LHR wheelchair assistance shambles (again)
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 18,981
I paid for my tickets through BA. I flew BA. I made the assistance request with BA not with Heathrow. BA have at
least a duty of care to ensure this request is met, not to say 'not my fault mate blame HAL' as you are clearly doing. You are just showing again that BA and some of their staff really don't give a toss. Can I not help you would be more appropriate.
(If the assistance request was made separately to the airport by the customer and confirmed directly by the airport back to the customer, then obviously things would be different).
least a duty of care to ensure this request is met, not to say 'not my fault mate blame HAL' as you are clearly doing. You are just showing again that BA and some of their staff really don't give a toss. Can I not help you would be more appropriate.
(If the assistance request was made separately to the airport by the customer and confirmed directly by the airport back to the customer, then obviously things would be different).
I wouldnt be here answering your questions if I didnt care.
I am sorry that your mother wasnt given the service that she needed and I am just explaining the process and where your complaint should be directed.
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 18,981
I was in 1D and my mother in 1C - when the guy came up the steps, the only conversation that happened was that the person meeting the flight said there were not enough coaches to have a club only one and to only let 45 people down for the first one, With that he went back down the stairs again. There was no conversation about anything else - I am 100% sure of this as I was right there. It was not just my mother who had booked assistance as others were waiting when we tried to call from the non answering phone in the terminal building.
#19
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,476
Yes, the request does indeed need to be made via BA, you can't book it directly with Omniserv. However I would be fairly certain - particularly at this time of year - that the information was duly communicated to Omniserv but they didn't have sufficient staff to meet the workload. The communication process is what it is, and had the OP arrived on any other airline into LHR it iwould be the same procedure and quite possibly the same outcome with them. Omniserv do not have many friends within the airline staff based at LHR (though it's perhaps not as rock bottom as it was a year or so back) and BA staff in particular have found it difficult to get Omniserv to meet the requests made of it. Omniserv is contracted by HAL to provide the service. Service 2 is door to door and a bit more robust since (inter alia) the BA crew will have to wait until Omniserv turns up at the bus and if necessary the captain can radio in a complaint if they are late to arrive, though I'm told that doesn't make much difference. If Service 1 is selected, and there is a bus involved, then BA have no clue what has gone on after the passenger has left the aircraft.
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
No - and I was really right there by the door. There was a lady who was in a worse state than my mother.
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 18,981
I’m still not sure you would have heard what was said as we speak to the person on the steps as we open the door so they would have their back to you, I can see that 6 wheelchairs were requested in our system for the 481?
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
You obviously dont know me as I would love to blame BA if I felt that it was their fault.
I wouldnt be here answering your questions if I didnt care.
I am sorry that your mother wasnt given the service that she needed and I am just explaining the process and where your complaint should be directed.
I wouldnt be here answering your questions if I didnt care.
I am sorry that your mother wasnt given the service that she needed and I am just explaining the process and where your complaint should be directed.
#23
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,916
OmniServ or OmniShambles as they have often been referred to, provide the WheelChair service at LHR if I'm not mistaken.
Just to provide some context as to how far BA are from involvement, I walked into the CCR last week and there was a huge row going on.
The Reception lady, was being berated by the son of a Prem, who had ordered a wheelchair. The wheelchair hadnt turned up, and the BA staff member was frantically calling all the numbers she could find; including the Duty Manager (who came along a few minutes later). Now, if BA cannot guarantee wheelchair for one of their absolute top customers, what hope is there for the rest of us!
M
Just to provide some context as to how far BA are from involvement, I walked into the CCR last week and there was a huge row going on.
The Reception lady, was being berated by the son of a Prem, who had ordered a wheelchair. The wheelchair hadnt turned up, and the BA staff member was frantically calling all the numbers she could find; including the Duty Manager (who came along a few minutes later). Now, if BA cannot guarantee wheelchair for one of their absolute top customers, what hope is there for the rest of us!
M
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA Gold....er now Silver...er now Bronze....er now Blue
Posts: 3,507
the 491 you mean. So of the 6 wheelchairs - zero showed up. Ultimately this may be the fault of the operator - same as the fact that the dire food may also have been the fault of the operator. However, my arrangements were all though BA. Therefore BA is responsible in my view.
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 18,981
Sorry it was just a question so that I could try and give reasons for any shortfall in service.
As has been said the wheelchair provider at LHR can be fantastic but when they are stretched it can all fall down like a pack of cards.
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: Mucci des Hommes Magiques et Magnifiques
Posts: 18,981
the 491 you mean. So of the 6 wheelchairs - zero showed up. Ultimately this may be the fault of the operator - same as the fact that the dire food may also have been the fault of the operator. However, my arrangements were all though BA. Therefore BA is responsible in my view.
#27
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
#28
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,883
I will add the the special assistance that my family has received over the years at LHR is by far the worst service. It is dreadful. I have complained so many times I’ve lost count, nothing changes apart from it getting worse.
#29
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 351
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.
#30
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,476
https://www.heathrow.com/file_source...5April2014.pdf
HAL make a lot of money from the shops, which are in many cases on a revenue share scheme, I think that's about half HAL's income now.