2023 Frequently Asked Questions

This page has six (6) sections:

Section 1:  Key Dates

There are some key dates that go along with the announcement of 2023 Plans and Prices.

  1. When will the 2023 Retail Plans and Pricing be available?  The new 2023 Retail Plans and Prices will be announced on Monday, January 9, 2023.  Please visit this web page Introducing the 2023 Retail Plans and refer to this newsroom article.
  2. If I am on a Legacy plan, what action do I need to take?  Anyone on a Legacy plan will need to move to a new plan by January 31, 2023, rather than the previously communicated date of January 16, 2023. 
  3. Please remind me of the names of the Legacy plans.  Advisor, Aira Active, AT&T Employee Unlimited, Australia Minutes, Basic, Basic GSA, Basic Pilot, Internal, Plus, Plus Pilot, Premium, Pro, Pro GSA, Pro VR, Site, Site NFB, Starter, VA Aira Service, and Value, 
  4. If I am on an Intro, Standard, Advanced or Community plan, do I need to do anything?  If you are on an Intro, Standard, Advanced or Community plan, you do not need to do anything.  You can remain on that plan.  Once the 2023 Retail plans are announced, you have the option of changing to one of them but please keep in mind, you will not be able to go back to your Intro, Standard, Advanced or Community plan. 
  5. What are my options?  If you are on a Legacy plan, you can move to one of the 2022 Intro, Standard or Advanced plans, OR one of the new 2023 Retail plans, once they are announced. 
  6. What is the last day I can use my Legacy plan?  Legacy plans will not be honored after January 31, 2023.
  7. What happens if I do not contact Customer Care and change plans?  For anyone on a Legacy plan who does not contact Customer Care to move to a new plan, your account will be changed to a Guest account on your first billing date after January 31, 2023.  Please refer to Section 3  question 12 for details about the disposition of unused minutes.  There are two scenarios: moving from one paid account to another paid account and moving from a paid account to a Guest account.
  8. How can I avoid an interruption in service?  You will need to select a new plan before January 31, 2023 to avoid interruption in service.
  9. What if I share my plan with someone else?  If you share your plan with someone else and you are the account holder, you are responsible to change the plan and to notify anyone with whom you share the account.
  10. How can I change my plan?  In order to change your plan, you will need to contact Aira Customer Care.  Team members are available to assist and answer questions daily from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pacific Time, US & Canada: 1-800-835-1934.

Section 2:  Questions about Changes to Aira “Free” Sponsored Minutes

Why did Aira make these changes?  

Our number one goal is to build a sustainable visual interpreting accommodation service (VIAS) to ensure that Aira remains on solid financial footing despite increasing costs, and economic uncertainty.  Whether a company operates as a non-profit, or for-profit company, all operational expenses require funding.  As a result, Aira has re-evaluated its investments in internal and external programs including our direct funding of minutes for “free” Aira-sponsored programs.

Since our founding, we have invested considerable sums of money to provide “free” Aira-sponsored minutes.  We will continue with that commitment but for the foreseeable future, our investment in “free” Aira-sponsored minutes will be reduced.  By adjusting and slowing our pace of investment here, we will be in a position to invest in other areas of the business that will provide longer term value for Explorers. We will continue to make changes as needed throughout 2023.

