travelchat

Looking to hear from anyone who has availed themselves of the wheelchair assistant services at Heathrow for traversing terminals in order to connect with an ongoing flight. I’m wondering if it’s possible to notify ahead for the need. I’d like to feel there’s a plan in place if possible, given my past experience.

Coming from the U.S. even though one has been requested, my past experience has been that it’s a crap shoot as to whether a wheelchair will be waiting or not. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I’ve been advised by AA flight attendants to just “go up the bridge” and one will be waiting. Surprise, no wheelchair in sight and I’be been on my own to find someone who could help. I can only walk short distances at this point and stairs are a challenge. Add in jet lag, dragging hand baggage and it’s a nightmare. Any and all advice appreciated!

thursdaysd

The last time I flew into LHR, in 2018, I told American that I would need a wheelchair. Just as you say, on arrival I waited for most of the passengers to leave and asked the flight attendant on board about the wheelchair and was told to head up the ramp. No wheelchair was visible and since I was doing better than I expected I just kept going. That would not have been feasible if I had to make a connection. Good luck, especially with the current chaos.

janisj

I've used wheelchair assistance three times at LHR but neither time was I connecting. Once flying in to LHR and twice flying home. Both times it worked without a hitch. I was flying business so on arrival got off the plane in the first wave and there was a queue of chairs/attendants waiting at the top of the jet bridge and I was through to immigration very quickly. They wheeled through the entire process and out into the Arrivals hall. They would have wheeled me to the car but I was able to walk well enough with the driver taking my rollaboard.

The two times flying home - one time I didn't decide I really needed assistance till I was already through security -- and the Admirals Club ordered the chair for me. The other time I preordered through the AA website and it worked a charm.

travelchat

You’re one of the fortunate ones apparently, janisj. Thursdaysd, you and me, not so much.
As I said, a crap shoot. Not once at LHR on AA the several times I’ve been through that ghastly airport has a wheelchair been waiting. This past June deplaning at CDG from a UA flight, no wheelchair again as was the case three years prior. I always check while in flight with FA that there is a request for such but to no avail. ORD is notoriously unreliable on both departure as well as arrival. It’s a struggle!

thursdaysd

As best I remember it worked for departure on AA at LHR, although there was a wait, but that is no help on arrival. And LHR is so big....

balthy

It has to be pre ordered with the airline, meaning you have to call them and get them to add it as a request to your reservation and you should get a response confirming it, Its likely you will have to call to check the status of the wheelchair request. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days. Requesting a wheelchair is the same process as ordering a special meal or any other special service. Since you've not been lucky in getting a wheelchair, I'd look to how you are requesting it in the first place. It should not be a crap shoot if you have ordered it in advance.

Seamus

No experience on this with AA, but on United when we first needed assistance and asked at origin about having WC at destination agent said "just ask gate agent when you arrive" which we naively believed, and on arrival were told it would be at least a 30 minute wait for our 40 minute connection. Ever since have used the special needs desk to arrange things and that has worked well. Only time there was an issue was when during a long layover we went to the lounge and when ready to go to our connecting gate the club agent had to call for a WC and it took a bit of time as it was busy. Fortunately the agent warned us when we checked in to anticipate such an issue so we allowed extra time and were OK.

thursdaysd

The what? Just checked my home airport's web page. No such facility. Instead:

• Request wheelchair assistance when making your reservations. (That's what I did. Didn't work, see above.)
• Ask any skycap on the terminal curbside. They will contact your airline’s representative to bring one to your car. (Doesn't help with destination airport.)
• Call ahead to ... Guest Services. (Ditto.)

Plus a couple of other suggestions for arrivals.

janisj

"The what? Just checked my home airport's web page. No such facility. Instead:"

I think Seamus means the airline's Special Needs line. I know BA and AA have them and assume most major airlines do. It is the department that handles special needs accommodation

Seamus

Correct, janis - it's the airline, not the airport special needs assistance. The link in my last post goes to UA's special needs travel assistance page.

thursdaysd

But it is the airport, not the airline, that provides the wheelchair, right?

janisj

They are typically ordered through the airline

thursdaysd

It looks like the airlines are responsible in the US, but this is from LHR's website (emphasis added):

Under European legislation, your airline is responsible when you are on board the aircraft. Heathrow is responsible for providing special assistance at the airport. Therefore, please book all assistance through your airline (your airline’s website will contain details of how to do this). Heathrow Airport cannot book additional assistance.

