Manchester Airport Assistance
Manchester Airport Assistance – Travelling When Disabled
It’s been really difficult to admit and talk about how much my mobility has deteriorated but unfortunately that is the case now. A couple of months ago in early 2018 I finally got a wheelchair, but that doesn’t make it easier if I physically don’t have the energy to go out anyway. We really debated going on holiday this year, we had such a terrible time at the airport last year that my mum and I were really dreading travelling. We did talk about booking Manchester Airport Assistance last year but we didn’t know what it entailed and my mum has heard so many bad experiences that she was really against it. This year I decided that with or without her, I needed help getting through the airport as I just couldn’t face being in an insane amount of pain during a 3-hour flight, so I booked assistance for ‘through the airport, and up and down the aircraft stairs.’
There are many different types of assistance that you can request at airports. There’s a special team at every airport who take care of this. It’s just a simple box that you tick whilst booking your flights and then you specify what kind of assistance you need. Although this is extremely vague. It doesn’t tell you what assistance through the airport means, will there be someone to push me? Will a family member have to push me? None of this information is provided at the time you book. Usually, you can still book assistance up to 48 hours before you fly by contacting your airline. Even though it’s a team at the airport that looks after assistance, you will find all the information you need via your airline. Be sure to check that the cheap airport parking Manchester airport offers is near where you need to be too, or if there’s a drop off point and then whoever you’re with can park after.
Right, let’s get onto my experience. Fast forward months and weeks of worrying about what assistance would mean at the airport and we arrive at the airport and spot the tiniest wheelchair outside. I immediately started panicking about not even fitting into a wheelchair here and that they would cause so much more pain from being too small. We then check-in and they didn’t mention assistance or anything like that so I assumed there would be somewhere else to go for it. Sure enough, right opposite check-in there was the Manchester Airport Assistance desk in Terminal 2. A woman was on the desk and asked to see my boarding pass, and then asked if I would like someone to push me, or if I would just like the chair. She then proceeded to push over a chair that I would clearly fit in. It was already waiting there but if it hadn’t of been, she would have got me a bigger one anyway, and very discretely as I found out on our return trip when the assistance people there asked me.
We said that we would be fine by ourselves and my mum decided to push me. This helped her keep upright and walk easier too so it was a win-win situation. When you’re in a chair you get to queue jump pretty much everywhere, it was SO much easier getting through the airport this way, as often just waiting in line can cause an intense amount of pain. We breezed through security and headed to the boarding gate. We asked what they wanted me to do with the chair and they said just to wait and someone would be along. At this point, we had no idea how I would be getting on the plane as it wasn’t connected via a tunnel. Airport assistance turned up and took us down the corridor which leads to 4 lots of stairs. My mum immediately said how there would have been no way we could have done those and seemed really happy that we had assistance. The assistance staff were incredibly friendly and explained what would happen next, they chatted away to us, answered questions, and we praised them on how great the experience had been and that we will definitely be booking it for my mum next year too.
We were taken down the lift and across to the other side of the plane where an airlift bus was waiting for us. I had to get out of the chair at this point as I no longer needed it, and moved onto the lift with my mum. We then sat in the bus ready for it to join onto the plane and let us in. My dad and boyfriend said they had only been on for a few minutes when we arrived. It was a very easy experience to get onto the plane when in previous years we’d be in pain from doing the stairs. Whilst inside the bus one of the male assistants explained to us all the different types of assistance and how they can help with special chairs they have. He was really great and actually explained that although we have assistance here, we might not at the airport that we’re going to and to prepare ourselves. We really appreciated this. The first leg of the journey was great thanks to the Manchester Airport Assistance.
When we arrived at Almeria Airport we did decide to just get off and walk down the stairs as we didn’t know how long we would be waiting, in hindsight, we should have waited as it’s not great for the assistance staff that are expecting us and it can delay them for other passengers. The airport in Almeria is so small that you can be through it in less than 10 minutes and on your way. There is a lift and very small and fast-moving passport patrol queue. On the way back I had assistance through the airport but as our plane hadn’t arrived yet they asked if I was able to do the stairs. They were not forcing me to do them and they would have got the airbus lift if I had said no, but after having a great and short experience through Almeria airport, I said I could do them.
When we arrived back at Manchester we waited on the plane until everyone else had got off, waiting for someone from the Manchester Airport Assistance team. A flight attendant then told us that they were not coming to get us off the plane but would meet us at the bottom of the stairs. They didn’t. It turns out the flight attendant was wrong and we should have stayed on the plane. A man was on the ground and lead us inside somewhere safe to wait. We were back at the bottom of 4 flights of stairs, with a lift that only staff can control. After a short wait, he realised that we could probably do with sitting down, so he lead us upstairs in the lift to some seats where assistance finally showed up after about 10 minutes.
The man was very different from the others. He was rude and proceeded to rush off leaving my mum (who cannot walk very well) very far behind. I asked him to slow down and he did for around 7 seconds before speeding off again. I quickly said to my mum, ‘do you want to push me instead?’ and of course, she said yes as this man was not listening at all. It was a different wheelchair and a lot heavier, which meant my mum was struggling immediately. There was no other staff around and my dad and Alfie had gone through to get the bags. We made it to passport control where a woman was very concerned over my mum struggling and apologised over the assistance we had been given, or not been given I should say. She told my mum to wait and rest and then proceeded to direct us the fastest way through. Again skipping the entire queue. A very long walk later and we were finally out of the airport.
Overall I’d say that Manchester Airport Assistance is definitely worth booking if you need the extra help. I could have probably communicated with my airline and with the team I met at the start of my journey more as to what I would need coming back, but next year I will definitely be doing that. You might be thinking, I’d love assistance but I don’t necessarily need a wheelchair. Well, you can still have it! Head to a Manchester Airport Assistance desk and simply ask for a special lanyard to wear throughout the airport. These have been specially made for passengers with invisible conditions so that they can queue jump and get additional help and understanding from staff. You don’t need to request this beforehand.