  1. What has changed about Job Seeker and why?  We are no longer supporting an unlimited number of daily calls. Job Seeker is now limited to one call per day of up to thirty minutes in length. 
  2. What has changed about Guest Five Minutes Free (FMF) and why?  Guests will be able to call an Aira Agent for five minutes, at no cost, once every 48 hours.  (The previous version of this offer for Guests was a five minute call, at no cost, once every 24 hours.)  
  3. What has changed about Subscriber Five Minutes Free (FMF) and why?  Paid Subscribers will be able to call an Aira Agent for five minutes, at no cost, once every 12 hours.  (The previous version of this offer for Paid Subscribers was a five minute call, at no cost, once every four hours.)  The same rule will apply for plans that are shared. 
  4. What has changed about the Seven Day Offer?  There is a new offer called “Get Started with Aira” and it provides a new Explorer with up to 60 minutes over a seven day period to practice their new skills and get comfortable with using the Aira app.  An Explorer can make multiple calls of varying lengths over the course of seven days; the offer is exhausted when calls equal a total of 60 minutes OR seven days have passed – whichever comes first. The system calculates this.
  5. What has changed about the free Aira Welcome calls?  The free Aira Welcome Calls offer is still active. New users receive 3 free welcome calls or tasks upon downloading Aira. The task must be marked complete by an agent in order to count. These calls are unlimited in duration and serve as an introduction to our services. In addition to the 3 free welcome calls, Visual interpreters are prompted to complete a training session with explorer, after which they receive an additional 60 minutes good for 7 days as soon as the training is completed.
  6. How does the 60 minutes to “Get Started with Aira” get activated?  By completing a free training session with an Agent to learn ways you can use Aira, this offer will automatically apply and be activated so the Explorer can enjoy 60 minutes of free Aira to practice the basics such as holding a smartphone, understanding the Agent’s field of view, learning about lighting, learning about activating a promotion, and reviewing navigation, i.e. Aira’s policy about street crossings and how it works.
  7. How does a new Explorer learn about the “Get Started with Aira” offer? Does the Agent explain what “Get Started with Aira” is before activating?  Yes. When the training is done, the Explorer is given access to the Get Started with Aira offer, which will cover up to 60 minutes for one week. 
  8. For paid subscriptions where there is a secondary user (referred to as shared plans), what will their FMF benefit be?  Secondary users will receive the same benefit as the primary user, one 5 minute call every 12 hours.  
  9. How many people are permitted when sharing is allowed?  New with the 2023 plans, for plans where sharing is a supported feature, the number of people ranges from one to five, including the primary account owner.  Please refer to the 2023 Retail Plans and Prices web page for specifics. 

What Happens When Calls Go Beyond the Available Account Minutes

There are different types of minutes and a specific order in which they are used when an Explorer places a call. When all available account minutes are used, calls will now end. 

  1. What are “account minutes”?   Account minutes are the aggregate of all types of minutes available in an individual’s account at a point in time including Plan minutes, Purchased minutes, and Credit minutes.  
  2. In what order are minutes consumed?  When you make a call, minutes are used in this order:   Credit minutes are consumed first, then Plan minutes, and Purchased minutes are consumed last.  
  3. My calls keep ending, why?  And when I try to call back and reconnect with an Agent, my call isn’t picked up, why?  Other than the occasional connectivity issue that causes a call to drop, calls end when you reach the maximum number of minutes permitted for a given offer, or have used all of your available account minutes. 
  4. What happens when an Explorer exhausts their available account minutes or reaches the maximum permitted time for a specific offer and has no account minutes to use?  Until now, the alert to indicate someone’s account minutes were exhausted or the maximum permitted time for an offer was reached and there were no account minutes to use, was subtle and often went unnoticed by both the Agent and Explorer.  The alerts have been modified to now serve as a useful indicator or signal for the Agent.

