Lack of wheelchair assistance at airport by DME

[kaytieeldr]

I think calling ahead to confirm a wheelchair IS taking personal responsibility enough!

Clearly, it's not.
The OP was advised to ask the DME driver to call ahead for a wheelchair.
the driver had no idea what she was talking about.
Passengers request wheelchair assistance directly from the airline, most frequently sooner than on the way to the airport.
The airport provides wheelchair assistance on the Departure level (for departures; and frm the gate to the Arrivals/baggage level for arriving passengers.)
MCO does not, and should not reasonably be expected to, provide wheelchair assistance from the ground transportation level.
There seems to be no way for any passenger to call any airline inside the terminal - only the toll-free reservation line, typically not even in Florida.

You've been told YES, made decision based on that, and were decieve.

Misinformed, or the bus driver was. But not malice intended, therefore not deceived.

Maybe they can routinely provide a few wheelchair in that area or something.

Well, wheelchairs are airport property and are required to be operated only by SkyCaps. Frequently, these people work for tips.

 

[seashoreCM]

Time to get to the plane can be a lot more than you first expect if you need assistance. Magical Express will always give you an earlier bus back to the airport from the usual 3 hours if you request. The normal deadline is morning of the day before the day you will leave the resort. You will have to set up an appointment or engagement for "custom" assistance to meet you at the DME dropoff with allowance for a possible reasonable DME delay, or have to summon assistance upon DME dropoff depending on your airline's rule. All in all your DME bus time could well need to be 4-1/2 hours before a domestic flight if you don't want to become anxious.

 

[Lilsia]

I think the best option would be to not use ME and hire a towncar service that can drop you off at the main terminal. Of course you still need to contact the airline to arrange for a wheelchair assistance. I have a hard time believing that you can not walk as far as from where ME drops off up the escalators to the check in desks but do not have your own mobility device. Every time that I have used ME(many many times), we have been dropped off right by the escalators that go right up to the airline check in. How do you get around every day?

 

[Simba's Mom]

. Every time that I have used ME(many many times), we have been dropped off right by the escalators that go right up to the airline check in.

If that were the case with Southwest, that it was just at the top of the escalators, it wouldn’t be a problem, but unfortunately, Southwest is a very long walk. And before anyone recommends me changing airlines, Southwest is one of two airlines at the airport by us. The next airport is 125 miles away-the “joy” of living where we do.

 

[Pumbaa_]

My mother would have an issue w that much walking.

It may be that dme back to the airport does not meet your needs any longer. You should not stop traveling because of the one issue you are having.

 

[cmwade77]

Here is where the responsibility lies as I best understand it:

• Boarding and disembarking from DME
  • Your Responsibilities:
    • Notify DME at least 30 days in advance if possible that you will have a wheelchair
  • DME's Responsibilities:
    • Have a bus with a working lift within a reasonable amount of time.
    • Safe load and unload you with the wheelchair in both directions
• Boarding the plane (including travel from DME to the gate)
  • Your responsibilities:
    • Notify the airline in accordance with their policies that you will need assistance
    • Notify them that you will be using DME os that they can schedule staffing appropriately
    • Notify ground crew that you are the one that needs assistance
  • Airline's responsibilities:
    • Provide assistance to and from DME
• Potential Gray Area
  • While still in the airport at the DME boarding area

 

[kaytieeldr]

Notify them that you will be using DME os that they can schedule staffing appropriately

The potential problem here is that notifying the airline up to 30 days in advance means you are talking to someone in Atlanta, or Salt Lake City, or Houston...

Notify ground crew that you are the one that needs assistance

Generally there IS no ground crew in the vicinity of the DME drop-off.

 

[Lilsia]

If that were the case with Southwest, that it was just at the top of the escalators, it wouldn’t be a problem, but unfortunately, Southwest is a very long walk. And before anyone recommends me changing airlines, Southwest is one of two airlines at the airport by us. The next airport is 125 miles away-the “joy” of living where we do.

If you can get up the escalator to the airline check in desks, you can probably flag down an employee to help you get a wheelchair. The thing is, Disney's ME is like a taxi service. They transport to and from the hotel as a courtesy. They are no different then if you take a cab. The cab driver is not responsible for getting you a wheelchair at the airport. For future trips, I would either get in touch with the airlines and ask them what your options are, or hire a town car driver that can drop you off right at the check in desk area.

 

[Sarahraegraham]

I completely understand your problem. I encounter this every trip. DH and I both now use WC assistance inside the airport, and getting down to DME upon arrival is always good. But coming back from WDW and getting off DME is ridiculous. No one knows anything most of the time. This past trip I forgot to ask our driver to call ahead and we waited an hour to be picked up. And then one of the employees was an outright a.s.s. who acted like we were putting him out to do his job.

