Wheelchair Assistance in Airports for Older Family Members

Perhaps you are on family travel with an older family member with limited mobility or you’re on crutches from an accident (as I was on a recent trip to Portugal). Airports and airlines are prepared for that, with free wheelchair assistance to see passengers from the check-in counter to their seats on the plane.

Traveling companions stay together and follow the wheelchair passenger through security and passport control to their seats, so family groups aren’t separated if one is in a wheelchair.

Who is Eligible for a Wheelchair?
Anyone with mobility issues that make it difficult or impossible to climb stairs unaided or walk long distances, as well as anyone walking with crutches, canes, casts or knee braces can ask for assistance. This is especially important in airports where passengers must board and deplane on stairs. Wheelchair passengers will be moved from the plane to the tarmac inside a lift car that attaches directly to the plane’s seating level.

When changing flights, once in the airport, wheelchair passengers can wait in regular lounge areas until the staff member returns to escort them to the next flight. Some larger airports have separate lounges for wheelchair passengers, equipped for handicapped access.

How Do You Arrange for a Wheelchair Escort?
Most airlines require a phone call at least 48 hours before departure. Be aware reaching an airline number may take some waiting, especially when calling from abroad on the return trip. One trick to reach these busy lines more quickly is to call late at night, when they are less busy.

While an airport wheelchair escort is an entirely free service of the airlines, it is courteous to tip the escort, especially if they have also handled your luggage or been especially helpful.

Wheelchair escort can make travel possible — and comfortable — for people who might otherwise not be able to travel, enabling families to include older relatives in multigen vacations (or in cases of accidents like mine, it can save a long-planned trip).