[Anonymous]

[IanDLang]

As a gold card holder on BA I requested a wheelchair for my wife, who has arthritis, for the arduous T1 to T5 transfer necessary for a Nice-Philadelphia flight. T1 ok but after 45 minutes wait no wheelchair at T5. I finally got hold of some one from BA who informed me that this was a BAA responsibility despite it being booked through the BA website. No wheelchair was ever forthcoming resulting in a painful and frustrating experience for my wife.

[asteriosozounis]

It is unfortunate that all BAA airports have contracted only one company to serve wheelchair customers and this is G4S and their service is not up to standards. I would suggest you to complain to BAA together with British Airways.

[hamilton]

BAA Heathrow does not employ G4S to provide wheelchair services at Heathrow. Two companies provide the service. When your wheelchair is booked with the airline, your airline books the wheelchair for the flight that a pax is arriving on. In the T5 case I would suggest that BA did not book it with BAA’s service provider.

[speedbird1969]

My in-laws recently travelled through T5 and my mother-in-law requires wheelchair assistance to and from the gate. As with the other story, no staff were available and my father-in-law was left with the decision to wait and potentially miss his flight or push an available wheelchair himself. He chose the latter which is no mean feat for a guy in his 70’s with 2 carry on bags. No assistance was forthcoming at security or the gate and fellow passengers had to help him down the steep ramp. Once at the aircraft side the onboard staff could not have done more to assist, they held boarding until they were seated and made sure they were ok. My email to BA remains un-answered after 3 weeks. The handling company used by BA in T5 is OCS, I have heard other stories about their LHR operation, but I’ll leave other people to tell their personal tales.

[macman147]

I am also a gold card holder with BA and travel with my own wheelchair. I can tell you that BA are probably the worst airline you can travel with if your disabled. Not once have I traveled and not had problems. BA and for that matter BAA staff are the most patronizing I’ve ever come across. Your treated very badly especially if you have the cheek to travel on your own. BA openly discriminate against wheelchair users.

[IanDLang]

Just to complete the tale. On the return journey no wheelchair was booked. We had to walk and bus from the T5 satellite to the BA lounge at T3 a thirty minute journey. That was a purely BA problem and they apologised fulsomely. Even they though could only get two wheelchairs for three disabled passengers on this flight. The basic problem is a BAA one. There are two companies concerned as has been pointed out. One takes you to the bus and puts you on it. When you arrive at the next Terminal the other company takes over and STARTS the process of getting a wheelchair for you. Clearly this is not a gate to gate service and BA and BAA should make this clear on their website. The remarks about the attitude of BAA staff in particular is well justified.

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