Lack of wheelchair assistance at airport by DME

[SteveH]

That's helpful, but it's only to get from the curb or light rail station to the airport counter "If you need assistance getting from the airline ticket counter through security and to your gate, please arrange this directly with your airline."

But at least they give you a # to call, I'm sure that number could connect you with a person at the airline. Better then being left stranded.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But at least they give you a # to call, I'm sure that number could connect you with a person at the airline. Better then being left stranded.

Respectfully, i disagree. Not that passengers won't get assistance, but the airport's assistance ends where the airline's begins.

if there were an actual policy or practice to mesh the two services, SeaTac's website would indicate this. Calling the provided phone number will get you airport-provided service from curb to [front airline check-in and ticket] counter or from rail lobby to [front airline check-in and ticket] counter.

Passengers will not be left stranded, but at the counter it is the passenger's responsibility to robtain assistance to the gate, and the airline's responsibility to obtain (not personally provide) it.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

Hmmmmm. We got off the plane and were surrounded by porters all trying to get our business. I would think that if you make it worth their while, that the porters could bring you to the DME area.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Hmmmmm. We got off the plane and were surrounded by porters all trying to get our business. I would think that if you make it worth their while, that the porters could bring you to the DME area.

That’s never the problem. The problem is where dme drops you back at the airport that’s in question.

 

[helenm29]

I am going to have to have a wheelchair take me from gate to gate....I had a strait through flight but they changed it so now I have to change planes! I can't walk that far! I have to do the same thing coming home......I've been told that I can call the airline that I am flying on and they will have a w/c for me when I get off the plane. I am going to make sure to call them the night before my flight and before I land at my first stop so maybe they will actually have one. If they don't, I'm going to be up a creek with out a paddle.

 

[MS_Warrior]

I really want to write to someone (or even send my complaint to several places) regarding the lack of wheelchair assistance at the airport when getting to the airport on DME. Who would you recommend sending my letter of complaint to? I'm seriously wondering if I should risk future travel (solo) to WDW. A couple months ago, after I'd been assured at every turn that all I needed to do was alert my bus driver, who'd then call and a wheelchair would be waiting for me when the bus arrived to whisk me off to the gate, as you can guess, that didn't happen-the bus driver had no idea what I meant, why I'd been told that, and refused to call anyone. When I called DME to complain (first they gave me the same assurance of what was supposed to happen, then I told them what DID happen), they promised me that they'd address the issue with their drivers and that it would never happen again. But then I read recently that it did just happen to someone else. And since I travel solo and aren't very strong, bringing my own wheelchair isn't much of an option and really shouldn't be necessary anyways. So what to do? Who to contact?
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Hopefully the above part of my OP answers your question. And I rented an ECV from Gold Mobility to get around the parks.

I used to rent in the parks, but when traversing the airport got to be too much, I bought my own scooter. I actually found one at an estate sale that was new - still had the knobs on the tires and got it cheap. It made a huge difference. If you travel solo, you might look at something like the TravelScoot - it’s a very lightweight scooter that is supposed to be easy to manage. It’s frustrating when the airport gets to be too much.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

I am going to have to have a wheelchair take me from gate to gate....I had a strait through flight but they changed it so now I have to change planes! I can't walk that far! I have to do the same thing coming home......I've been told that I can call the airline that I am flying on and they will have a w/c for me when I get off the plane. I am going to make sure to call them the night before my flight and before I land at my first stop so maybe they will actually have one. If they don't, I'm going to be up a creek with out a paddle.

Airlines are generally pretty good about this. You can also add your need for a wheelchair online, usually under a "special assistance" link you can find on the airlines' website. Heck, they usually have a wheelchair waiting for me when my 'special assistance' is that I've brought my own!