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Southwest Airlines Community

Wheel chair assistance

Meaw2007
Explorer C

I recently checked my mother in for her flight hours before her flight they told me to be patient only one person working at the time. They came and got her 30 minutes before her flight and ended up missing her flight they rebooked for a flight 4 hours later. I asked to speak to a supervisor and while I was speaking to him on the phone my mother told he he was standing against a wall like ok yea nothing we can do the wheelchair is not apart of southwest she can not be credited for flight and when my phone disconnected I called right back my mother told me he walked away so my advice if you have time stay with your love one until someone comes…. 

3 REPLIES 3

waRe: Wheel chair assistance

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

As you learned the hard way, wheelchair assistance is not provided by the airlines, instead third party companies run the service at airports for the airlines.  After covid many of those companies are very low on staffing.  If you find a contact (email or phone number) for the airport you were flying at you could voice your displeasure with their service.

 

--TheMiddleSeat  

Re: Wheel chair assistance

floridaguy
Aviator C

I just had an incident at MCO when walking to the gate, some guy ran into me with a group of empty wheelchairs and complained that I didn't get out of his way and was on my phone.

 

Not only did he run into me, when I objected he snapped back at me, then ended up at the same gate that I went to, only there he was to pick up passengers from the plane that landed.

 

I filed my complaint with the airport and they routed it to the company that works for Southwest.  I'm supposed to get a phone call tomorrow about the incident.  I was not injured but there is no excuse to just run into an airport guest to make your point.

 

I would file your complaint with the airport and get the report on record.

Re: Wheel chair assistance

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@Meaw2007 wrote:

 so my advice if you have time stay with your love one until someone comes…. 


If anyone needs to hear this advice then I'm sorry for them. If you have time why would you leave before being sure they were taken care of?

 

Then Part B - if the person needing assistance is there and realizing things aren't going well, you need to ask for some help. I've seen pilots and other staff pushing people. I've offered my services as a civilian to a lady that was needing help at BWI when there weren't enough people to assist. Look for another able-bodied passenger and ask them.

 

People walking by don't automatically know that your mother is going to miss her flight.

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.