Gate Checking Wheelchair experience
Sep 24, 2005 | 7:50 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2003
Location: SAN
Programs: UA GS/1K/MM, VA Gold, DL Gold
Posts: 5,581
Gate Checking Wheelchair experience
Thought it would be worthwhile relating our experiences here.
Had an award trip in F with my wife SYD-SIN-FRA-LHR then LHR-LIS then LIS-FRA-BKK-SYD.
On the outbound, the chair had a gate check tag to SIN. We left it at the door of the aircraft and walked to the seat.
At SIN, the connection was tight (we arrived late) and were connecting to LH. Initially they told us the chair wasn't there, so we took their advice and were pushed to the LH flight. After a few walkie talkie calls, the chair had been found and would be on the flight to FRA.
At FRA, it was the same story. Chair isn't there, but when asking hte purser on the FRA-LHR flight they confirmed it had been loaded.
At LHR, still no sign of the chair gate side. Apparently we need to wait at the oversize baggage claim, so are pushed on the airport chair over there. After an hour, we go to lost baggage and .......they see it was delayed in SIN and will arrive in about 6hrs. We asked for it to be delivered to the hotel. Meanwhile I go pick up the rental car, and come back to pick up luggage / wife (maybe I should reverse the order?).
LHR-LIS on TP worked perfectly (although there are stairs off the aircraft at LIS). Chair is waiting at the bottom of the stairs and we are taken by a private bus over to the terminal. Good show Air Portugal.
The return we had the same experience as the outbound. Although we gate checked the chair, LH put a baggage tag in addition to the gate check tag. This gave me some encouragement that even if we didnt see it at the intermediate stops, it was at least tagged to the final destination. It did show at FRA and the FRA staff also provided a golf buggy and drove us to the F lounge (they refused to take us to the F terminal!)
BKK there was no sign of the chair and a pusher that didn't seem to speak English. Once in the F lounge, we were assured that it would be trasnferred to the TG flight to SYD. Sure enough, it did show at the oversize baggage belt in SYD, and we were helped with the luggage out to the taxi rank for the trip home.
So....interlining a gate checked wheelchair seems to be very hit/miss. Wheelchair not showing in LHR could have been a real problem, but at least we could still get to the hotel room by asking for a room close to the elevators etc.
Has anyone else got any tips on how to ensure that a wheelchair is actually delivered to the gate, or is it best to just check it all the way? Seeing it at each stop means that there is the chance to check all the bits are still there, but seems more trouble than its worth.
Had an award trip in F with my wife SYD-SIN-FRA-LHR then LHR-LIS then LIS-FRA-BKK-SYD.
On the outbound, the chair had a gate check tag to SIN. We left it at the door of the aircraft and walked to the seat.
At SIN, the connection was tight (we arrived late) and were connecting to LH. Initially they told us the chair wasn't there, so we took their advice and were pushed to the LH flight. After a few walkie talkie calls, the chair had been found and would be on the flight to FRA.
At FRA, it was the same story. Chair isn't there, but when asking hte purser on the FRA-LHR flight they confirmed it had been loaded.
At LHR, still no sign of the chair gate side. Apparently we need to wait at the oversize baggage claim, so are pushed on the airport chair over there. After an hour, we go to lost baggage and .......they see it was delayed in SIN and will arrive in about 6hrs. We asked for it to be delivered to the hotel. Meanwhile I go pick up the rental car, and come back to pick up luggage / wife (maybe I should reverse the order?).
LHR-LIS on TP worked perfectly (although there are stairs off the aircraft at LIS). Chair is waiting at the bottom of the stairs and we are taken by a private bus over to the terminal. Good show Air Portugal.
The return we had the same experience as the outbound. Although we gate checked the chair, LH put a baggage tag in addition to the gate check tag. This gave me some encouragement that even if we didnt see it at the intermediate stops, it was at least tagged to the final destination. It did show at FRA and the FRA staff also provided a golf buggy and drove us to the F lounge (they refused to take us to the F terminal!)
