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My daughter’s comments and Ryanair-
I’m partly disabled and require the use of a wheelchair FROM THE CHECKIN DESK TO THE GATE. I’m not flying anywhere at the moment, partly due to my past experiences with Ryanair in Italy and the UK(Luton airport). On my last flight with Ryanair (August, 1994) I tried - both in Luton and in Italy - to make certain that a wheelchair would be at the checkin desk in both airports. It was NOT. In Luton, a desk attendant told my wife that SHE would have to get the chair herself. I believe they did find someone to push the chair to the gate. It Italy - my wife was again the wheelchair pusher. As I can’t depend on a wheelchair - pushed by Ryanair staff - will be where we require it (including at the gate to return to the baggage hall AND the attendant WAITING there. We waited 20 minutes at the gate for the chair and the attendant refused to wait for luggage to arrive. The result was that my wife had to pile the luggage on my lap and on hooks at the back of the chair and then push me a very long way to the taxi areas. A letter (not email) to the President of Ryanair brought the response that Ryanair had done all that was required by policy and law. My request to make good their appalling treatment brought a blunt - “We are an economy airline, we don’t feel we owe you a free flight.”
On all counts EVERY other economy airline takes wheelchair passengers from the checkin area to the gate by an attended wheelchair to the gate where a special vehicle takes the disabled passenger to the plane and boards them before anyother passengers are boarded.
My daughter’s comments and Ryanair-
I’m partly disabled and require the use of a wheelchair FROM THE CHECKIN DESK TO THE GATE. I’m not flying anywhere at the moment, partly due to my past experiences with Ryanair in Italy and the UK(Luton airport). On my last flight with Ryanair (August, 1994) I tried - both in Luton and in Italy - to make certain that a wheelchair would be at the checkin desk in both airports. It was NOT. In Luton, a desk attendant told my wife that SHE would have to get the chair herself. I believe they did find someone to push the chair to the gate. It Italy - my wife was again the wheelchair pusher. As I can’t depend on a wheelchair - pushed by Ryanair staff - will be where we require it (including at the gate to return to the baggage hall AND the attendant WAITING there. We waited 20 minutes at the gate for the chair and the attendant refused to wait for luggage to arrive. The result was that my wife had to pile the luggage on my lap and on hooks at the back of the chair and then push me a very long way to the taxi areas. A letter (not email) to the President of Ryanair brought the response that Ryanair had done all that was required by policy and law. My request to make good their appalling treatment brought a blunt - “We are an economy airline, we don’t feel we owe you a free flight.”
On all counts EVERY other economy airline takes wheelchair passengers from the checkin area to the gate by an attended wheelchair to the gate where a special vehicle takes the disabled passenger to the plane and boards them before anyother passengers are boarded.