How do I complain about an airline?

Jamie_Carter

masc0t wrote: »

The request for assistance was made at the time of the booking about 3 months before travel and confirmed again 1 week before travel.
The airline explained that the assistance is handled by a third party company but asked me to put my complaint in writing so that they could refer the complaint on and have a record of this complaint. They told me that they welcomed the feedback, hence asking me to complain through them.
We travelled together 3 more times within the UK requesting special assistance and we had first rate service every other time, with a wheelchair pusher who helped retrieve luggage from the carousel as well. I believe that this is standard service when requesting special assistance.
On this occasion, the service company had not provided enough staff to push, so some of the wheelchair users on this flight got assistance and some didn't.
My father uses a wheelchair at home but was advised to use the wheelchair provided by the airline to save him having to book his wheelchair into hold. We borrowed a wheelchair from British Red Cross while he was here.

The airport can't just have loads of people sitting around waiting. But I'm sure they have enough people to cover all assistance requests, as long as all the flights are bang on time. However it only takes a couple of delayed flights, and maybe a couple early, to cause a backlog in people needing assistance. So I'm afraid that in this situation there are two choices:

1. Your parents did what they chose to do, and struggled on.
2. They wait until assistance is available.

Jamie_Carter

elsien wrote: »

Yes with an airline if you have pre-booked in plenty of time. I would expect them to make sure that the help needed was available, as part of their planning. Having booked special assistance on a number of occasions, I have always made it clear that the help is essential. And it has always been guaranteed - I have never been told it depends who is available on the day. Otherwise I wouldn't have booked.

OP, I think you need to wait to see what answer they come back with before escalating any further. What did your mum and dad say at the time - could they not have asked to wait until someone could come back for them, or did they choose not to cause a fuss so decided to try to manage by themselves? It may have been an inconvenience to wait till an assistant was free, but that would probably have been the safer option.

They can never guarantee assistance, as they can't guarantee that all flights will land on time.

GwylimT

When my wife used to travel she had to check in her electric wheelchair at the time of check in, the airport always provided her with a suitable wheelchair and she was always delivered to the correct gate and assisted onto the aeroplane, upon arriving at the destination airport she would be wheeled to the baggage area and would instruct the staff as to which bag was hers and they would collect it and deliver the bag and her to the taxi/coach/train that she was then going to travel on. These were mainly contracted staff who were employed when necessary.

earthstorm

GwylimT wrote: »

When my wife used to travel she had to check in her electric wheelchair at the time of check in, the airport always provided her with a suitable wheelchair and she was always delivered to the correct gate and assisted onto the aeroplane, upon arriving at the destination airport she would be wheeled to the baggage area and would instruct the staff as to which bag was hers and they would collect it and deliver the bag and her to the taxi/coach/train that she was then going to travel on. These were mainly contracted staff who were employed when necessary.

maybe, but when you book assistance these are booked by flight arrival/departure.

if you flight is delayed or early if the assistant is with another passenger do you expect them to just say to that passenger i cant take you any further i have to help someone on this flight that has just arrived.

If you book assistance then you ask someone where it is and how long have you to wait or just struggle yourself through the airport.

Your title "How do I complain about an airline?" is wrong as stated earlier it is the airport that provide this service and not the airline.

flightboy

Jamie_Carter wrote: »

They can never guarantee assistance, as they can't guarantee that all flights will land on time.

wrong, having worked over 20 years at stansted i can assure you every request has to be met by the airport operator ( usually contracted to a 3rd party ) and sometimes its busy and there is a wait so really what the OP parents should have done is just said no and waited until someone could have come


Shops have to have wheelchair access so its baffling to think you would not get the required assistance at a airport

ThumbRemote

earthstorm wrote: »

Your title "How do I complain about an airline?" is wrong as stated earlier it is the airport that provide this service and not the airline.

Although it sounds like the service was booked with the airline, who then arrange it with the airport. So in the first instance complaining to the airline is valid.

earthstorm

flightboy wrote: »

wrong, having worked over 20 years at stansted i can assure you every request has to be met by the airport operator ( usually contracted to a 3rd party ) and sometimes its busy and there is a wait so really what the OP parents should have done is just said no and waited until someone could have come


Shops have to have wheelchair access so its baffling to think you would not get the required assistance at a airport

exactly, but i thing is it will depend on airport

Stanstead is part of M.A.G, so could the same guaranteed process be in place at other airports run by other operators

Money-Saving-King

flightboy wrote: »

wrong, having worked over 20 years at stansted i can assure you every request has to be met by the airport operator ( usually contracted to a 3rd party ) and sometimes its busy and there is a wait so really what the OP parents should have done is just said no and waited until someone could have come


Shops have to have wheelchair access so its baffling to think you would not get the required assistance at a airport

He said also it would be the Airport operator so don't know why you're saying wrong?

It is also true that Airport operator also won't be able to gaurentee assistance due to some flights being late.

Fosterdog

flightboy wrote: »

Shops have to have wheelchair access so its baffling to think you would not get the required assistance at a airport

They have to have wheelchair access but they don't have to provide a wheelchair or a member of staff to push it around.

Pollycat

elsien wrote: »

What did your mum and dad say at the time - could they not have asked to wait until someone could come back for them, or did they choose not to cause a fuss so decided to try to manage by themselves? It may have been an inconvenience to wait till an assistant was free, but that would probably have been the safer option.

I think this is a very valid point.

OP - maybe you could comment on the points raised by elsien.