Comments on: Passengers wheelchair damaged by airport http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: paul http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/#comment-143642 paul Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:14:30 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2371#comment-143642 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 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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]]> By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/#comment-138715 Darren Cronian Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:14:52 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2371#comment-138715 @ 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. @ 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.

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]]> By: monica wakefield http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/#comment-138712 monica wakefield Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:08:19 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2371#comment-138712 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! 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!

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]]> By: Darren Cronian http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/#comment-138707 Darren Cronian Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:01:30 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2371#comment-138707 @ 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

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.

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]]> By: monica wakefield http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/17/passengers-wheelchair-damaged-by-airport/#comment-138706 monica wakefield Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:26:47 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2371#comment-138706 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. 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.

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