Section 3:  Questions About Sunsetting of Legacy Plans  

  1. What does sunsetting mean?  Sunsetting is a term often used to describe the end of something, a product or service that will no longer exist, no longer be offered or supported.  In our case, it means that any plan we identified as a Legacy plan, will end on January 31, 2023.
  2. What plans are Legacy plans?  Over the years Aira has offered quite a few different combinations of paid minutes and corresponding prices, all together these are referred to as Legacy plans. If your plan is called Advisor, Aira Active, AT&T Employee Unlimited, Australia Minutes, Basic, Basic GSA, Basic Pilot, Internal, Plus, Plus Pilot, Premium, Pro, Pro GSA, Pro VR, Site, Site NFB, Starter, VA Aira Service, or Value, it is a Legacy plan.
  3. Why are you sunsetting the Legacy plans?  When we introduced the current Retail plans, Intro, Standard, and Advanced, we made a decision to continue to honor the older plans. It is no longer financially feasible for us to support these older plans.
  4. Who is impacted?  All Explorers whose plans are called Advisor, Aira Active, AT&T Employee Unlimited, Australia Minutes, Basic, Basic GSA, Basic Pilot, Internal, Plus, Plus Pilot, Premium, Pro, Pro GSA, Pro VR, Site, Site NFB, Starter, VA Aira Service, or Value, are impacted.
  5. How do I know if I am on a Legacy plan?  You can check which plan you are enrolled in by going to the Usage tab in the Aira app where you will find your plan type at the top of the screen.  You can also check for your plan type on your monthly invoice under Description.  You also received an individual letter via email from Aira on Monday, November 28, 2022, Monday, December 12, 2022 and Tuesday, December 27, 2022. These letters provided instructions on how to move to a current 2022 Retail plan or a 2023 Retail plan before January 31, 2023.
  6. What are my options?  All Legacy plans are being discontinued and will end on January 31, 2023. The Legacy plans will not be honored after January 31, 2023.  Anyone on a Legacy plan will need to choose a current 2022 Retail plan or a 2023 Retail plan before January 31, 2023.  You have two sets of options to choose from.
    • Option 1:  If you wish to make a change now, we offer three 2022 Retail plans that you can transition to immediately; if you are an active subscriber with one of these plans by January 31, 2023, your monthly subscription price will remain the same through December 31, 2023.
    • Option 2:  If you wish to wait to make a change, on January 9, 2023, we will share the 2023 Retail plans and you will be able to choose from those as well.
    • Please contact Aira Customer Care to transition to a new plan. Please remember, all changes need to be made by January 31, 2023 by 6:00 PM Pacific time.
  7. If I fail to update my plan by January 31, 2023, what will happen?  For anyone who does not contact Customer Care to move to a new plan, your account will be changed to a Guest account on your first billing date after January 31, 2023. Any minutes you have purchased that remain in your account will be lost. Unless or until you upgrade to a paid subscription, as a Guest, you will lose Priority Connect preference and calls will be throttled during periods of high demand.
  8. If I contact Customer Care after January 31, 2023 asking to subscribe to the Intro, Standard or Advanced plan because I did not see the communication in time, can you make an exception?  No, unfortunately these plans will no longer be available and the Explorer would have to choose one of the new 2023 Retail plans. 
  9. On January 31, 2023, when my new plan begins, what happens to any minutes that remained from the last month on my Legacy plan?  The following two scenarios cover what happens to an Explorer’s account when the Explorer contacts Customer Care to make a change, and what happens to the Explorer’s account when the Explorer doesn’t take action.
  10. What happens to the account of an Explorer who contacts Customer Care and changes plans?  This is the Explorer with a Legacy plan who contacts Customer Care to change plans.  
    • The new plan (new price, number of minutes and any other plan components) will become effective on the Explorer’s NEXT billing date.  
    • This provides time for the Explorer to use up their existing Legacy plan minutes.   
    • Any minutes you have purchased will remain in your account.
  11. What happens to the account of an Explorer who DOES NOT contact Customer Care and change plans?  This is the Explorer with a Legacy plan who does not contact Customer Care to change plans.  
    • On the Explorer’s NEXT billing date, Customer Care will change their account to a Guest account.
    • Any minutes you have purchased that remain in your account will be lost.
    • Unless or until the Explorer upgrades to a paid subscription, as a Guest, they will lose Priority Connect preference and their calls will be throttled during periods of high demand.

