LHR - electric carriage for pax

[Pontius Navigator]

At Heathrow we have seen some passengers being ferried about on an electric cart. I couldn't find out about these online.

How do you book these? Any links please?

[TightSlot]

The 'Golf Carts' are used to ferry people when there are large numbers of wheelchair passengers on a particular flight - sometimes making several shuttle trips.

You cannot 'Book' the cart - you can however book a wheelchair. This will mean that you may be taken for part of the way in a cart, or you may travel in the wheelchair all of the way.

Hope this helps

[UniFoxOs]

At a number of airports I have found that ground staff, on observing a pax with walking difficulties, are quite ready to offer to take you in the cart (sometimes even in disregard of your own wish to walk). They rarely refuse if you are obviously disabled and ask. I think they enjoy riding it themselves.

Cheers
UFO

[ExXB]

most airlines looked after their passengers. However not all business models agreed with this principle and some declined to help their customers get to their aeroplanes. So we got a new regulation in Europe 1107/2006 that gives that responsibility to the airports (who bill the airlines for their costs).

If you are interested here is DG-MOVE's (the new name for this Commission, silly isn't it) link: Transport: Persons with reduced mobility (PRM) - legislation in force since 2007 - European commission (http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passengers/air/prm_en.htm)

For Heathrow here is their information. Heathrow Airport Information - Disabled Passenger Resources (http://www.heathrowinformation.co.uk/heathrow-airport-FAC-facilities-disabled.php)

In theory any passenger who needs assistance is entitled to it, although this has led to abuse (passengers hoping to jump the immigration queue, for example).

Bonne route ...

[Pontius Navigator]

Thanks to all. That will be a busted flush then. Mrs PN's mother would not be seen dead in a wheelchair and will insist on walking even at a slow pace. She is 86!

At Stansted, early one morning, we had well over an hour before the checkin got around to openning for our flight. We had arrived at 0600 for 0900 and our flight wasn't even on the leader board.

Of course no seats. There was an area of seating for disabled passengers and seats for their carers. We got permission to use the seats. She refused point-blank as she refused to sit in the disabled area. Nose and face sprang to mind.

I continually tell her to act her age but will she? On a trip to London we used our bus passes for free travel; she wouldn't as it suggested that she was used to travelling in a bus.

Elderly :bored:

[PAXboy]

If one may make so bold, Mrs PN's dear Mama is being a bit of a silly billy!! My mother has arthritis and, aged 84, LOVES the wheelchair service. She does not fly so much these days but makes sure they can see her walking stick (has been known to lift it above the counter to wave it at them [in a friendly way, I hasten to add!] ).

One time I delivered her to an int flight and she told me that, after they had been through passports her pusher asked, "Would you like to go to duty free madam?" and he got the bottle of whiskey off the shelf for her. (ps it wasn't LHR!)

[aviatordom]

The Electric carts are super fun to be on at the airports.

In Spain, being the maniac and fun drivers that they tend to be, it's exciting swerving in and out of the passengers at a pretty good speed.

At Malaga they even have special automatic doors next to the passport controls for the cart to go through, meaning that you don't need to wait in the queue, but on the downside, you do get a few evil glares from tired, stressed, worn-out pax who have been waiting in line for 10 minutes:O

I admit though, on each of my rides on one of these, it wasn't neccessary :O

Onto a more serious note, it's always nice to see them around to help the disabled/elderly

[ExXB]

... its for Passengers with REDUCED mobility. Which includes ladies in the 'pudding club', jocks with torn ligaments, etc.

She could pretend that she's a 'jock', couldn't she?

[Pontius Navigator]

At times I would happily impair the MiL. She's not bad as MiL go, just infuriating at times.