We have used wheelchair assistance once for my MIL and once for a friends mum. You need to book it with the tour operator or airline in advance and usually have to quote the disability badge number.

You need to inform the check in staff at the check in desk at the UK airport and they will either tell you where to go or arrange for someone to assist you through the airport.

At the destination airport there will be someone there with a wheelchair to take you through passport control, etc and to the baggage carousel. As we were with MIL we didn't need assistance with luggage so I'm not sure if they would help you there. Perhaps someone else can answer that. We told the cabin crew we had assistance booked and asked the procedure. We were told that if MIL could walk to the end of the airbridge we could get one of the golf buggies instead of a chair, which we did.

On the return again we advised the check in staff and they arranged for someone to come and assist all the way to boarding.

Sorry I only have some of the answers, but hopefully someone else will be able to help with the rest.

luci

Does a request for assistance have to be pre booked with the airline or tour company or is the request made at check in.

As Luci says yes it has to be made with the tour operator (if a package holiday). Some companies insist you fill in a medical declaration others ask you to produce your blue badge on check in.

If prebooked is there someone allocated to assist the minute they go through the doors of the airport( thinking here of trying to find correct check in desk at Palma,get to the gate etc) or do they report to tour company travel desk - what exactly is the procedure ?

I am not sure with regards to this, but I am sure you could go to the tour operators desk and they will provide assistance immediately.

Is there someone to help when getting luggage off the carousel and then direct them to the relevant bus transfer vehicle to hotel?

When I arrived in resort a few weeks ago we had no assistance but we should have had help. However, when I arrived back at Manchester we had help from the plane to our taxi.

Does request for assistance coming off flight at destination have to be notified to air stewardess or will they already know?

They should know as it will be in their manifest, however, it cant do any harm to mention to them before you start to descend.

I was very apprehensive as this year was the first time we needed assistance, but it was a lot less stressful than I had envisaged.

HTH

Kath HT Admin