Sometimes I wonder if airport staff has any thought for others with their actions. I know accidents happen but you would have thought that when it comes to equipment like wheelchairs that airport staff would be careful when transporting.
Last week I received an email from Sybil Wilson, a regular flyer who has travelled all over the world. She recently took a flight with South African airways, from Heathrow to Durban and found on her arrival that her wheelchair had been badly damaged.
Either Durban or Heathrow airports have a problem with handling wheelchairs.
Wheelchair badly damaged
As she mentioned the wheelchair is her legs, so she could not enjoy her holiday for the first week whilst her wheelchair was fixed. It appeared that something heavy had been dropped on the side of the wheelchair as the arm and backrest was torn off.
Serious neglect
She thankfully could spend the remainder of her time in South Africa enjoying her holiday. Then imagine her amazement when arriving at Heathrow that the wheelchair had again being badly damaged, and un-repairable.
When you consider that, the wheelchair is actually taken from the ‘plane door into the hold and supposedly of first how these accident can happen is beyond me. Sybil is in the middle of the long drawn out process of claiming for her wheelchair, which costs to the tune of £1750.
Common sense please
She is obviously very aggrieved of the airline but personally, I think the blame needs to be put on the airport handlers who surely are responsible for the wheelchair. I have seen these people throw luggage around without a care in the world. I understand that the compensation available under the Montreal Convention does not cover the full price of replacing a wheelchair.
I read a government document dated July 2007 which stats that the European Commission has engaged consulting to carry out a study on enhancing the rights of air passengers whose wheelchairs or other mobility equipment are destroyed, damaged, or lost during handling at an airport or during transport on board aircraft.
Responses
This is not a great deal of use to Sybil though. I have sent the Civil Aviation Authority, African Airways, and BAA who operates Heathrow an email with a link to this story for them to comment on this post. Watch this space for a response – but do not hold your breath.
I would like to hear from other airline passengers who have had a similar issue with damaged wheelchairs or mobility equipment during their flight. It is time the airports took more responsibility for this type of issue.
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Bill Pulkownik | 18 November, 2008 at 5:14 pm
People can write letters and complain until they azre blue in the face, after working at O’Hare in chicago for 40yrs, and watching all the bagge handling and who cares attitude, nothing will change until enough push is brought to bear to enlighten these dim-witted man apes, on the responsibilities, the only way is in the pocketbook.
A million words can be uttered, but mention how much is being held out of their checks, and you will get an immediate response. but the question arises, who will take the time and responsibility to govern a practice such as I mentioned.
Declan | 18 November, 2008 at 5:43 pm
My mother had a similar problem with EasyJet but they paid in full for all of the damages.
Jamie | 18 November, 2008 at 10:27 pm
That is disgusting. The airport operators should have paid up in full. I suppose the problem is who do you blame, Heathrow or Durban?
Ruth | 18 November, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Hi I have come across the same problem at Heathrow airport. Initially I did not receive any compensation from BA and my insurance policy did not cover this. When I told them that I was going to the newspapers, they quickly changed their mind and paid me 40% of the cost of the wheelchair.
If the airport or airline damage the wheelchair we should be compensated in full.
Darren Cronian | 18 November, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Thanks for the comments.
@ Jamie
I think that’s the problem, who do you blame for such an incident. Both airports will have had different companies responsible for dealing with the handling of the wheelchair. Maybe the airline needs to take responsibility, as the wheelchair would have been damaged when it was put on their plane. It’s tricky.
Update:
South African Airlines have compensated Sybil, with just less than 50% of the cost of replacing the wheelchair. £920. It’s better than nothing, but even so, I still think its unfair, the fact that Sybil needs her wheelchair and the airlines and airports should take more responsibility.
Also, the Press office of the CAA, replied within a hour of their office opening this morning, so hats off to them for getting back to me so quickly. It materalises I should have contacted the Air Transport Users Council rather than the Civil Aviation Authority, so I have sent an email to them tonight.
Keep the comments coming in.
monica wakefield | 28 February, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Just stumbled upon your story about the lady travelling to south africa. This is what happened to m son last Wednesday. My son has a neuromuscular condition which causes him to use a very high tech power wheelchair which cost £13,000. He booked a flight to Madrid with a sports travel company and flew out from Liverpool airport hoping to watch the Liverpool Madrid game on Wednesday night. All went well until they landed at Madrid airport and my son’s carer then witnessed the wheelchair being put on a truck to be taken to the baggage hall. The truck then took off at apeed and the wheelchair flew off the back causing it to be wrecked, unusable and possibly needing to be replaced totally.
The ground staff then refused to accept liability for the damage and my son spent four hours at the airport trying to get them to admit their failings. With the help of the sports travel company rep they managed to get a form stating the wheelchair had been damaged but the airport staff refused to say that they were at fault or to offer any compensation. They actually tried to say it had probably been damaged in the hold of the aircraft although many people witnessed the chair falling off the truck.
We are all absolutely devastated at this situation. I do not know as yet whether the tour company will cover the cost of either a big repair or a completely new chair. My son is in the final stages of completing his degree and because of his severe disability he is really struggling to use his arms to type in an old wheelchair that we have had to use. This is not the first time me son has had problems at airports. His chair was wrecked at Bordeaux airport when it was put on the carosel with all the suitcase and got trapped in the opening where the cases come out. At that time the electric controller was ripped off and the arms of the wheelchair.
I think it is about time that disabled people are given some justice for the problems that occur at airports all around the world. I am not sure how we are going to solve this problem now.
Darren Cronian | 28 February, 2009 at 2:01 pm
@ Monica
OMG, that is awful. It sounds to me that the company responsible for the running of the airport are completely to blame and should offer compensation. Do you have to take out insurance for this type of thing? Your case is not the only example I have read, and your absolutley right these airports and airlines should take much more care when dealing with travellers who are disabled. Will you please keep in touch with me [email darren @ travel-rants.com] and let me know how you get on. I am going to write about this issue again this weekend.
monica wakefield | 28 February, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Thank Daren
Just one other thing. We have insurance for my son’s wheelchair £120 per year(because it was such an expensive item) but the insurer has an exclusion on the policy which does not cover you for air travel or airport damage what a cop out hey I just wonder why!
Darren Cronian | 28 February, 2009 at 2:14 pm
@ Monica,
Now thats interesting. Do you mind emailing me the insurance companies name? I’d like to write about this again. The travel and insurance industries need to do something about this.
paul | 22 April, 2009 at 11:14 am
these stories do not shock me i experienced the same problem comming home from tenerife after getting kicked off the plane for refusing to to sit in an aisle seat after booking an extra legroom seat. When i finally got home to manchester airport my electric chair was smashed to bits to the extent i couldnt even sit in it and get pushed.luckily the chair was off the local social service so the replaced it but nobody took responsibility for the damaged and no apologies. i now drive my european holidays much more fun
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