Section 4:  Questions About the 2023 Pricing Increase

  1. What are the new plans and prices? The new 2023 Retail Plans and Prices will be announced on Monday, January 9, 2023.  Please visit this web page Introducing the 2023 Retail Plans and refer to this newsroom article.
  2. Will there be new plan types in 2023? There will be new plan options in 2023.
  3. Why are you doing this? As you may already know, Aira has not made any adjustment in pricing in the last five years and remains committed to building a Visual Interpreting Accommodation Service that is sustainable.
  4. It’s already expensive, why are you raising your prices? As you may already know, Aira has not made any adjustment in pricing in the last five years and remains committed to building a Visual Interpreting Service that is sustainable. 
  5. Will there be anything in the middle, between the plans offered today?  There will be new plan options in 2023. We are always looking at how we can best support our Explorers and remain a sustainable business at the same time.
  6. I have a paid plan today, how am I impacted?  For anyone with a current 2022 Retail Intro, Standard or Advanced paid plan, your monthly price will remain the same through the end of 2023.  
  7. If you have a 2022 Retail Intro, Standard or Advanced plan, here’s what you can expect to see on your monthly invoice. You will see the full retail price of your subscription type, followed by the amount Aira is contributing, and then the remaining balance which is your monthly fee.
    Your invoice will show:
    Description and Subtotal – the name of your plan and the full retail price of that plan. 
    Aira Offset – the amount Aira is contributing. 
    Then the remaining Total – your monthly subscription price.
  8. I am a Guest, how am I impacted?  We will continue to offer some form of free calls for Guest Explorers.  We believe universal access to visual information is a right and remain steadfastly committed to providing some level of free Guest access.  You will be able to upgrade to a paid Intro, Standard or Advanced plan before January 31, 2023, if you wish to lock in at the 2022 prices.  Please refer to questions 2 and 3 in Section 2 about Changes to Aira Free.
  9. Will prices increase? Yes. Why have the prices increased? Until now, the price of an individual subscription has been far below what it actually costs to deliver service. Whether a company operates as a non-profit, or for-profit company, all operational expenses require funding. Aira has made up this difference with its own money; you might even say, we have subsidized the cost of service as well as provided the funding for much of what you know as “free” Aira-sponsored programs. For the first time, we are sharing real prices, what it actually costs to deliver service.  
  10. What is changing with the 2023 pricing? How will you make subscriptions more affordable? We are introducing a new approach to help make our service more affordable for more people. Beginning with the launch of the 2023 Retail plans, we will invest a portion of our profits to offset the cost of an individual Aira subscription, and continue to make the service as affordable as possible, for more people.  Aira’s contributions will be set by plan type and be the same for each person on a given plan. You can think of this as a set reduction applied in a fair and equitable way. This investment is at the core of our commitment to the blind and low vision community. By offsetting the price of an individual subscription, more people will have access to our service.
  11. What is the Aira Offset? We will refer to these contributions as Aira Offsets, they will be set by plan type and be the same for each person on a given plan. You can think of the Aira Offset as a set reduction applied to the published retail price.  This investment is at the core of our commitment to the blind and low vision community. By contributing a set amount of funds based on each of the subscriptions, Aira will be able to provide access to our service to more people in a fair and equitable way.
  12. What will I see on my monthly invoice? This offset, or reduction, will appear on your monthly invoice as Aira Offset. As with all aspects of your subscription and use of service, Aira will not disclose your use of the Aira Offset publicly.  
  13. Please help me understand what I see on my monthly invoice?  For the first time, you will see the actual price of your subscription, the amount Aira is contributing, and then the remaining balance which is your monthly fee. Your invoice will show Description and Subtotal, which will be the name of your plan and the full retail price of that plan. The Aira contribution will be labeled as Aira Offset. The remaining Total is your effective cost. 
  14. How do I take advantage of this Aira Offset, how do I sign up for an affordable plan?  Our goal is to reduce the cost of our service for individual people who pay for their own service, not organizations, employers, schools, or government agencies and programs. We recognize the community is diverse with a range of abilities to pay; regardless of any one person’s ability to pay, we encourage each individual to contact Customer Care to take advantage of the investment we’re making in the community.  Each individual in the community is invited to contact our Customer Care team to inquire about affordable plans. We are not asking for any proof nor do we require any documentation. Aira will provide the offset based on your request alone. Simply by contacting Customer Care and answering several questions, you will be eligible.
  15. What documentation do you require?  We do not require any documentation. Simply by contacting Customer Care and answering several questions, you will be eligible.  
  16. How do you determine eligibility? Who is this intended for?  The Aira Offset is intended for individuals who are solely responsible for their Aira subscriptions, people who are not affiliated with a school or an employer that is part of our Access Partner Network and provides Aira as an academic or workplace accommodation. By contacting Customer Care and answering several questions, you will be eligible.  
  17. Why do I have to answer the questions?  As we move into 2023, we will expand our focus on access to visual interpreting accommodation services in education and employment. With more large scale entities sharing in this commitment, including government services, it’s easy for us to envision a time when visual interpreting is on par with American Sign Language and Video Relay Service. Having data to substantiate need, demand, and value will help us gain support.