BKK there was no sign of the chair and a pusher that didn't seem to speak English. Once in the F lounge, we were assured that it would be trasnferred to the TG flight to SYD. Sure enough, it did show at the oversize baggage belt in SYD, and we were helped with the luggage out to the taxi rank for the trip home.
So....interlining a gate checked wheelchair seems to be very hit/miss. Wheelchair not showing in LHR could have been a real problem, but at least we could still get to the hotel room by asking for a room close to the elevators etc.
Has anyone else got any tips on how to ensure that a wheelchair is actually delivered to the gate, or is it best to just check it all the way? Seeing it at each stop means that there is the chance to check all the bits are still there, but seems more trouble than its worth.
Sep 25, 2005 | 5:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: IAD
Programs: United MP
Posts: 7,856
It has been pretty annoying that when I fly international, the chair is usually not delivered to me at the gate. It is either at baggage claim or the promise that it will be transferred to next flight. I thought my chair was lost at CPH once when it couldn't be found for an hour. This doesn't happen on domestic flights either in the US or in Denmark, the two places I have taken domestic flights.
Oct 1, 2005 | 11:43 am
#3
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Borrego Springs, CA
Programs: UA 1P, Marriott Gold
Posts: 181
Originally Posted by wimpypipsqueak
Has anyone else got any tips on how to ensure that a wheelchair is actually delivered to the gate, or is it best to just check it all the way? Seeing it at each stop means that there is the chance to check all the bits are still there, but seems more trouble than its worth.
Elsewhere, I've had fairly good luck with gate checking - but there have cetainly been delays in making it appear. My two most problematic stations have been LHR anf FRA. A word with the purser on boarding may help at both ends. It seems if you have requested closet space and they want to put it down below - there might be a better chance they'll take extra care to see it loaded and unloaded properly.
Best of luck!
Oct 3, 2005 | 3:21 pm
#4
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: DEN
Posts: 1,962
I ran this by a German friend who travels extensively in Europe. Her reply:
You mean, they don't bring your wheelchair to the gate after landing? No, I don't have this problem. I always get my wheelchair at the aircraft door,
also in Europe (Germany, UK, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain etc.) But I know two airports where you have to be insistent that they bring it to gate:
London Heathrow, if you arriving with British Airways. If you travel with an US-Airline or Lufthansa there is no problem. They bring the wheelchair. BA has his own packing crew and often you have to argue a lot, but until now, I always covinced them. :-)
The second airport is Cologne. But they changed their rules and since a year you get your wheelchair at aircraft door.
I was in Paris for a several times. I never had any trouble. I don't know the airport of Amsterdam. The Netherlands are considered as one of the most accessible countries in Europe. But they aren't. So I don't wonder.
At the moment the European Union is working on a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the rights of persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. I think, Q1/2006 they are ready. But all EU countries have to ratify it then.
also in Europe (Germany, UK, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain etc.) But I know two airports where you have to be insistent that they bring it to gate:
London Heathrow, if you arriving with British Airways. If you travel with an US-Airline or Lufthansa there is no problem. They bring the wheelchair. BA has his own packing crew and often you have to argue a lot, but until now, I always covinced them. :-)
The second airport is Cologne. But they changed their rules and since a year you get your wheelchair at aircraft door.
I was in Paris for a several times. I never had any trouble. I don't know the airport of Amsterdam. The Netherlands are considered as one of the most accessible countries in Europe. But they aren't. So I don't wonder.
At the moment the European Union is working on a Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the rights of persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air. I think, Q1/2006 they are ready. But all EU countries have to ratify it then.
Oct 23, 2005 | 8:09 am
#5
Join Date: May 2001
Location: exUA1K, UA MM, lifetime UA1P, AA MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,806
I've done dozens of international flights with a wheelchair companion. But mostly on UA in C or F.
We get to the gate and stand at the counter until the chair gets tagged with a "GATE CHECKED WHEELCHAIR" tag on it. I ften move it to a prominate location like next to the handles.
