Autism Double Checked

What do 2 of the top 3 US airlines have in common? Every year for their World’s Best Awards survey, Travel + Leisure (T+L) asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Over 186,000 T+L readers completed the 2024 survey. A total of more than 700,000 votes were cast. Two of the top three airlines have one thing in common. Both are partners of Autism Double-Checked and both are certified. That is no surprise. Of the four factors that are surveyed, two – In-flight Service and Customer Service are central to the training that they received from Autism Double-Checked. Cause or effect? Were their high scores on these caused by that training? T+L didn’t ask that but we do know that it made a profound difference with another airline. That is LATAM Airlines in South America. They found, in their customer satisfaction surveys, that scores went up immediately following the rollout of Autism Double-Checked training. Clearly, cause. Check out the full article in T+L https://lnkd.in/eEpV6SGN.

It was a privilege to learn from Autism Double Checked Co-Founder Alan Day this morning. Autism Double Checked works in a variety of ways to support the #Autism community, and I appreciated learning from Alan. (I also learned that Autism Double Checked's other co-founder, David M. Tait OBE, worked with Richard Branson at the foundation of Virgin Atlantic, among many other roles in aviation). I want to thank Breeze Airways™ VP Marketing, Angela Vargo (...and Breeze President, Tom Doxey, for setting up the dialogue with Angela....) for facilitating the introduction to Alan for this very important conversation. The conversation is part of my work to grow my (free) non-profit website, https://lnkd.in/gumqSNKG, to assist its growth in becoming a go-to, free source of information about airport resources supporting the Autism community. TravelingWiki grew out of a conversation with Christina Cassotis (....at an event earlier this year at Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business... ) about the work of PIT and other airports to support the Autism community. Following engagement with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) leadership a few days ago (see, e.g., https://lnkd.in/gp4uQKVa), the next step will be an attempt to integrate the resources on TravelingWiki with the #TSACares program. Thank you again to Alan for the opportunity to engage today - it was a great learning experience that I hope inspires future awareness and growth for resources supporting those affected by Autism.

We are proud to work with Autism Double Checked to help make travel more accessible for all. It was an honor to help young Felicia fulfill her dreams of visiting New York City!

So inspiring to see the way inclusion policies can really change people’s lives. Virgin Hotels' partnership with Autism Double Checked means all employees at our certified hotels have been trained on how to best support guests with autism and make their stay as welcoming, calm, and special as possible. Hearing about the impact it had upon 14-year-old Felicia and her mum, Flavia, during a recent stay at Virgin Hotels in New York says it all: https://lnkd.in/ecf-bet6 #Autism #Inclusion #Purpose #Neurodiversity

Personalization is the future of hospitality — but personalization isn't just about preferences; it's about inclusivity and understanding the unique needs of every guest. In Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, in collaboration with Autism Double Checked, is redefining personalization with the introduction of Autism Concierges to assist neurodiverse travelers to ensure their getaways are seamless and stress-free. What's more, the entire Karisma staff has been trained to understand and address the unique needs of travelers with autism. At BHC, we applaud this initiative and are inspired to continue our journey in ensuring every guest's unique needs are not just met but exceeded. Thank you for setting the bar high, Karisma Hotels & Resorts! https://lnkd.in/eazgmjDg

Felicia’s trip was made possible through autism inclusive efforts. These accommodations allowed her to pursue her dream and not be held back by ASD. This was our goal 🙂 #autismtravel #autismvacations #autismflies #autism #asd #asdawareness #asdfamily #asdmom #asddad #autismacceptance #autismadvocate #autismcommunity #autismjourney #autismkids #autismlife #travelwithautism #autismsupport #autismwarrior #autismspectrum

Virgin Hotels welcomed Felicia with open, understanding arms   Certified in attending to those with autism, Virgin Hotels is a safe space for those with ASD. #virginhotels #autismtravel #autismvacations #autismflies #autism #asd #asdawareness #asdfamily #asdmom #asddad #autismacceptance #autismadvocate #autismcommunity #autismjourney #autismkids #autismlife #travelwithautism #autismsupport #autismwarrior #autismspectrum