  18. How will Customer Care know to offer me the Aira Offset?  Once the Explorer determines how much they want to spend each month or how many minutes they want, and they answer some questions, Customer Care will share the Retail price, the Aira Offset and then the remainder which is the price the Explorer will pay.  There is no deciding who receives the offset and who doesn’t. 
  19. I have been paying the full retail price and found out about the offset. Can I take advantage of the offset now and get a reimbursement?  You can take advantage of the offset by contacting Customer Care.  Reimbursements for previous months are not possible.
  20. What currencies do you support, how are exchange rates calculated and when, and how often does Aira reset the rates they use?   We support transactions in the following currencies:  the US, Australian, and New Zealand dollars, and the British pound. 
    • Example: Why is Aira’s conversation rate for GBP 0.83 (or any of the other currencies) given today’s published exchange rate is 0.9 when I look it up online? Like all companies, we price our service based on the cost for us to deliver our service. Exchange rates constantly fluctuate relative to the US Dollar. The 0.83 rate used by Aira is based on the range of rates over the prior 12 months.  Our currency conversions are based on market rates, are set for 2023, and will be updated at the beginning of 2024.
    • 2022 Retail plan owners (Intro, Standard, Advanced and Community plans), who are purchasing in a currency other than the US dollar will see a new rate beginning in February, as Aira has reset the exchange rate to reflect current market conditions.You are free to pick the currency you pay for any Aira services at any time.  You are not required to pay in the currency of the country or region you live in.
  21. How much will Purchased minutes cost and how will they be sold?  Please refer to the 2023 Retail Plans and Prices web page for the price of purchased minutes and the size of the bundles.  Purchased minutes are sold at their retail price, there is no Aira Offset for Purchased minutes.
  22. Purchased minutes are so expensive, why aren’t they treated the same as plans (with an Aira Offset investment)? As you know, we are investing a portion of our profits to offset the cost of an individual Aira subscription, to make the service as affordable as possible, for as many people as possible. By contributing a set amount of funds based on each of the subscriptions, rather than on any one person’s unique requirements, Aira is investing in the community in a fair and equitable way.  Our design goal is to have this investment benefit the community broadly.  Purchased minutes to augment one’s account are important to a small subset of the community, the reach does not support our design goals of broad community support.  One way to think about this is purchasing minutes is similar to purchasing extra data for your phone when streaming on vacation, more expensive than your monthly plan per unit.
  23. Will the Gift Card amounts also change?  No, gift card amounts will not change. Gift cards are available in the following amounts:  $30.00, $50.00, $100.00 and $250.00.  Please visit www.aira.io/gift-cards to purchase gift cards.
  24. Until recently, there was a rule that you needed to have used 5% of your existing Purchased minutes before you could purchase additional minutes. Is this still in effect?  No, the 5% usage gate has been removed, you are now able to purchase additional minutes whenever you wish.  As a reminder, when a plan is canceled, these minutes are lost.  It’s important to carefully consider the number of minutes you purchase relative to your anticipated use.
  25. You’ve said in the past that you wanted to lower consumer pricing (by securing more Access partners), so what has changed?  Access sales are a healthy part of our business and there is continued demand for visual interpreting accommodation services from large enterprises that often have lengthy approval processes in place for new tools, technologies and services.  Their comprehensive approach makes it possible to ensure support from all stakeholders, therefore implementing a service like Aira’s visual interpreting takes time.  Alongside this growth, we are focused on building a network of states, metropolitan districts, transportation entities, employers and universities, that each provide Aira for their constituents, to reduce the need for personal plans.   We are putting multiple measures in place, one of which is this price increase, to make sure Aira’s business is sustainable and that we can continue to provide the service that you have come to expect.
  26. What if I pause or cancel my plan between now and January 31, 2023?  You can pause your plan for one month, if you resume before January 31, 2023, and your plan is a Intro, Standard or Advanced, your monthly price will remain the same through the end of 2023. If you cancel your plan between now and January 31, 2023 and do not purchase again before January 31, 2023, when you do purchase, you will have to choose from the 2023 Retail prices.
  27. Who will have to choose from the new 2023 Retail Plans? Beginning February 1, 2023, new subscribers and existing subscribers who wish to change their current plan will have to choose from the new 2023 Retail plans and prices. 
  28. What are the 2023 prices?  What about my special / Legacy plan?  The 2023 Retail plans and prices will be rolled out on January 9, 2023. For special or Legacy plans that will not continue ‘as is’, subscribers were notified in advance of the price increase so you have time to make a change if you wish.
  29. I have a community plan (NFB, ACB, CCB, RNIB and AEBC), how will I be impacted?  If you are enrolled in one of these 2022 Community plans by January 31, 2023, you will be able to continue on that plan through December 31, 2023 without any change in price.  The current 2022 Community plans will be honored through the end of 2023.  Aira may modify other plan benefits, for example the number of free calls permitted, but the number of paid minutes and price per month will not change.
  30. With this 2023 Plans and Prices announcement, what will happen to my Community plan?  As previously communicated, we will honor the existing Community plans (NFB, ACB, RNIB, CCB, AECB) through the end of 2023 and continue to accept new enrollments until January 31, 2023.  Beginning February 1, 2023, these plans will no longer be available.  Sometime after January 31, 2023, we will work with the leadership of each of your organizations to agree on a new set of Community plans.