• Please inform your airline, tour operator or travel agent of your particular requirement at the time of booking, or at least 48 hours before your travel. Try to give as much notice as possible so we can make the arrangements. If you haven't booked we will do our best to assist you, but will always give priority to passengers who have booked in advance.
• Your assistance requirement will be passed to one of our service providers Wilson James.
• You should also inform your airline, tour operator or travel agent if you intend to take your own mobility device (such as a wheelchair or scooter).

Assistance is available for all age groups, including young travellers.

balthy

The wheelchair is booked thru the airline, whether it’s in the US, U.K. or elsewhere. The request is added to the booking, it gets confirmed after a couple of days. You’ll have to call the airline or look in the booking to see if the request has come back confirmed. It can be added by calling the airline or adding it to the booking yourself if the airline allows it via their website.

Seamus

See text highlighted and underlined.

thursdaysd

That text in red refers to booking, not to the actual provision of the wheelchair, for which see the second highlighted sentence.

balthy

The booking for the wheelchair is made by the airline via your reservation. It’s added to your flight booking.

The service is provided by the airport.

The process has been the same for at least the past 40 years, perhaps even longer, probably ever since airlines started using computerised reservation systems in the 60s. And this applies to all countries, airports etc.

Underhill

I've had good luck at CDG with wheelchair assistance, from the plane to the Admirals Club (on AA) and then later to the gate.

However, last month on our return from Hawaii in Sacramento the wheelchair arrived but the attendant for some reason had to return to the plane. I waited, waited, my husband finally headed to baggage claim...and 20 minutes later I gave up, threw my stuff onto the wheelchair, and pushed it down to the baggage area. I'm lucky that I was able to walk that far; another person waiting might still be there.

Wheelchair service used to be better. I expect there's short staffing now as in so much else.

HappyTrvlr

Recently we needed to change airlines due to a flight cancelation. My DH needed a wheelchair and an airport worker pushed one with AA printed on the back and took him to UA club area. Then the AA chair had to be returned to AA as a United chair was going to be used. I had thought they belonged to the airport before this situation.

travelchat

Dismal wheelchair service on arrival to Heathrow from Chicago involved first a walk from the plane to an electric cart, cart drove about a 100 yards to a wheelchair center where the wait was five plus minutes while being studiously ignored by the manager behind the glass shield before even be acknowledged - I was the only customer waiting - then wheelchair and assistant provided to yet another wheelchair center a floor below - waited again for another transfer to a wheelchair with different assistant who dropped me at the door of the bus that transfers terminal to terminal. Walked to bus, navigated steps for the ride from AA terminal to BA terminal for short flight to Budapest. Off bus to search for next wheelchair center just down the hall from bus drop off door. Waited fifteen minutes to be addressed and assigned another wheelchair and assistant who then took me through the mobbed chaos of security check.

Finally dropped at BA Lounge where I realized I only had a scant 20 minutes for a pit stop and barely time to grab a sandwich for the bare bones BA 2 hour flight (only a six ounce bottle of water was served) whereupon yet another wheelchair and assistant arrived to deliver me to the plane door. This fiasco for a senior solo lady of 82 with trouble walking. Did I mention an eight hour overnight flight? How to tip under these conditions is a fair question. I thought a three hour transfer between flights was adequate when in reality it was a very tight squeeze.

Whoever this latest company is that Heathrow has contracted to provide wheelchair assistance is amazingly inept with way too many incredibly officious managers in charge of the poor workers below them who are just trying to make a living. It was like a Keystone Cops scenario. Unbelievable!

I expected the return home through Heathrow to be just as excruciating and I braced myself for the worst. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the quick service involving only two wheelchairs between the terminals transfer and all went smoothly for my drop to the Admiral’s Club for a six hour layover between flights. The third wheelchair turned up at the right time for boarding my Chicago bound flight. Bottom line - Absolutely not another transfer through Heathrow no matter my destination. It just ain’t worth it!