Airport wheelchair service

[dj2]

quick question: they've made a note in my reservation that i'll need a wheelchair to get me to the gate on my next flight. i'm not checking baggage and will print a boarding pass from home. so with whom do i talk and when/where at the airport to get assistance to the gate? thanks for your help.

 

[SueM in MN]

I have seen peole talk to the skycaps at the curbside drop off area even if they are not checking baggage. Or talking to the agent at the check in counter. I know sometimes they also have someone who isn't working a counter at some airlines, but is just sort of generally directing people.
Also check with the airline. Their website should give some kind of contact info.

I'm not sure if any of these are the correct answer. Maybe someone else will reply who knows for sure.

 

[Barbday62]

My husband used a wheel chair in both Phoenix and Seattle and there were many as you enter both airports. Its free to use but I guess you should tip the guy who pushes it.

 

[dj2]

i called United and asked. they said just to give the skycap my reservation number, and a wheelchair would come.

but until i got to that info it was kind of funny. i told her i would have no luggage and a boarding pass printed from home. she said that's fine, just go to the gate and they'd help me there. i explained that it was help getting to the gate that i needed. she put me on hold for 7 minutes, then came back and told me that it's fine, just go to the gate and they'd help me there. once again i politely explained my dilemma with that. was put on hold again. then she told me the skycaps would be able to help.

for those who've used wheelchair assistance in airports, does a $5 tip sound right? i just tip the "pusher" right, or do i also tip the skycap who calls him/her?

 

[Chuck S]

We just tip the pusher. Some larger airports (if you are ambulatory at all) also have electric carts that drive you from gate to gate for connecting flights, then transfer you to a chair if you need one to board. So I think you'd tip the cart driver, too.

 

[dj2]

the service was wonderful. outbound the chair was waiting. inbound we landed 25 minutes early--can you believe that--and had to wait a bit for the chair to come. i tipped $5 each time--hope that was right amount. spoke with a woman while waiting to board the return flight who said she sometimes tips $20, but that seemed kind of high to me (and to her companion, who was arguing for $2).
-dj

 

[kaytieeldr]

$20 seems high to me, too (I'd tip $5 or $10, depending - sometimes the 'pusher' is handling two wheelchairs, sometimes he or she provides service above what I expected) but if that's what that passenger felt it was worth, good for her!