  31. Will my Community plan change?  The only thing that will change is related to how we communicate prices and what you will see on your monthly invoice.  For the first time, we are showing the full retail price of an Aira plan. This price is not what an individual will pay.  Aira will contribute a portion of our profits to offset the cost of an individual subscription, making the service more affordable for more people.  You will see the full retail price of your subscription type, followed by the amount Aira is contributing, and then the remaining balance which is your monthly fee. Your invoice will show:

    • Description and Subtotal – the name of your plan and the full retail price of that plan. 
    • Aira Offset – the amount Aira is contributing. 
    • Then the remaining Total – your monthly subscription price.
  32. My account was canceled for non-payment. Can I still return to the old plan I had?  If your account is canceled for non-payment and you decide to subscribe again, you will have to choose from the 2023 Retail plans.  You will not be able to return to a 2022 Intro, Standard or Advanced plan.
  33. Will my plan minutes start to roll over? We do not intend to offer rollover minutes at this time.  
  34. Will Aira have more promotions and free offers?  Yes.
  35. If I have an active 2022 plan and I want to make a change after January 31, 2023, what are my options?  If you want to change – either upgrade or downgrade – you will have to choose from the 2023 Retail plans and prices. 
  36. Will you offer a 2023 Family Plan?  Our current option to share a plan with others is basically a Family Plan. This option will be available with some of the 2023 Retail plans, and will permit account owners to share with anywhere from two to five people, depending on the plan and including the primary account owner.
  37. If I share my plan, can Aira send a separate invoice to each person? No. The primary member, also called the Account Owner will receive the full invoice and is responsible for payment. Collecting individual contributions from the people you share with, is your responsibility, Aira is not involved.

Section 5: Definition of Terms

Various names and phrases are used to refer to our service, and to the organizations who provide, and people who consume our service. Language, messaging, positioning, and naming, are all important parts of our brand definition. The purpose of this section is to establish consistent naming conventions.

