Airport assistance in the UK – a Which? report

I’ve just come across a Which? Travel Investigation where they sent four disabled travellers (two wheelchair users and two blind people with guide dogs) around the UK on various domestic flights.

You can read the article here.

Having had a pretty dismal experience as a wheelchair user at Edinburgh Airport myself, this certainly rang bells for me.

In a number of instances, assisted travellers described being “passed around like a parcel”, “abandoned like a piece of luggage” or simply left feeling humiliated. While some were extremely complimentary about the assistance they received, others were dismayed by the service and have even been put off flying again as a result.

After some awful experiences both in the UK and abroad, I’ve taken to referring to “assistance staff” as meat delivery boys (or MDBs) because in too many cases, that’s the level of service they give.

The blind undercover Which? reporter experienced a terrible time at Birmingham Airport. He was abandoned and had to get help from fellow travellers. He, and his guide dog, also had to go without food and drink for hours. What a horrible experience!

He’s not alone, though. How many other people can list all the rotten things that assistance staff have done to them?

I’m going to turn into Victor Meldrew if I list my own experiences again. But please do have a read of the Which? report and speak up if you see any injustices when you’re next travelling by air. Do we really have to shame airports and airlines into treating disabled passengers in a considerate manner?

As Which? concludes:

It seems that when assistance fails, it can fail significantly and can cause real distress and humiliation to passengers. This is unacceptable. And although many people receive excellent assistance at UK airports, more needs to be done to ensure that all airports provide the best care possible.

Please also feel free to comment below.