[Travelandtourism] Questions about getting assistance in airports

[vicki ratcliffe]

Hi Sami.

     Let me first wish you a wonderful time at the music camp and it will be a great experience.

     I’ve traveled a lot and here are answers to your questions from my viewpoint. 

     It never hurts to inform the airlines in advance if you need assistance but now I just show up at the airport and ask for someone to guide me to the gate.  Often I take cabs to the airport and upon arriving, the driver signals for a skycap who checks me in for the flight.  Sometimes that person walks me to the gate and upon other occasions, someone else is called to walk with me from checkin through security and to the gate. 

     I always say that I do not need the wheelchair and let them know that I can take their elbow and that walking is not any problem.  They tend to bring the wheelchair from time to time but it is not necessary that you use it.  If I am changing flights and need to use the electric cart that are found in some airports, that is okay and it also depends on how much time that I have between connections.

     I also always give the person who provides assistance a couple dollars as a small tip and for their time.

     Once you are at the gate, you can tell the agent that you are on a particular flight.  If the boarding process is announced for your flight and nobody has come to walk with you to the plane, you can walk where you hear the voice of the person announcing the flight or even ask another passenger sitting near to assist you to the line for boarding.

     Have a wonderful trip and keep us posted on your travels.

Vicki