No restrictions for handicapped pax in EU
 

Now it's official: airlines do not have the right to restrict the access of handicapped passengers. Handling has to be without charges.

Link to BBC.

Hmmm...in regards to assitance being provided by airports centrally rather than airlines themselves, i'm sure it'll work for airlines that use agency staff, but my airline has it's own wheelchair assistants and i think they are by far the best in the airport.

Agency staff in my view are never a good substitute for a company's own employees. It's also easier for us to chase up keep tabs on passengers who need assistance as we can easily get into contact with out own agents rather than having to contact some central agency.

My airline also doesn't charge for this service BUT! IMHO I think unless you can prove you are registered disabled it should NOT be free. Everyone else should pay because believe it or not there are lazy pax out there who know they skip queues and etc when using this service, and this would weed them out.

It's also interesting that older pax from certain cultures NEVER want wheelchairs no matter how old or how far away a gate it, yet for some flights there will be 20+ wheelchairs for elderly pax, stretching agents to the limit and diluting the service offered to other pax on othe flights leaving.

I agree that the new law is mainly addressing the airports. But every airport is equipped with that service already. This law is introduced because of LCC, and specifically because of RYR. This move has a major political background and I do not agree with the moderator to put this topic into the pax forum.

Dani

How very true! I get really annoyed with people who are just too damn lazy to walk.

True story - I had a lady ask me for a wheelchair for her husband, they were going to Paris for the weekend she told me. I asked did she have a chair to check in (assuming he'd need one to actually get around Paris), no he just can't manage to walk to check in and the gate from the car, but they wouldn't need one when they actually got there. Turned out they didn't need one in the airport either when it turned out they'd have to wait 1/2hr. That really annoys me, because it reduces the service for those who genuinly do need the service.

Yes, certain flights at LHR to/from a number of 'eastern' destinations ALWAYS have an abnormal number of wheelchair requests. Lazy sods are willing to try anything to avoid queues ..... which for these particular routes are always manic.

They should have to PROVE disability before being provided with this service.