LHR wheelchair assistance shambles (again)
Dec 28, 2017, 10:47 am
#31
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Every interaction I have had with special assistance in the last few years has been a nightmare! To the extent that I am now thinking taking my own wheelchair, however can anyone tell me will they bring it back to the aircraft door at the end of the flight or will I still have to depend on Omniserve to get me to baggage claim to reclaim it? This would be a S/H in ET and a L/H in F.
There are however a few stands without lifts so it isn’t 100% possible.
Dec 28, 2017, 11:04 am
#32
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 3,902
I've given up getting NoServe to help my relatives, as each time they either failed to show up at all, or take my relative to a holding point and then completely forgotten about.
Does not matter if you're in Y or F, whether you have a tight connection or one with hours and hours to spare.
I suppose I can be grateful to rely on their consistency to completely fail to provide an important and essential service.
Does not matter if you're in Y or F, whether you have a tight connection or one with hours and hours to spare.
I suppose I can be grateful to rely on their consistency to completely fail to provide an important and essential service.
Dec 28, 2017, 12:19 pm
#34
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: LGW.
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I had wheelchair assistance booked at T5 inbound from NYC, shortly after tendon surgery on my ankle- sure enough, it failed to appear. We waited 30 mins or so and hobbled off without it. I made it about halfway to passport control before my ankle refused to go any further. Had to flag down a passing buggy,explain and bum a lift. Not acceptable service.
Dec 28, 2017, 12:39 pm
#36
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Yes HAL, and the Consumer Compliance/Enforcement team of the CAA, who do an annual review of airports' provisions for disabled passengers. The relevant committees in the House of Lords and Commons have been known to ask questions of HAL too.
Dec 28, 2017, 12:55 pm
#37
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Brighton England
Programs: AA Plat, various hotels
Posts: 1,220
Every interaction I have had with special assistance in the last few years has been a nightmare! To the extent that I am now thinking taking my own wheelchair, however can anyone tell me will they bring it back to the aircraft door at the end of the flight or will I still have to depend on Omniserve to get me to baggage claim to reclaim it? This would be a S/H in ET and a L/H in F.
Dec 28, 2017, 1:03 pm
#38
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 169
Having travelled to/through Heathrow more than 14 times in the 18 months my experiences concur with everyone on this thread especially the OP, who have needed their help, T5-T3-T5 transfer in particular is a nightmare, i have complained numerous times to Omniserve verbally and via email and things don't change.
Dec 28, 2017, 1:18 pm
#39
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Having travelled to/through Heathrow more than 14 times in the 18 months my experiences concur with everyone on this thread especially the OP, who have needed their help, T5-T3-T5 transfer in particular is a nightmare, i have complained numerous times to Omniserve verbally and via email and things don't change.
Dec 28, 2017, 1:34 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 169
Same here - I’ve complained countless times to both Heathrow (who are legally charged with providing the servic) and Omniserve (who are the company with the contract to provide the service on behalf of Heathrow) - I have come to the conclusion that neither organisation cares.
Dec 28, 2017, 1:38 pm
#41
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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There is a piece of consumer protection for this, EC1107/2006 which has been incorporated into UK law via Statutory Instrument. This does open up HAL (and its board members) to potentially unlimited fines for failure to provide the rights for assistance for disabled travellers. Realistically it would probably require the CAA or a NGO to make the legal first move, there isn't an easy way in for an individual traveller.
Dec 28, 2017, 1:51 pm
#42
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You can’t tip people that don’t turn up, and you certainly wouldn’t tip someone that took over two hours to take from an international arrival to the domestic gates.
Dec 28, 2017, 2:47 pm
#44
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
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I suspect a big part of the issue is the delay involved in getting airside security clearance for staff.
It's not like you can click your fingers and get someone to start tomorrow in that environment.
Therefore --- blame the terrorists for all ills!
Not saying that OmniServe should not allow for resignations, sickness, sickies and other things. They obviously should, and in fact over-staff them, but I'm just saying that they can't just go to Job Centre and get 20 people in to start the next day.
Maybe the regulations could be changed to require X number of wheelchair operator (and wheelchairs) per passenger for the given day based on historical data or something, plus some padding. Otherwise, things won't improve.
HAL is obviously more interested in revenue-producing activities than providing basic, essential services.
Considering their ballistic-high passenger service charge we all pay (nearly £30 per ex-LHR flight*), I personally think it's pretty appalling.
In case some of you do not realise it, HAL charges you nearly £30 to depart from it, as well as getting various other revenues. If you think BA gets £43 of your £56 ticket, they don't. HAL gets nearly £30 (+ APD of £13 goes to the government).
Therefore, we really should be pretty upset with HAL about this as fee-paying passengers that they are failing in this area. They can more than afford to pay a service provider to provide a good wheelchair service to those who genuinely need it, even before taking into account other revenues HAL have.
It's not like you can click your fingers and get someone to start tomorrow in that environment.
Therefore --- blame the terrorists for all ills!
Not saying that OmniServe should not allow for resignations, sickness, sickies and other things. They obviously should, and in fact over-staff them, but I'm just saying that they can't just go to Job Centre and get 20 people in to start the next day.
Maybe the regulations could be changed to require X number of wheelchair operator (and wheelchairs) per passenger for the given day based on historical data or something, plus some padding. Otherwise, things won't improve.
HAL is obviously more interested in revenue-producing activities than providing basic, essential services.
Considering their ballistic-high passenger service charge we all pay (nearly £30 per ex-LHR flight*), I personally think it's pretty appalling.
In case some of you do not realise it, HAL charges you nearly £30 to depart from it, as well as getting various other revenues. If you think BA gets £43 of your £56 ticket, they don't. HAL gets nearly £30 (+ APD of £13 goes to the government).
Therefore, we really should be pretty upset with HAL about this as fee-paying passengers that they are failing in this area. They can more than afford to pay a service provider to provide a good wheelchair service to those who genuinely need it, even before taking into account other revenues HAL have.
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Dec 28, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Dec 28, 2017, 3:36 pm
#45
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 169
The thing that frustrates me most is that i get help at KOI-ABZ-GLA-EDI on my way to LHR without any problems, ok they are smaller airports so have less requests but have got their staff to customer numbers who need this service perfected.