I ask who's running the boarding and request how to get 3-5 minutes of early boarding so as no not clog up the jetway for the rest of the pax.
We then camp out right in front of the gate door. We remove the loose parts of the chair (footrests, side shields, etc) so that they don't fall off and get lost.
We always go out of our way to make the above happen since we learned that if stay invisible, things just don't happen.
At the plane, one of assists on board while the other collapses the wheelchair on the jetway (usually me). After inquiring about using the "wheelchair closet" I usually get turned down. My wife has trained me not to make a big issue over this even though this closet is often filled with crew bags! I put the chair in a prominant place so that it is sure to go down the stairs and into the pit.
We actually find that we get a few moments to build a positive relationship with the crew during the first intimate minutes on the plane.
On arrival, we unfortunately have to wait until the rest of the plane has deplaned. Often, the chair has been brought up the stairs and is waiting in the jetway. Sometimes, I have to expedite getting a ramper to go down to the pit and bring the "GATE CHECKED WHEELCHAIR" tagged chair up to the jetway. The planes cabin crew is always happy to expedite this, too, since they can't leave until the last pax is off!
For pax using an airline wheelchair, they rarely know to seek out the purser about 30 minutes before landing and re-request a provided wheelchair. The result of this is that the purser requests "n wheelchairs, please" when the door is first opened. When there are multiple wheelchair users, the last ones off are frequently without chairs since the purser didn't know to request one! So sit close to the door and re-request a chair from the purser.
BTW, we did PHL-FCO-PHL one year on US in Business class. When I went to the gate to start the above process, I got a mean and disinterested looking agent to speak with. BUT, after I explained that I hoped to use the C closet for the wheelchair, this scary looking agent picks up the phone and calls the plane's crew. She ordered, "Empty the closet in C for a wheelchair!" I love this agent!!!!! What a star!!!!
I put the chair by the far wall of the closet so that other bags could also fit in the closet. Of course, none went in.
We get to the gate and stand at the counter until the chair gets tagged with a "GATE CHECKED WHEELCHAIR" tag on it. I ften move it to a prominate location like next to the handles.
I ask who's running the boarding and request how to get 3-5 minutes of early boarding so as no not clog up the jetway for the rest of the pax.
We then camp out right in front of the gate door. We remove the loose parts of the chair (footrests, side shields, etc) so that they don't fall off and get lost.
We always go out of our way to make the above happen since we learned that if stay invisible, things just don't happen.
At the plane, one of assists on board while the other collapses the wheelchair on the jetway (usually me). After inquiring about using the "wheelchair closet" I usually get turned down. My wife has trained me not to make a big issue over this even though this closet is often filled with crew bags! I put the chair in a prominant place so that it is sure to go down the stairs and into the pit.
We actually find that we get a few moments to build a positive relationship with the crew during the first intimate minutes on the plane.
On arrival, we unfortunately have to wait until the rest of the plane has deplaned. Often, the chair has been brought up the stairs and is waiting in the jetway. Sometimes, I have to expedite getting a ramper to go down to the pit and bring the "GATE CHECKED WHEELCHAIR" tagged chair up to the jetway. The planes cabin crew is always happy to expedite this, too, since they can't leave until the last pax is off!
For pax using an airline wheelchair, they rarely know to seek out the purser about 30 minutes before landing and re-request a provided wheelchair. The result of this is that the purser requests "n wheelchairs, please" when the door is first opened. When there are multiple wheelchair users, the last ones off are frequently without chairs since the purser didn't know to request one! So sit close to the door and re-request a chair from the purser.
BTW, we did PHL-FCO-PHL one year on US in Business class. When I went to the gate to start the above process, I got a mean and disinterested looking agent to speak with. BUT, after I explained that I hoped to use the C closet for the wheelchair, this scary looking agent picks up the phone and calls the plane's crew. She ordered, "Empty the closet in C for a wheelchair!" I love this agent!!!!! What a star!!!!
I put the chair by the far wall of the closet so that other bags could also fit in the closet. Of course, none went in.