To be fed up of airport accessibility services?

57 replies

OneLilacHedgehog · 11/09/2026 17:24

Recently I was stuck on a plane on the tarmac for one and a half hours waiting for the lift that takes people off the plane, who can't get down the stairs. One woman got so fed up she went down the stairs on her bum.

None of this is unusual. We have to book accessibility services ahead of time, get to the airport in plenty of time, and yet still there is often lots of waiting around because they have not organised enough staff to provide the service. It's staffing, when we left the plane we could see three lifts not being used, so they obviously were short staffed.

Disabled people pay for their tickets, but are expected to just put up with a standard of service that would lead to outrage if able bodied people had to put up with it. Imagine if planes routinely sat on the tarmac for up to a few hours before they brought the steps to the plane.

OP posts:

Original poster

OneLilacHedgehog · 11/09/2026 18:01

I am at the stage of considering not flying again. Between having to have detailed conversations with hotels about what accessible room actually means e.g. it does not mean a shower over a shallow bath, having to negotiate pavements that may or may not have kerbs down, and accessibility services at airports, it's all feeling like just too hard at the moment.

I used to be an adventurous traveller. Now even going to Europe isn't easy.

OP posts:

notimagain · 11/09/2026 17:55

Ah, sadly I've been on the crew side of this process on occasions when it's gone wrong.

The problem often is that if the aircraft isn't on a tight turn round (which is often the case in Long Haul) there's no imperative for the ground agency to pull their collective fingers out.

They don't care about crew hanging around performing duty of care functions...

Yes it's very obviously unacceptable, crew do report it.

Ooohaaahjustalittlebit · 11/09/2026 17:46

I don't know whether I have been lucky or your have been unlucky but I use the service and fly quite a bit and generally find it is excellent

AgnesX · 11/09/2026 17:44

I noticed that there's currently 17% of voters who've not commented but obviously think that you're out of order for expecting help. 🥴

There's some right pricks in this world (apart from the ones who procure airport services).

JustFrustrated · 11/09/2026 17:43

No outrage because they don’t see it? Everyone has disembarked?

I’ve only been unfortunate enough to use it once. The country I was departing - amazing. Even offered to potter us around in duty free. In the UK… appalling. Not as severe as going down on my bum, but I risked serious injury/opening stitches because I couldn’t tolerate it any longer and got myself off.

at least I had that option, I appreciate how disgusting it is for those that don’t.

I complained to the airport, airline and my MP.

as with all things - it’s awareness isn’t it? Someone never requiring it or being exposed to the appalling nature of the “service” can’t advocate or ally for better provision…

edit: to clarify my tone is sympathetic not abrasive. I’m genuinely pondering if that’s tne reason.

aliasfrog · 11/09/2026 17:39

Yup, yet another instance of disability discrimination in our society.
I was once told off by the assistance manager for not being early enough for assistance and her attitude of "we'll do it this time but grudgingly" was so bad. I got on the first bus so aside from sleeping at the airport the night before I couldn't have got there earlier. There was plenty of time anyway.
I've also been pushed and rammed into things by miserable looking assistance people, in their vile uncomfortable wheelchairs.
The only people who are consistently kind are security!!!!
Absolutely appalling at the woman who went down the steps on her bum. How can they think that's ok?! Where is the outrage by the public?

Octavia64 · 11/09/2026 17:38

One and a half hours?

i’m surprised the cabin crew and pilots weren’t raising merry hell the aeroplane must have been so late for it’s next flight!

I’ve been carried off before now into an airport wheelchair.

Unflip

1 2 3