Airport help /special assistance.

[Youagain2025]

I'm flying with ryan air . From stanstead airport.

Ds has autism so we could get assistance. But its confusing me.

What's the pros and cons of it ? Is it helpful?

We already have seats booked. We have already checked in.

With the assistance thing I have heard you get through security faster. But then your last on the plane and last off . My concern with that is. I have heard they over book flights so our seats could be given to someone else. Or are,we ok due to booking in?

With the last one last of/on thing i think ds may panic.

We are just taking the luggage that gos under the seat . So no check in type cases.

Has anyone had assistance due to autism. Is it helpful? What's the pros and cons ?

I have tried to look up information but I get confused.

I have asked this before but it was a while back and it went over my head. Thought I would ask again please the time is closer.

I use a wheelchair and have booked assistance a number of times.

you might be first on or last on. usually with me it’s first on.

they do nearly always ask you to wait at the other end to be last off because the other passengers push and it’s quite unpleasant to be part of. That way you can get off in peace and quiet and meet the staff at the other end.

security - usually either they take you through a crew security entrance (no queues) or they jump the queue. Same with passport control. This is for both ends.

We call and book the special assistance, we usually fly from Manchester so don't know about other airports. They ask how the child will need supporting and add the code to our flight details. For us it is boarding last/getting off last and having access to the sunflower lounge/a corner away from the crowds when waiting to board. We present at their office when getting to the airport and repeat the assistance needed.We are usually escorted or directed to the special assistance queues to check in and for security. At the other end we also use the special assistance queues or are escorted past the queues.

I've never heard of RyanAir overbooking seats, wouldn't worry too much about that particularly if you're already checked in.

Sometimes its first sometimes it's last. Surely you can just explain to him autism or not that you all have to wait because the people helping you are coming for you.

😌

It depends what you need the special assistance for, what do you need them to do?

We did priority boarding rather than special assistance when DS was younger. We were first on but could get off when we were ready rather than waiting for special assistance at the end of everyone else getting off. We found at one airport that eve though we booked priority boarding, they missed us and we ended up boarding with everyone else.

I think the previous poster is right - what do you need the special assistance for (if you believe you need it)?

You don't have to check in (unless you're checking in a buggy or something for a smaller child, I've forgotten how many children you're travelling with and how old) and I think a sunflower lanyard helps get through security faster. We always wait to board the plane because otherwise you're just sitting there. You don't need to worry about overhead locker space because you only have under-seat bags.

I wouldn't be booking anything that required me to wait until last on a plane with kids if you don't require the 1 to 1 assistance.

Obviously I don't know how much assistance your son needs but I think I remember you're travelling with another adult who can help?

My DD16 is also autistic and has sensory issues so cannot tolerate noise / hustle
And bustle and the disability support has always been brilliant at the airport, I've only used it at East Midlands and Manchester, I also have to use it now due to my own disabilities (mobility)
As PP have said you're usually first or last on/off and your seat is booked for you at check in anyway so they won't give it away. I can't fault the support, rushed through and EMA has a quite room too by the gates which is brilliant

As long as you are checked in and get to the boarding gate in time, it won’t matter if you board first or last.

What happens at security?

At security you and your bags will be scanned. You have to put your bags, coats, belts, electronic items and liquids bags separately in trays which then go through a scanner.

You have to walk individually through a full body scanner. Alternatively you can have a body search from security staff.

Basically they are checking that you are not taking anything illegal/dangerous onboard the aircraft. Before you pack, check the lists of permissable items for hand luggage on Stansted or Ryanair website.

Here's a familiarisation video from Stansted airport.

They scan your bags, you declare any fluids over 100ml. You go through a scanner. You take off shoes, belts and coats and empty your pockets. Any phones, devices get scanned. It takes 10 minutes if you're prepared and the queue keeps moving.

