Is Special Assistance a requirement at BCN?
Oct 28, 2018, 9:00 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 14
Is Special Assistance a requirement at BCN?
Due to major disabilities from a stroke my husband travels with a small mobility scooter. We have been on many cruises and have flown and traveled all over the USA since his stroke and are getting pretty savvy with the different requirements on different airlines. This being said, we are flying to Barcelona in June and have been doing a lot of research as this is our first trip out of the USA involving European travel. While looking at the El Prat website we noticed an entire section dealing with the necessity of arranging Special Assistance in advance. Once his scooter and walker are delivered to us by the airline at the arrival gate we really do not require any additional assistance so we are wondering if this is a specific requirement made by the airport or just a very helpful offer being made?
Thanks for any help you have for us!
Elin
Thanks for any help you have for us!
Elin
Oct 28, 2018, 10:50 am
#2
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
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I'm sure there are some experts here who can answer your specific question, but especially overseas you should not assume that even a gate checked wheelchair/walker/scooter will be delivered to the gate rather than to baggage claim. The walker might fit in the cabin, for example in a closet rather than in the overhead bin, but BCN has some very long walks so prebooked airport wheelchair assistance might be needed even if the walker will be available (or needed/used on board).
Oct 29, 2018, 4:19 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: priority club
Posts: 74
Special assistance should always be prebooked with your airline, at the very least to register that you are travelling with a scooter - they will need details of weight and battery type.
Even small Mobility scooters are too heavy to be carried up/down stairs so sometimes you bypass the gate and an ambulift will be used to lift you onto/off the plane and you leave/.pickup your scooter on the tarmac or it is taken to baggage claim.
Even small Mobility scooters are too heavy to be carried up/down stairs so sometimes you bypass the gate and an ambulift will be used to lift you onto/off the plane and you leave/.pickup your scooter on the tarmac or it is taken to baggage claim.
Oct 30, 2018, 12:15 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 14
When we booked with American we requested the same wheelchair/assistance accommodations for these flights as we do when we are flying domestically. It appears from the the official El Prat website that there is additional assistance available. https://wwwssl.aena.es/pmr/tus-datos
I suppose we will go ahead and request it for both of our flights and see what they offer. Will let you know what we discover after we have taken our trip. Thanks
I suppose we will go ahead and request it for both of our flights and see what they offer. Will let you know what we discover after we have taken our trip. Thanks
Dec 27, 2018, 6:01 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 41
Yes you definitely need it. You may need to pick up the scooter on the tarmac in which case they will get you down with an ambulift but then to get back in the terminal requires access with a staff badge. It is not always as simple as going down the bridge. On the way back, assistance will help expedite you through security but they don't make you use them in the terminal if you don't need it. You will save time and have peace of mind that you'll get where you need to go. They're pretty fast and v efficient there.