(i am hh6702's wife but id like to say my bit!)i would like to say in the defence of the handling agent in question i have worked for them for 4 and a bit years now as a dispatcher. it isnt the job of the dispatcher to help passengers down the stairs with pushchairs.it isnt the job of a pax agent either, a passenger should be prepared to carry whatever they have brought with them. dispatchers will carry buggys from the gate to the aircraft. i find it hard to believe that any one from passenger handling would stand and laugh at someone struggling with kids. it could be that they were laughing at a completley seperate incident but the passenger was frustarated and mistook it that they were laughing at them. in all honesty i dont know whether pax agents are told not to help but i do know that it is common sense not to help as if an accident were to occur you are then liable to alsorts of 'where theres a blame theres a claim' situations.imagine if a pax agent helped your wife carry a buggy with your baby in it and they slipped or let go of the buggy and someone got hurt, who would you be blaming?!? as for being told at check in, check in staff dont usually know at that stage what parking stand is being used for the aircraft as the airport dont allow it to be put on boarding passes, they now use the watch the screen excuse. the airport is badly in need of being redesigned as most of the gates have stairs down to the apron and no lifts... this is a problem i came across time and time again as a dispatcher as passengers with kids ask for pushchairs at the aircraft then realise that they have to carry bags buggies and kids up alone. i as a rule tend to fold buggies for pax at the bottom of the aircraft steps instead of holding babies even though i have a two yr old myself and another one on the way just incase anythng happens. in my experience (not saying i dont believe your wife) once passengers get onto a rant about something they exagerate the minor details as ive had people complain about me saying i was rude when i simply stated the truth!! at the end of the day i wasnt there im just saying what i know, we dont get paid very much money and we have a lot of responsibility but i havent ever seen this affect staff being helpful or professional with pax. we do get some charvy seasonals every year but they dont last long and are far outweighed by our permanant staff. at least 7 of the pax handling staff our pregnant so know what ya wife is going through!!!
dont tar everyone with the same brush as our passenger agents and dispatchers put up with a load of crap and abuse and deserve a hell of a lot more praise then we get. as for travelling with a different airline i doubt this makes much difference as the rules will be pretty much the same across the board.
i would like to add that if your wife folded the buggy and carried the baby herself i see no reason why the agents couldnt carry the folded buggy down i was meaning i wouldnt help someone carry a buggy with a child seated in it incase of accidents.
also the onur air was tech last night had a problem with its toilets in dlm..