My dd has autism and never have had issues at airports, the queues are fine to manage unless they hey have complex learning delays in addition (if everyone who has asd requested assistance it would grind to a halt!). You only need to book assistance if you need physical support to get through the airport otherwise a sunflower lanyard is useful in case they are struggling. If you want to go through fast track you can book that. As for boarding, if under seat luggage only I would strongly suggest boarding last, if you book assistance they will board you first and it’s the most chaotic part of the whole process. If you have booked wheely hand luggage then I suggest if there’s two adults, one boards first with the luggage and the other waits until the end of the queue. You do know you must reserve seats to sit together???

If your dc has noise sensitivity I strongly advise headphones and dd wears sunglasses too but the queues at Stansted she finds fine and now travels alone through

I've found we get whizzed through everything after check in. And the 'helper' will advocate for you at every point. But you still have to do everything you usually do at an airport, it's just quicker.
I'd book the special asst with the airport on the other side as it meant we got through border control way quicker. We also had a special asset lounge that was quiet.

It's good to hear so many people have had good experiences

My autistic child gets very stressed by the noise and bustle at airports so we use special assistance to get through quicker. I don't think you can generalise about the support that someone might need and at pretty much every airport we've used they have been brilliant about it.

In our case we've always found that the sunflower lanyard itself takes us through the special assistance queue at security without necessarily needing to pre-book it with the airline. We have though also booked special assistance in the past which has allowed us to board first - getting on when the plane is empty and quiet also helps my child as the main boarding can be quite chaotic and people impatient. So for us that's what works.

DD has autism and we've just flown on Ryanair from Edinburgh. We booked fast track security which meant we didn't have to wait in a huge queue.DD had her sunflower lanyard and ear defenders on and the staff were really good with her in the body scanner and made her feel more relaxed. Depending on where you are going passport control can actually be a longer queue so may be worth booking special assistance because of that.

I hadn't actually booked special assistance but when we got back to Edinburgh the queues at passport control were massive and one of the Border Force people noticed DD's sunflower lanyard and the fact she had her ear defenders on and directed us to the special assistance access for passport control.

It was great as we got straight through although I was a bit gobsmacked when we had to pay £2 for a trolley!

This is what I'm thinking. Being one of the first on for ds may help him. He will know hes in his seat and settled. His case under the seat . Seat belt on and sorted . But if he was last he could panic about the busyness of the plane.

But on the other hand I have no idea what he will be like he could be fantastic and totally chilled or it could be a massive madness.

But im also thinking about not doing the special assistance. Because at least then I can tell him step by step what happens what will happen next etc. But with the special assistance it's not clear.

My daughter has Tourette’s and Autism and we use passenger assistance a lot when we’ve flown. DD’s issue is the Tourette’s rather than the autism.

Just one thing, Ryan Air will probably tell you it’s for people with mobility issues only - not the case, best to go through the airport direct.

Once you get past check in (DH does that while DD and I find somewhere quiet) they’ll take you through security up to the gate. Most of the time they’ll let us board first, although doesn’t help when landed. They’ve also met us at the gate the other side

I have found some airports are better than others and sometimes it’s easier just to go through security normally if it’s quiet. DD wears a sunflower lanyard and most staff will recognise it.

Special Assistance – Ryanair Help Centre If you contact them you could ask whether they board special assistance first or last so you could tell your son that in advance.

Assisted Travel Top Tips | London Stansted Airport Stansted has familiarisation videos for special assistance you could watch together? They also say you can just use the sunflower lanyard and ask them for support on the day rather than booking with the airline.

I have already contacted the special assistance help centre its not clear at all.

Thank you I will look at the video

What wasn’t clear?

My DD has autism. The special assistance helps because she doesn’t need to wait in queues for security or passport control. The sunflower lanyard gave security staff a heads up that she might be anxious if they need to do a pat down (I’ve had security been very creative in how they do this without panicking her).

She’s also had access to a quiet lounge near the gate and we’ve been escorted from check in to gate both at home airports and foreign airports returning home. I’ve found staff consistency flexible with the kinds of supports available.

In my experience they’re happy for you to chose when you join the flight to suit your child’s needs.

The whole thing .