Crappy wheelchair assistance at airport

[Booboostwo]

Today I was traveling with 5yo DD from Toulouse to Manchester. I have a herniated disc (waiting for op) and have trouble standing but I can walk slowly with a cane and I am OK sitting so I thought it sensible to book wheelchair assistance at the airport.

We turned up 1.5 hours before the flight, as advised, and checked in immediately at which point we were asked to sit and wait for the assistance. We were advised it would be a while which I assumed would be 10 minutes but turned out to be a 45 minute wait. Another passenger was also waiting one hour for the same flight.

When the assistant turned up he was very rude and in a huge hurry. He was very rude to another passenger who wanted to ask how long his wheelchair was going to be and then pushed me so fast DD could not keep up. When I asked him to slow down he said he was walking normally and she should just keep up! It might sound a bit OTT but I was genuinely stressed with DD behind me, so that I couldn't see her in a busy airport.

When we got to security he was, miraculously, less in a hurry and greeted all his mates with kisses and told them about the 'rude' passenger who had tried to delay him. (Spending longer telling the story than he would have spent replying to the man).

Now this was a rude guy but the delay meant we never got to stop for food (flight was at 14:30 so DD didn't get any lunch until on the plane at 15h), we didn't stop at the play area and god help us if we needed the toilet!

Is this standard and to be expected? We spent ages waiting at check in, when I complained I was told I could walk to the restaurant at the other end of the airport which kind of defeated the wheelchair purpose and that I might miss the assistance person then! So we were stuck waiting and then rushed on board.

Sadly, your experience isn't unusual. A very disabled relative of mine had to use the wheelchair assistance at Stansted airport when flying to/from France on a few occasions. One time, they saw the wheelchair and assistant arrive at the bottom of the steps, and one of the first passengers who dashed off of the plane got into it and it left - WTF!! The Stewardesses were also shocked, and had to call for another wheelchair, which took a good 20 mins to arrive.

Another time they had a similar experience to yours, except that it all took so long that they actually missed the flight.

It's not just in France that would happen OP, bough my worst experience was at Manchester Airport two years ago when we (myself and friend both in wheelchairs) had to crawl down 2 flights of stairs as a lift broke and we had no other option if we wanted to make the flight (we did get an apology and flowers after a very detailed complaint)

Most of the time with assistance you don't get time to anything in the airport as mainly it's waiting for someone to be free to assist you to the gate it's rubbish but unless you can get about yourself (which I've started to do as have a self propelled chair now which enables me) their isn't much of an alternative.

Schipol tends to be really helpful with special assistance, it's certainly quick if you have a tight connection. Hope your DD's appointment went well OP

Thanks Moose that is extremely useful. That legislative document makes reference to the ECAC code of good practice according to which assistance should include assistance to use airport facilities given sufficient time, which I did give them. The legislation itself says disabled people and people with reduced mobility should have opportunities for air travel comparable to other citizens.

Ofall I am speechless with your Manchester experience! Thank you DD's appointment is on Wednesday and then we brave Manchester airport on Thursday!

Sorry, but I think it's highly unrealistic to expect the very busy staff to hang around while your child plays on the playground. They are there to get you from A to B, not provide personal care services. I think that outside of a stop at the bathrooms, that you can't expect staff to be tied up for an hour or more while you stop and play.

I travel regularly with a passenger that needs wheelchair assistance. We eat and have a drink in the restaurant/bar outside of security before transferring to the passenger assistance wheelchair and going straight through to the gate.

@unweavedrainbow you can take your power chair right to the door of the plane and then they will take it and put it in the hold for you, at the other end they bring it back to the door. I do this every time I fly with my power chair

@IcaMorgan Really? I didn't know that... every time I fly, which is admittedly not often, they take my powerchair off me and I end up in a rubbish attendant chair. I hate those chairs so much, just total loss of independence. Do I have to do something specific? How can I keep my chair?

You have a right to be treated courteously and with respect. Also to use the toilet.

