How Enabled.in Supported Accessibility Improvements for the SAS Airlines Mobile App

This case study explains how Enabled.in can help SAS Airlines improve accessibility across its Android and iOS flight booking applications. It covers the full travel journey, from finding a flight to receiving a boarding pass and managing a trip. It also explains the technical testing needed for a mobile airline product.

Accessibility Challenges

A flight-booking app is a time-sensitive service. It must support customers before, during and after travel. The experience includes complex controls such as airport selectors, date pickers, passenger steppers, fare comparisons, seat maps, payment forms, boarding passes and dynamic travel alerts.

Challenge	Why it matters
Inaccessible controls	Screen-reader and keyboard users may be unable to upload, edit, validate or export documents.
Complex structures	Tag trees, tables, page lists and properties panels can be difficult to navigate without clear semantics.
Status and errors	Users may not know whether a document is processing, saved, corrected or ready for export.
Visual barriers	Low contrast, weak focus indicators or poor zoom behaviour can block low-vision users.
Procurement expectations	Customers may request independent audit evidence and a formal VPAT/ACR before purchase.

Engagement Objectives

• Evaluate the accessibility of the SAS Android and iOS application interfaces.
• Test end-to-end flight booking and travel management journeys.
• Identify barriers affecting people with different disabilities.
• Assess keyboard and screen-reader compatibility.
• Review WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance.
• Validate digital boarding pass, itinerary, receipt and travel-information presentation where included.
• Provide developer-ready remediation guidance.
• Retest corrections and support VPAT/ACR evidence.

Scope of Assessment

Workflow area	Examples of coverage
Access and dashboard	Sign-in, account recovery, navigation, workspace, search, notifications and empty states.
Flight search and booking	File selection, drag-and-drop alternative, progress, validation, errors and multiple-file upload.
Fare and itinerary selection	Processing states, detected elements, page navigation, document outline and issue summaries.
Passenger and travel details	Headings, lists, tables, links, images, alternate text, reading order, language, metadata and bookmarks.
Payment, confirmation and receipts	Results, warnings, issue descriptions, filters, status changes and report downloads.
My Trips, check-in and travel alerts	Assignment, comments, review status, notifications and permissions.
Boarding pass and trip sharing	Save, download, completion messages, file naming, errors and reopening.
Web views, third-party services and mobile platform output	Tags, reading order, headings, tables, links, alternate text, title, language and bookmarks.

Standards and Guidance

The primary basis is WCAG 2.2 Level AA. The assessment can also map results to EN 301 549, Revised Section 508, ADA-related requirements, the European Accessibility Act, UK requirements and BIS IS 17802 where applicable. Mobile platform guidance and native accessibility APIs are also considered.

• WCAG 2.2 Level AA
• Revised Section 508
• EN 301 549
• PDF/UA-related document expectations
• India-specific requirements such as BIS IS 17802, where applicable
• Customer-specific accessibility and procurement criteria

Conclusion

SAS Airlines provides an important travel service through its mobile applications. To deliver that service consistently, accessibility must extend across the complete experience: the app interface, booking controls, payment flow, trip management, check-in, boarding pass and travel alerts.

Enabled.in helps SAS Airlines strengthen this experience through independent auditing, manual and automated testing, TalkBack and VoiceOver validation, mobile platform review, remediation guidance, retesting and VPAT or ACR support.

The result is a more usable, inclusive and procurement-ready mobile travel experience, supported by clear evidence and a practical path for continuous improvement.