.
• Children's Vegetarian Meal (CVML) – This is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian meal suitable for our young travellers. Meal may contain eggs or other dairy products. This meal offers a variety of healthy, tender, and easy-to-chew options.
• Vegetarian Meal - Vegan (VGML) - This is a strictly vegetarian meal that is completely free of animal products, including honey, eggs, and dairy products. It may contain: Vegetables, grains, and fruit. Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, cheese, honey, eggs, milk and dairy products.
• Fruit Platter (FPML) - This meal only contains dry fruits and seasonal fresh fruit. Does not contain: Vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, caffeinated beverages, highly-processed foods, additives and preservatives.
• Raw Vegetarian Meal (RVML) - This meal is for customers who prefer only raw vegetables with a variety of fresh fruit. It contains: Raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, caffeinated beverages, highly-processed foods, additives and preservatives.
• Vegetarian Lacto-OVO Meal (VLML) - This is a vegetarian meal that includes eggs and dairy products. It may contain: Vegetables, fruit, cheese, eggs, dairy products, and soy products. Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
• Vegetarian Oriental Meal (VOML) - This is an oriental style vegetarian meal. It may contain: Vegetables, grains, and fruit. Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs,  milk and dairy products.
• Asian Vegetarian Meal / Veg Hindu Meal (AVML) - This is a vegetarian meal flavoured with spices from the Indian sub-continent. It may contain: Vegetables, fruit, dairy products, spices and aromas associated with the Indian sub-continent. The meal could be mildly spiced. Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and eggs.
• Non-Vegetarian Hindu Meal (HNML) - This meal is prepared according to the requirements of the Hindu religion. This meal is non-vegetarian and prepared in an Indian style and mildly spiced . It may contain: Lamb, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products. Does not contain: Beef, veal, beef sauces, and beef extracts.
  
• Vegetarian Jain Meal (VJML) - This is an Indian vegetarian meal prepared in accordance to Jain principles.It may contain: Vegetables grown above ground and fruit.Does not contain: Meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy products, root and bulbous vegetables such as onion, garlic, potatoes, ginger, etc.
• Kosher Meal (KSML) - Prepared according to Jewish dietary law and purchased pre-packed from reputable manufacturers. Passover meals cannot be provided.
• Diabetic Meal (DBML) - This is a diabetic meal that contains minimal sugar content with an equal balance of proteins, fats, fibre, and complex carbohydrates.It may contain: Lean meats, boiled potatoes, low fat milk, plain yogurt, vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grain rice, breads, pasta, cereal and steamed or poached prepared foods as a cooking style. Does not contain: Fried or fatty foods, sugar, syrups, jam, and sweets. 
• Gluten-Free Meal (GFML) - This meal is for customers on a gluten-free diet. It may contain: Lean meats, fish, rice, dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruit. Does not contain: Wheat and wheat flour, barley, oat and rye-based sauces, soups, breads, crackers, cakes, pastas, sweets, soups, sausages, starch and gravy. 
• Bland Meal (BLML) - This meal is for customers who prefer light and easily digestible foods that are low in fat and help prevent gastric discomfort. It may contain: Low-fat food items such as boiled meats, soft vegetables, mashed potatoes, milk, dairy products and steamed or poached prepared foods as a cooking style. Does not contain: Fried or fatty foods, nuts, garlic, onions, strong scented spice, pickles and mustard. 
• Low-Salt / Sodium Meal (LSML) - This meal is for customers who are on a low-sodium diet where no salt is added during preparation. It may contain: Any fresh or frozen food which is low in salt. Meal can be flavoured with herbs and spices. Does not contain: Free of additional salt, MSG, baking powder, shellfish, salt-cured meats or fish, gravies, canned vegetables, fish, pickles, and salty cheese. 
• Non-Lactose Meal (NLML) - This meal is for customers who are lactose-intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. It may contain: Meat, fish, pasta, rice, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. Does not contain: Milk, yoghurt, cheese, croissants, soft rolls, ice cream, sherbet, pudding, and all other dairy products. 
• Low-Calorie Meal (LCML) - This meal is for customers on a low-calorie diet. It may contain: Lean meats, low-fat dairy, complex carbohydrates and steamed or poached prepared foods as a cooking style. Does not contain: Fried or fatty foods, sugar, full cream dairy products, fatty meats, sweets, sauces such as mayonnaise, and salad dressing.
• Low Cholesterol / Fat Meal (LFML) - This meal is for customers on a low fat diet with limited amounts of saturated fat. It may contain: Lean meats, poultry, fish, low-fat dairy products, egg whites, wholegrain bread, fresh fruit and steamed or poached prepared foods as a cooking style. Does not contain: Fried or fatty foods, animal fats, egg yolks, full cream dairy products, shellfish, fatty meats, and nuts.