Special assistance at airport

[pigby]

WE are flying Virgin Atlantic in 2 weeks and DH finds walking difficult at the moment.

It's the first time we have been in this situation - I know you can ring and request special assistance - he doesn't have his own wheelchair but we are renting an ecv whilst we are out there in Orlando.

What actually happens when you request special assistance?

 

[Woodview]

First Arrange Flight Assistance at your Airport of Departure.

A wheelchair & helper should be waiting for you AFTER you announced yourselves at check in Desk.

You will be brought to security & then to Departure Gate. At Boarding time Assistance person will bring wheelchair to aircraft.

This Should happen in reverse when you arrive back in UK.

NOW ASK VA to arrange Assistance at Orlando.

 

[arieliwish]

We travelled with delta 2 years ago and asked for special assistance for dh. At check in at Manchester we mentioned this and they advised we go to a desk near the doors to collect a wheelchair. We got one and the guy in the desk asked if we needed someone to push it or could we manage - with two teenagers to help we took it ourselves and were shown straight through the fast lane in security. We left the chair at the door of the plane as dh can walk a little way himself. On arrival in both Atlanta and Orlando there was a guy with a chair at the door of the plane waiting for us, the crew asked us to depart last but we normally do this anyway as dh often feels he is holding other people up. The service on return was equally as good, the lovely guys with the chairs in the US helped with our cases and knew which directions to head in. And once in Manchester a lovely man met us and took us right or our car. We tipped him as he was every bit as good as the US guys which always surprises us in the UK! We've asked for assistance on this trip this week with Thomas Cook so hopefully it'll be as efficient. We've hired an ecv again as last time we got so much more done without worrying that dh was tired with the heat and distances and Disney is very accommodating for them in the ride queues and shops etc. Universal, not so much!

 

[pigby]

Thanks for this - we are booed into the airport lounge on the way out for a couple of hours - would they take us down to departure desk after this?

 

[arieliwish]

I would have thought so, can't see it being a problem as they should allocate a person to you regardless of where you are waiting. Just a note to let you know the Americans use the term handicapped rather than disabled, it threw us completely at first as it's such an old fashioned term here but that's how it is. We're not getting a car this time but if you are and have a blue badge take it with you and hang it from your rear view mirror, you will then be guided to the 'handicapped' parking closer to the entrances. Also our ecv was heavier and larger than we imagined and took quite an effort getting it in and out of the car.

 

[pigby]

Thanks - we are not getting a car either - the only time we will need to dismantle it is to put into a taxi to take us to Disney from Universal - hopefully the taxi driver will be able to help. Do you think we should get a suv?

 

[arieliwish]

We didn't use our car all the time last time, the buses around Disney are very good with ecv's but if there are two in the line you have to wait for the next bus. The monorails are fine too. It actually felt like it took a while each time getting it in and out of the car which is why we opted not to hire a car this time. Plus our daughter worked at Disney this summer and used uber all the time.

 

[darthtatty]

Thanks - we are not getting a car either - the only time we will need to dismantle it is to put into a taxi to take us to Disney from Universal - hopefully the taxi driver will be able to help. Do you think we should get a suv?

you could book a wheelchair accessible cab, that way you don't have to dismantle it.
We booked one the day before we needed it.