Hi,
My M-in-law requested wheelchair assistance when she arrived at LHR for her BOM-LHR-BOS connection. The problem is that BOM-LHR arrived by BA in terminal 4, and she had to go to terminal 3 to get her LHR-BOS connection via AA.

At LHR, BA officials made her wait inside the aircraft for 45 mins. for a wheelchair to arrive - saying they were short of wheelchairs - and meanwhile they apparently were taking folks on wheelchair who had not made earlier requests for it - and my m-in-law who had - was forced to wait.

Finally, someone came to the aircraft after most personnel had left at her gate in terminal 4, they wheeled her to the transfer bus and left her there. when the bus came, she had to climb up with other passensgers assistance who helped with her carryon also.
but when she arrived at term 3 - no one was there to help her to get to the gate.
one kind gentleman took pity on her and took her carry on - while she waddled along slowly for 1/2 mile or so (so she told me) to get to her gate. When she arrived at AA, she asked what happend to the wheelchair assistance she had requested. they said no one was there until 1 hr before flight - and then they said wheelchair will be provided to get her from her seat outside the gate to the plane. what a joke !!
they can't come to the bus and pick her up from there. that was BA's responsibility.

Now, she has to make the return trip.. and I spoke to BA about this.. and they refuse to take any further responsibility to this situation - and say its my responsiblity to get her from one terminal to the other - (but i am in the US) or I should provide a companion for her.

Can anyone have a better situation ?
when did customer service between AA to BA deteriote so badly ?

Unfortunately, when i booked her non-refundable ticket via AA, based on her age,
they didn't tell me that she has to change her terminal. Even when i requested wheelchair assistance, they didn't say that there is a problem .
I even called BA as well as AA the day before she took off from Bombay, and BA customer service told me that she added an additional note to the reservation and that they will come inside the aircraft and wheel her out.. so asked me to tell my m-in-law to stay in the aircraft and everything will be taken care of. little did we know that when she arrived in Boston, she came with severe pains in both her arthritic legs and had to stay in bed for 2 days for the swelling to go down. !! ;-(

any suggestions on how i can make her transfer on Sep 1st - from terminal 3 to terminal 4 more easier ?

BTW, I posted this enquiry in the London forum and someone directed me to LHR charity.. which i will contact as a standby.

Also, as a contrasting point, I contacted AA, and they said that their notes say that the passenger will be taken until the gate of the connecting parter airline and will not leave them stranded. how much do they do this in practice lefts to be seen....
nevertheless, i thought the BA experience plus their customer service (or lack thereof) was so bad, that i wll cross post my frustration to this forum to see if anyone here has a better suggestion of how to avoid this problem.

and if there is a local number to call in case my m-in-law gets into trouble - or also, does she need a calling card or coins to make the call..
she is comfortable speaking in english..
provided they are willing to listen to her !! and BA officials refused to listen to her in March when she arrived at LHR.
thanks.