What is an Explorer? An Explorer is an individual end user regardless of their affiliation, e.g. guest, subscriber, or linked account.

What is an Aira plan? Individual people or consumers, purchase a monthly subscription directly from Aira. Subscriptions are sold in a variety of sizes (minutes) and are often referred to as the individual’s plan.

What is an Aira Access Partner? An Aira Access Partner is an organization that provides Aira’s visual interpreting accommodation service at no cost to the individual end user. An organization could be a business, corporation, cultural center, enterprise, government, municipality, state, transit system, university, etc.; anything other than an individual person.

We use the full phrase Aira Access Partner and not Access Partner or Partner to reinforce the partnership Aira has with each of these organizations.  This tie is important as each of these organizations has used their checkbook to place a vote of confidence/place value on our service.

What is the Aira Access Network? The Aira Access Network refers to the aggregate of Aira Access Partner locations.  An Aira Access Partner is part of the Aira Access Network, e.g. Fort Lauderdale International Airport is an Aira Access Partner, part of the Aira Access Network*

What is a linked account? For someone who has an employer, school or other organization funding / providing for access to Aira’s visual interpreting accommodation service, their employer/school/etc. is an Aira Access Partner and the individual has a Linked Account, associated with that specific entity.

All about minutes. The unit of measure for how Aira delivers service is the  minute.  There are different categories of minutes that are used to track plan revenue, plan and promotion utilization and Aira investments. 

  • Plan Minutes – Minutes that are part of a paid plan
  • Purchased Minutes – Bundles of minutes that an Explorer purchases (previously called Add-on)
  • Aira Minutes – Minutes Aira uses for promotions (i.e. FMF, Job Seeker) 
  • Credit Minutes – Minutes Aira adds/credits or gives to resolve a customer satisfaction situation
  • Account Minutes – the aggregate of all types of minutes available in an individual’s account at a point in time

What are subscriber Plan Minutes? Subscriber plan minutes are the minutes provided in a given plan, purchased by an individual Explorer.  Subscriber plan minutes vary according to the size of the plan.

What are Purchased minutes? Purchased minutes are the minutes sold in bundles of 25, 50 and 100 minutes, that an Explorer purchases above his/her/their plan minutes.

What are Credit Minutes?  Credit minutes refer to the minutes Aira provides without directly collecting revenue; they are used to address customer satisfaction situations. They are categorized in three ways:  Aira, Partner, or Subscriber. 

What are Aira Minutes?  Aira minutes refer to the minutes Aira provides without directly collecting revenue; they are used to support ongoing and special promotions. They are categorized in three ways:  Aira, Partner, or Subscriber.  Examples:

  • Guest calls use Aira minutes/Aira.
  • Our Envision and BlindShell promotions were examples of Aira minutes/Partner.

An Aira Agent is someone who provides visual information about an Explorer’s surroundings by describing, reading, explaining, or navigating. Aira Agents are trained professionals who use proprietary tools to enrich the visual information with live contextual information.

Visual interpreting accommodation service is the act of describing, reading, explaining, or navigating, all objectively.  The information conveyed is about what an Agent sees, not what they think about what they see.

  • We do not use the phrase ‘visual interpretation.’ Interpretation is subjective, it is explaining the meaning of something. 

An Aira Profile is the unique record for each individual who has signed up for the Aira service. An Aira Profile is personal, it is tied to one individual, regardless of whether they consume service as a guest or paid subscriber, or as an employee, member, beneficiary of an Aira Access Partner.  

An Aira Profile is the least common denominator. The first step in establishing a relationship with Aira is for the individual to set up their Aira Profile by registering using their phone number or email address, and their first and last name.  

For an individual registering as a Guest or as a paid subscriber, their relationship with Aira is established once their Aira Profile is set up.

For someone who has an employer, school or other organization (Business profile) providing for their Aira usage, there are two steps to establish their relationship with Aira.

