Help with disability at airport and on TUI advice

happyfella

HI, I am trying to find information about a holiday I have booked next year. My doctor has told me that i should ask for assistance when i get to the airport to be taken through security and to the departure lounge due to me not being able to walk far. He also told me that i do not need to book seats to be next to my wife as the airline will sort this out.

I am not sure how all this works. I am going on holiday with my wife and my daughter but my daughter is on another booking as she wanted a single room.

Can anyone please advise me how this all works

Tori_Scope

Hi @happyfella  

I hope that you enjoy your holiday when it comes around!

I'm going to tag @alex_scope in here, as she may be able to offer you some insight on this.

We have some information about this on our website, which you can read here. I've included a small section of this information below:

Booking special assistance

When you book your flight, you will be asked if you're a 'passenger with reduced mobility (PRM)' and need 'special assistance'. Check this box and select what support you need before, during and after your flight. This includes things like pagers to alert you when you're boarding and help with directions in the airport.

The airline may call or email you for more information, such as:

• details about your condition or impairment

• the brand, model and dimensions of equipment you want to take on the plane

• a manual for your wheelchair

Use the airline app, save or print out all of your booking confirmation, including:

• special assistance you've agreed

• transport and parking

• luggage and equipment

Save contact numbers on your phone, like your airline helpline and special assistance desk. Printing a map of the car park and airport can be helpful too.

You may also find it useful to visit the following pages:

• Accessing special assistance at the airport (UK Civil Aviation Authority)
• Assisted travel with TUI (TUI)

Alex_Scope

Hello @happyfella I do apologise for my late reply on this- I've recently returned from a holiday flying with Easy Jet, and the assistance I had was all booked on my request through the travel company I booked with, it was a package holiday.

I needed a wheelchair to navigate through the airport at each side, as I also struggle with walking. I didn't take my own chair as the risk of it being lost or damaged is quite high. 

Is the holiday you've booked through a travel agent or company or are you sorting out each part (e.g. travel, accommodation) yourself? If you have booked through a company they can usually sort this out on your behalf. 

You might need to let them know about the seating on the plane, and what you would prefer, and you might need to book this directly with the airline itself. 

Which airport are you travelling from and to? There's usually a special assistance desk you can go to with any requests or queries, but I think it's advisable to book any assistance you might need in advance if you can. 

Let me know if I've missed anything and I hope planning is going well!

Alex

janer1967

I precooked assistance when I booked my holiday online the travel company then called to confirm what was required and sent this to airline 

It is all detailed in my booking confirmation and we will report to assistance desk at arrival at airport 

I am pretty nervous about if as first time abroad after becoming disabled and I can't walk at all 

Alex_Scope

It can be worrying when it's new @janer1967 and based on my most recent experience, I often feel a little like I'm being swept from one place to another without as much control as I'd have normally.

Everything was largely handled quite well, although when we got to the gate I was separated from my partner as there were only so many seats on the bus they were using to take anyone with booked assistance to the plane. 

This became more of an issue when we were delayed by 3 hours after our plane had a tire puncture coming in, not exactly a relaxing start! In Crete, the assistance was timely and well communicated, and my partner stayed with me at all times, definitely an improvement on Gatwick  

What are you most nervous about, and can we help? 

poppy123456

I've been abraod quite a few times in the past several years and always have assisstance at both ends. I usually arrange this with the travel company (TUI always) and have never had any issues. Always helpful, polite and they will take you from check in, right through the other side.

Your seats though are completely different. If you want to guarantee that your wife is sat next to you then you will need to pre book the seats, which will cost you extra. I've never done this and refuse to pay extra to guarantee a seat and have always sat next to my daughter.

CB12

I have booked a cruise with P&O, the flights are with Tui - all arranged through P&O.  As it's a special occasion - A wedding (mine), we booked premium seats which were really expensive. Friends who are travelling with us, informed us that they were able to go online and choose their seating in economy. We went on to do the same, only to find that all of the premium seating had more or less been chosen, yet we were unable to choose any?  On questioning this with P&O, we were informed that we couldn't pre-book ours until 7 days before the flight as we had access arranged. I argued the point that as I'd paid the same amount of money as the other passengers, I therefore should have been able to book my seats at the same time. They couldn't even guarantee that we would be sitting together?  I ended up downgrading our seating allowing me to sit with my new husband. I still have access booked, so In my mind I have been discriminated against due to me being disabled.  Has anyone else had this problem?  It's the first time I've come across this problem in all the years I've flown. 

happyfella

So, to get help at the airport, do i go through my travel company which is TUI instead of going direct with the airport. I am concerned that by going through TUI they may want a doctors note to say i am fit to travel

poppy123456

happyfella said:

So, to get help at the airport, do i go through my travel company which is TUI instead of going direct with the airport. I am concerned that by going through TUI they may want a doctors note to say i am fit to travel

I usually contact the airport directly. Even if you go through Tui they will not ask you for a letter from a GP stating your fitness to travel. Lots of disabled people travel, this doesn’t mean they are not fit to do so. 

happyfella

poppy123456 said:

happyfella said:

So, to get help at the airport, do i go through my travel company which is TUI instead of going direct with the airport. I am concerned that by going through TUI they may want a doctors note to say i am fit to travel

I usually contact the airport directly. Even if you go through Tui they will not ask you for a letter from a GP stating your fitness to travel. Lots of disabled people travel, this doesn’t mean they are not fit to do so. 

can you give me more information. I am travelling from Manchester Airport, and don't really want to contact TUI. I have trouble with walking long distance due to chronic pain. What I am worried about is, walking all that way at the airport and then being in pain on holiday. We arrive at the airport at 3am, and our flight is at 5am.  just really do not know what to do. Not been on a plane for a long time. I dont need help getting on the plane or to my seat. my concern is the distance to checkin through security. i am really confused at the moment. what we normally do is, we check in, and then go and get something to eat or drink until the time to check in. so not sure if to just do what we normally do, or to seek help as my chronic pain has got worse.

janer1967

@happyfella if you contact airport first and request assistance they will ask what you need 

You then report to the assistance desk they have wheelchairs for you to use and will then fast track you through check in and security.  You then can get food etc and make your way to the gate they will then take the wheelchair 

I would get to airport 3 hours b4 flight to make sure 

poppy123456

I flew from Manchester in 2019 and had assisstance at the airport both ways. As advised contact the airport to request this but make sure you do so well in advance of the date you're travelling. When i arrived i went to the assistance desk and gave my name, i then had transport right through the airport (on an electric cart) through security and straight into the departure lounge. Arriving 2 hours before doesn't give you much time so i'd advise 3 hours before.

I also arranged for assistance at the airport i was travelling too and they arranged this on my behalf. I found them extremely helpful.