LGW wheelchair advice

[piton]

Hello all,

My Dad is travelling Virgin Atlantic to LGW from his home in the Caribbean next week then transferring to a Transavia flight to Rotterdam (Two and a half hours transfer time if all goes well). He has booked a wheelchair WCHS (81 yr old with 2 artificial hips) with both airlines.

Will the people who push the wheelchairs bring him all the way from one terminal to the other (picking up luggage on the way) - or will he be left to his own devices after collecting his bag from Virgin to get himself to the Transavia check in desks???

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[Entaxei]

From experience;

Check through the wheelchair bookings at each point of the journey -

when booking in
with cabin crew when arriving & re transit arrangements
the luggage should be auto transferred - but check with cabin crew
should be wheeled to next gate area.
should be wheeled onto pier
check with cabin crew re destination wheelchair booking

Hope that helps & your dad has a good time.

Cheers :ok:

[ExXB]

Don't leave it to the cabin crew. Ask when you check in your bag with Virgin, if it will be through checked to Rotterdam. I'm not certain Transavia 'interlines' so the answer could be no. If your bag check has a big RTM on it your bag has be through checked. If it's LGW you will have to collect it after clearing immigration, and re-checkin.

[Out Of Trim]

There is only one Wheelchair Special Assistance service at LGW - provided by G4S. They will take him all the way between both flights. Both flights operate out of the South Terminal at Gatwick.

Do mention both at Check-in and to all cabin crew that you have booked assistance as a WCHS.

[piton]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm pretty sure his bag will only be labelled to LGW.
I will remind him to advise cabin crew that he has requested wchs.

Is there a webpage for G4S? Can you request directly from them or just the airlines?

Thanks again

[Out Of Trim]

See here for details - including contact no for G4S.

Gatwick (http://www.gatwickairport.com/portal/page/Gatwick%5EGeneral%5EAirport+information%5ESpecial+assistance/3ac7998e18cd9110VgnVCM10000036821c0a____/448c6a4c7f1b0010VgnVCM200000357e120a____/)