This is, in my opinion, an internal MCO issue. They have an agreement with Disney to house DME and allow the buses access. This means that both Disney and MCO are responsible for the coordination of activities relating to the needs of the disabled. There should be clear directives DME agents follow to contact the airlines running out of MCO in ensuring this runs smoothly for the customer. Yes, we are airline customers, but the airport is also responsible as host.

In the future I will continue to ask my driver, and if they are confused, I will insist that they sort it out with their superiors prior to departure. It’s simply not feasible or necessary for me to bring my own equipment, and no one should feel the need to do so, especially when this is Disney we are talking about. It’s an area for improvement that likely gets little attention because we don’t speak up. Now that you’ve posted as well, I will write them as well.

 

[cmwade77]

If you can get up the escalator to the airline check in desks, you can probably flag down an employee to help you get a wheelchair. The thing is, Disney's ME is like a taxi service. They transport to and from the hotel as a courtesy. They are no different then if you take a cab. The cab driver is not responsible for getting you a wheelchair at the airport. For future trips, I would either get in tough with the airlines and ask them what your options are, or hire a town car driver that can drop you off right at the check in desk area.

Yes and like with a Taxi, if you inform your airline that is how you will be arriving in advance, they will meet you at the drop off area with a wheelchair. Some airliens will give you a number to call once you arrive so the don't have someone standing there and some airports provide the service for the airlines, but the airlines are the ones that can make the arrangements.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Some of you have suggested that I contact the airline, since it's ultimately the airline's responsibility to provide wheelchair assistance. Well, I did contact the airline and they told me that it's DME's responsibility to contact them to have a wheelchair meet the customer at the DME drop-off point.

 

[cmwade77]

What airline? I have seen JetBlue's staff taking people to and from DME many times.

 

[Simba's Mom]

What airline? I have seen JetBlue's staff taking people to and from DME many times.

Yes, but according to the airline (Southwest, in my case, and as I’ve said before, switching airlines is not an option where we live), it’s DME’s responsibility to contact them on return. Southwest always brings me from the airplane to DME. If JetBlue transports from DME To the gate, my mistake. I guess I’m using the wrong airline, and everyone’s telling me wrong.

 

[cmwade77]

I have seen JetBlue's do both directions to and from DME, but JetBlue's customer service can't be beat, even Disney could take some lessons from them.

Unfortunately my experience has been that Southwest does the minimum they can get away with and sometimes even less than that, although still better than United.

 

[LoveToDisney]

When my sister was traveling and needed wheelchair assistance from DME once back to the airport, I asked the driver before they left the resort to please contact a porter for her so she could have a wheelchair assistance from DME to the airline area. I stressed that she could not walk and repeated my request until I was sure he understood me. My sister said they got a regular porter to bring a wheelchair for her to travel from DME to the airline area (paid him for the assistance). Once in the airline area, she got the wheelchair they provide and went the rest of the way in the airline wheelchair.

 

[SteveH]

Reading this over my thought is that there is no need to end your solo trip to Disney. However, you may want to rethink who you use for transportation. When you call the airline ask to arrange for assistance ask for a # so you can call yourself. Clearly there is a disconnect between DME and the airline. While DME might work most of the time, you might want to have a service that you have more control over. I'm not well versed in the options, but having control over your situation is important.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

Just weighing in that I was supposed to have airline assist with a wheelchair recently after DME drop off and no one ever came. I wobbled in to the United counter and I think they looked at me and thought I might fall down and they quickly got a w/c. I asssumed that because they had said one would initially get me that it was true. However, I guess I was wrong. That’s all I have to offer.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I have seen JetBlue's do both directions to and from DME, but JetBlue's customer service can't be beat, even Disney could take some lessons from them.

Unfortunately my experience has been that Southwest does the minimum they can get away with and sometimes even less than that, although still better than United.

Actual, uniformed JetBlue employees, either removing themselves from assigned duties or specifically hired to transport wheelchair passsengers? As in, the airline itself meets passengers at the lobby and wheels then to the gate?

Or SkyCaps that the airline employees obtain for the passenger? In all my flights, I have been assisted by actual airline employees twice. Once by two Delta managers when repeated attempts by the counter personnel failed to result in anyone showing up, and once by 'my' Southwest crew when the SkyCap disappeared. Both times in Boston, Delta departing and Southwest arriving.

But that's it. Aside from my experiences, I haven't ever seen a uniformed airline employees transporting a passenger.

 

[SteveH]

I fly in and out of Seattle a lot, seems like some Aiports could learn a lot from how they provide assistance. Between the app their website I don't think anyone would be left stranded and unable to contact somebody. They even post a phone number.
https://www.portseattle.org/services-amenities/accessible-transportation-and-wheelchair-services

 

[kaytieeldr]

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."