But expecting them to stop and let your child use the playground or while you go shopping is beyond unreasonable, and is very entitled behaviour. Whilst you're sitting in the wheelchair for half an hour (or more) watching your child play, or browsing duty free, there's another person who can't make it to the plane due to lack of wheelchair.

I have only flown out of Toulouse one time but it was OK . I am visually impaired and travel frequently on my own though and have had my share of bad experiences particularly in the US France and the UK . In Paris a few years ago they told me to wait for assistance and the assistance actually forgot me ! I asked another passenger if I could go with them or else I would have missed the flight . I was also taking the RER and another person asked for the assistance to come and help me and the assistance said no . I have also been told at more hotels than I can count that there won't be people to help me so I need to be able to do it on my own . The hotels have all been in France so it must be taught at hotel school to say this to disabled guests . I should add though that my mother is French but has lived for many years in the US so English is easier . She was told off by an airport official in Paris for not speaking French .....

I have worked in Vietnam for the past 10 years and since I am one of the only blind foreigners coming and going regularly I have no problems at any of the airports . Very sad that the UK is so terrible in comparison to the service in developing countries .

I think it takes the biscuit to suggest that wheelchair users are entitled for wanting to take part in the same, regular airport activities as non-wheelchair users and, frankly, it's an attitude that's shockingly disablist. As a one off wheelchair user (so far in my life) I am embarrassed that others have this attitude especially on behalf of people who have to put up with this crap all the time. It is not the fault of wheelchair users that the service is stretched, it is the fault of underfunding and the service should not be underfunded. And just to repeat, I did not expect the assistant to sit around waiting for me, I expected him/her to be available when needed by, for example, phone. That is not a bizarre expectation going by accounts of wheelchair assistance at other airports.

What do such posters think I should have done if I had a connecting flight with a, let's say, four hour wait? No food/drinks, toilet, shopping, play or anything else then as well? My 5yo and I should have sat quietly in a corner so as not to disturb anyone else?

Shopping and playing is not an essential part of using an airport, but I do agree it should be more convenient for you to access food and toilet facilities should you have an extended wait, especially if there are delays which were unforeseen by anyone.

They aren't there as carers though, their job is to get you to the plane along with all the other passengers as tough as that is.

Really an hour and a half doesn't leave long for playing and eating and making sure your at the gate in time in the best of cases anyway let alone when you have to rely on someone else to get you around anyway.

Is there a friend or relative who can come with you for the trips to help with the practical side?

Boo exactly who do you suggests funds this bespoke carer service you are saying should be provided on demand? Sure as hell the airport won't nor will the airline especially not the likes of Ryanair.
If you had a transfer you would be transported from one gate to another and nothing more. You would be expected to self manage or bring your own carer. Those who have long term disability know this and make suitable arrangements. You had a rubbish experience let's hope the Manchester experience is better.

Penfold I don't need to imagine anything in terms of funding, the legislation referred to above makes it the legal duty of airlines to fund this service. Ryanair doesn't get the choice. The code of practice also requires the assistance to cover such things.

These are not luxuries, entitlements or weird requests, these are basic rights for disabled people. I am extremely lucky not to have needed to rely on these services so far in my life but I can see why they should be s right for others and will continue to think so in a couple of months after my operation when I will be fully mobile again.

My son uses a wheelchair. He is 7. I think you are hugely unrealistic, about wheelchair assistance. Most of the people working as wheelchair assistants are on zero hour contracts, there are never enough of them, and mostly we have to wait, often for up to an hour to disembark from planes, because the assistant is with someone else. If that is because someone else needs to get to the plane, or off the plane fine. To go to the toilet also fine of course, to go shopping, or play, no. Because that delays someone else, someone who also needs assistance, someone who may be late, through no fault of their own, ie because there was no accessibility elsewhere on their journey. Also in many airports the wheelchair route avoids the shops, and the play areas etc, and if that makes it shorter that is a good thing... Not everyone wants to shop, we never do as it happens, but access is in fact the only thing we care about, and mostly that is ok, it just takes longer, and given this is it for us for ever now, I do not want to wait for someone else unless I have to. We wait long enough as it is. Personally I would pay more for a better service, but would everyone? In the modern world I doubt it...

