Airlines break wheelchairs

[PAXboy]

Sounds familiar but worse than airlines breaking guitars.

'Airlines keep breaking my wheelchair' - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40876598)

[Lantern10]

Just tell her to write a song about it. Simples.

[ExXB]

It's time the EU imposed a mandatory €2,500 compensation payment for loss, damage or delay of mobility devices - in addition to the cost of replacement, repair or substitution.

This has been an issue for many years and the airlines, and their agents, are certainly not focused on this problem.

Not one airline would have to pay out a centime if they did their job properly.

[Mooncrest]

The thing with wheelchairs is that they are more often than not the last item to be put in the hold and presented to the baggage handlers just a few minutes before the EOBT. Thus they are handled with some degree of aggressiveness and suffer accordingly. Airlines are obsessed with on-time departure to the exclusion of practically anything else these days so bent belongings end up paying the price. I'm not defending this state of affairs, just saying it as I see it whenever I'm on duty.

[surely not]

The challenge with wheelchairs, particularly the motorised wheelchairs, is their bulk. You can't load them too early and load bags on top or around them as this would cause damage. Bags move in flight and damage can be caused due to in flight turbulence dislodging what had seemed to be securely packed belongings.
On narrow body bulk loaded flights stowage of wheelchairs can be a challenge. Short turn round times result in more haste required to unload/load, and potentially less time to rejig baggage to safeguard wheelchairs. Plus as already mentioned the wheelchairs often arrive at the gate quite late, and if boarding by jet bridge you then have to get the wheelchair down to the ramp via very basic engineering steps on the side of the jet bridge. Not so bad for a pusher wheelchair, but very difficult for a heavy powered wheelchair. It is definitely an area that requires more thought when planning new airports.
With containerised baggage there is more chance, but no guarantee, to have a dedicated bin for the wheelchair(s) and this should reduce the opportunity for damage significantly.
I'm not sure the problem is at epidemic levels, but every time a problem occurs it is maximum disruption for the owner, so in this situation it really does need an effort to drive down to zero the times it happens.

[Piltdown Man]

These things are a real problem for everybody. It starts with the booking. For a start, some aircraft are unable to accept a wheelchair outside certain dimensions. The next problem is the design of the chair vs company and national safety regulatiins. The lack of standards means that before flight every wheelchair has to be assessed by people ill equipped and with insufficient time to do the job. This results in gross abuse of the chair when loading. I find the easiest way is to get the owner to tell you how it should be dismantled.

I truly realise that wheelchairs are critical parts of some people's lives. Airlines, their agents and handling companies should do more to look after them and I apologise to those who have been affected by our poor service. I wish I could do more.

PM

[S.o.S.]

Thanks surely not and Piltdown Man for front line experience. We can only hope that airlines read this forum. It is always true that management only have to ask the works at the coal face (on the apron) and they will get the answer ...