Arrangement of assistance

Services you need

If you choose to deal with a particular travel agency, it is important to mention right away what special assistance you need, so that the travel agency can register this information as part of your booking. Also, don't forget to verify that everything has been correctly registered.

Airlines use an international code system to identify the different services which they are obligated to provide to passengers with disabilities. The questions which employees of travel agencies (or airlines) may ask can sometimes seem intrusive, but they are necessary for finding out what kinds of services you need. Employees may, for example, ask the following questions:

  • What type of disability do you have?
  • Are you capable of walking through the entire terminal or do you need a wheelchair/cart?
  • If you need a wheelchair, will you be using your own?
  • Is it possible to fold the wheelchair or is it motorised? If the airline does not ask for this information you should tell them anyway. They need to know the type of battery that is fitted to the wheelchair in order to ensure the safety of the flight. You should remove the control box from the wheelchair and carry it in your hand luggage to avoid any risk of it being lost or damaged.
  • Do you need an assistant from the airline to push your wheelchair?
  • Are you capable of walking up and down the passenger-boarding stairs or do you need help when embarking and disembarking from the airplane?
  • Can you move yourself out of the wheelchair without assistance?
  • Are you able to move about inside the airplane or do you need a wheelchair from the airline to do so?
  • Do you need information about whether wheelchairs from the airline can access bathrooms on board the airplane?
  • What type of assistance do you need on board (if any)? Please explain further. Cabin attendants can not provide assistance with feeding passengers, lifting them, handling communication with others, administering medication, and using the toilet facilities. If you need assistance with the above-mentioned activities, then you need to bring along an assistant.
  • What type of seats is most suitable for you?
  • Do you have medical devices with you?
  • Do you suffer from asthma or other breathing difficulties?
  • If you have a serious disease, you need to inform the airline. It is possible that you need to submit a confirmation that your state of health allows for air travel, a so-called “Fitness to Fly” certificate.

Booking
You have a choice of all kinds of tickets, such as in economy class or business class, but note though that you may not receive the level of service you need in all instances. If you need, for example, more leg room, a seat in economy class may be unsuitable.

It is firmly recommended that you book your trip and specify your need for services ahead of time, preferably with seven days notice, but no later than 48 hours before scheduled departure. This should ensure that the assistance you need is available to you. This could also prevent unnecessary inconveniences. According to rules on aircraft, the maximum number of disabled persons on board airplanes is limited. The number is dependent on the size of the airplane and the level of service which passengers need. If you make your booking with ample notice, you can be sure that you won't be left behind. If you need to cancel your trip, you should of course notify the airline as soon as possible, so that your seat is available to other disabled passengers.

It is also worthwhile to re-confirm your booking and check whether the help and special assistance you requested has been registered with your booking.

On board

  • Make sure that you have all the necessary medications in your hand baggage. Be sure that you have enough if the flight is delayed.
  • Your booking should specify if you need to use an on-board wheelchair.
  • If you have impaired hearing or vision, employees of the airline are obligated to approach you and offer the appropriate assistance during the flight. Employees shall, for example, explain safety rules, or they may help you open the food package.
  • If you have breathing difficulties and need extra oxygen during the flight, the airline will provide you with oxygen equipment. Some airlines charge a fee for these services. You are not allowed to travel with your own oxygen tank. If you only need extra oxygen in an emergency, there is no need to order a special tank. Emergency oxygen equipment will be available to you, as this is standard in all airplanes.

Embarking and disembarking
If you have planned your trip well, the services you receive should be in accordance with your order. If you travel by wheelchair, you need to know how it will be handled during the flight. A manual wheelchair which can be folded may be stored in the passenger cabin if there is suitable space, but it is more likely that it will be stored in the baggage compartment; electric wheelchairs, though, are always stored in the baggage compartment.

Apart from other considerations, aerodromes and airlines should allow you to stay in your own wheelchair all the way to the door of the airplane. When you arrive at your destination, the wheelchair should also be waiting for you by the door. However, in the case of an electric wheelchair, this may not be possible. You may not be allowed to stay in your own wheelchair if, for safety reasons, the wheelchair needs to be stored in some special way in the baggage compartment, or in aerodromes where wheelchairs need to be moved up and down stairs using special equipment which creates danger for employees.