Can be a nightmare getting assistance. I have had to make my own way before because no body turned up. And yes, they go at a fair pace. You never get to stop for anything. I suppose they don't have the staff to allow that.
The most bizarre one was at Keflavik when I had broken my elbow hours beforehand and was drugged to the nines. Small children with me. Was told that assistance is not for childcare purposes so I had to push a wheelchair, one-armed, with my luggage and one child on it whilst the special assistance man walked beside me.

Saying to leave you by the play area and come back later is all very well but what if you called the assistant and he was on the other side of the terminal with someone else and couldn't come to help you?

I've been using wheelchair assistance at airports for years. Your expectations are way too high. There are usually a maximum of 6 people ferrying all the disabled people to their flights. They don't have time to meander, it's go, go, go.

We always get to the airport much earlier than 1hr 45m before departure because we know there will likely be delays with the special assistance. It's really not their fault, they are very, very busy. We do get left to do our own thing if we're through security etc early, but that's because DH can push me. They don't leave somewhere of my choice, like the play area, they leave me at a meeting point or the gate if they know the number.

Who funds this care service? That's what you are asking for. Wheelchair assistance gets you to the plane, nothing more. If you want to shop and play, pay for a carer. Those are not essential parts of using an airport.

I think you can definitely complain about your daughter not being able to keep up with you and about him blackmouthing another person to his colleagues. Totally unacceptable. Toilet access should also be provided. But shopping or childcare services? Those are not anyone's rights. Your idea of just calling when you need assistance is highly unworkable. These wheelchairs cannot be moved by the user, so how exactly do you envision this? You look at perfumes and then call to be moved to the alcohol section? Then call to be moved to the cashier? Then to have a coffee? And you may have a five yo who listens to you, but what about the user with a two year old running around - who will supervise playtime? These are not childcare providers (and are probably not vetted as such). All the time someone has to be on call, for you, while others are waiting to get to their plane? I am not a wheelchair user, but have travelled a few times on airports in a wheelchair for a broken ankle and it has never been my expectation to be getting anything else but a safe way to and from the plane.

Dermot well no i am not asking who funds this service! Quite clearly I said the legislation above makes it a duty of all airlines to collectively fund it! They are choosing to underfund it.

Not complaining about poor service because more time spend on me would be less time for someone else is perverse. We should both complain for better assistance for both.

By the way for those of you who think that having your own assistant resolves problems that was not my experience yesterday. There was another mobility impaired lady on my flight who waited one hour for a wheelchair for her husband to push. He visibly struggled to cope, especially with how fast my assistant was going. My assistant's special key didn't work either so we'd get to the passport queue and have to negotiate our way around all the other passengers and the luggage. The entire experience was undignified and unacceptable.

cochineal well yes they are passenger with mobility issues rights as mentioned in the links above! I am not making this up, the airlines' code of practice requires them to abide by it and, arguably, it falls under the legislative requirement for a 'comparable experience'.

I think most airports offer two options - you wait for them to take you from check in direct to the plane via passport control and security: or you ask for a self propelled chair so you can get around the airport and have food / shop etc. They aren't there as personal carers. I do however think they should go at a suitable pace, so that accompanying passengers can keep up.

It's a free service designed to get you from check in to plane seat, rinse and repeat for the next customer. So you got exactly what you paid for.

I think in time you will look back and realise this. Missing out on airport shopping is hardly against your human rights.

I've waited for an hour for a wheelchair. I've waited 45 minutes in the middle of the night, in the freezing cold for the ambulift to arrive so I could leave the plane. It was no-one's fault, it's just a lack of equipment/people.

At the end of the day they are there to take you from check in to the gate, and from the plane to baggage reclaim or your transport if you're lucky. They aren't your personal shoppers or your carers.