  • Set up an Aira Profile (their personal profile.) 
  • Contact Aira Customer Care to have their personal profile linked to their business, school, etc. profile. An individual cannot make this connection, Aira Customer Care must establish this link.
  • Once this link is established, the individual will have multiple profiles to switch between. At a minimum, the payment method will differ, i.e. personal minutes or employer, school funded minutes. They will have a Personal Profile and Business profile.

Section 6: New Mobile App

Q: Why did you develop a completely new app?  

The mobile app as you know it was introduced several years ago.  While we have maintained the app, it was time to update it and take advantage of the advances in technology.  Our new mobile app was built from scratch on a modern development platform and is designed to evolve as technology continues to evolve.   

Q: Why did you use Google’s Flutter development platform?

We made the decision to build with Google’s Flutter for three reasons:

  1. Flutter’s core value proposition – multiple platforms, one codebase.  This makes it possible for us to offer feature parity on all platforms, supporting our commitment to choice.  
  2. With Flutter’s native accessibility, we could hit a high accessibility bar.  This makes is possible for Aira’s engineers to put additional focus on features and app experience, and continue to innovate with speed.  
  3. And finally, the benefits of a big company. Google’s support and commitment to Flutter, including moving some of its own apps to Flutter. 

Q: Is this app just a re-write or are there new features?
A: It is more than a rewrite, there are new features that support our commitment to choice, putting control in the hands of the Explorer.  New features fall into two areas, Task Efficiency and In-App Experience.  We continually look at ways for Explorers to determine their own assistance experience.

Q: When will the new mobile app be available in the Apple Store?
A: To ensure the best Explorer experience, we will continue testing the new mobile app on iOS devices.  The timeline between submission, review and final approval of the new mobile app in the Apple Store resides with Apple and therefore we cannot predict availability.  We will continue to support the existing iOS app and make a public announcement when the new mobile app is available in the Apple Store.

If you are eager to get a feel for the new mobile app, we invite you to experience Aira Desktop.  You’ll find the open beta at explorer.aira.io.  

Q: How do I migrate? Can I keep my old app and the new app on my phone at the same time?
A:  While we encourage you to try the new mobile app, it is not mandatory to migrate from the old app to the new app.  Go to the Google Play Store and download the new app – use your existing credentials to set up your account.  You can keep your old app on your phone for as long as you wish or until Aira no longer supports the old app.  

Q: Will anything change about my subscription plan, about Five Minutes Free, about Access partners, or about promotions?

A:  Nothing will change about your subscription, about Five Minutes Free, about Access partners or about promotions.  You are able to use either the old app or the new app with your one subscription plan.  The frequency of Guest Five Minute Free calls does not change, it remains at one five-minute call per 48 hours, whether you use the old or the new app to make  your call.

Q:  What are the major differences between the old app and the new app? 
A: Features in the new mobile app fall into two categories, Task Efficiency and Improved In-App Experience.  

Task Efficiency 

Enhanced features for increased efficiency 

  • New – File sharing through messaging, it’s no longer necessary to get out of the app to share a file with your Agent.  The maximum file size is 5MB.
  • Refined call feedback and agent rating form, tell us about your app experience and about your Agent experience.
  • Revamped usage screen designed to work the way you work.
  • New – Option to use front or back-facing camera.
  • Improved search making it easier to identify Access partners.  

Improved In-App Experience 

Reduced friction improves the experience

  • Same app, all platforms – move seamlessly between platforms. 
  • Sign in or sign up with your phone number or your email address. 
  • Functionality specifically for low vision including light and dark modes, and magnifier support.
  • New – Localized language support for Spanish and French.
  • New – More granular privacy settings to shut off camera and microphone, separately or together.  

Q: When time is displayed in the app, is it my local time zone?
A: The time displayed in the app is the same time zone as your device.

As we continue to provide updates to the new mobile app, the following features will be considered:  payment method, pre-set messages, referral program, improved in-app help, Siri and Google Assistant integration, and Aira Live.  

Current as of February 16, 2023