Wheelchair request

[Foreigner]

Spoke with VA gold/platinum desk about booking wheelchair for mum travelling business class, International.

Agent advised wheelchairs were booked out. Both ends? Yes.

Agent stupidly, IMO, suggested i change dates in order to get wheelchair. How absurd is that, VA?

 

[hummel]

Spoke with VA gold/platinum desk about booking wheelchair for mum travelling business class, International.

Agent advised wheelchairs were booked out. Both ends? Yes.

Agent stupidly, IMO, suggested i change dates in order to get wheelchair. How absurd is that, VA?

Wow. I don't know what more to say.

 

[stux]

Wow. I don't know what more to say.

I would say the correct response would be to order more wheelchairs...

 

[va7378fe]

Because of being unable to negotiate stairs due hip dysplasia, I'm someone that books wheelchair assistance with all my VA bookings as I require the use of the lift facilities. They only allocate 2 pax per flight for what they classify as wheelchair assistance. From experience, if such assistance is unavailable because all slots have been allocated, they will offer to rebook you on an alternative flight where such assistance is available. Having said that, it is really hit and miss with the agents on the other end of the phone, some being more compassionate than others. Like you, I use the platinum line, and last time I rang it was a dreadful experience. Sometimes they put me through to the 'priority assistance' desk, maybe ring up and ask to speak to them directly?

 

[Foreigner]

I did end up changing flights last night BUT this morning i called VA again and, voila, wheelchair was available...and booking was changed back to preferred flights.

You're right...some agents are more empathetic. The first one i spoke to last was 'educating' me about what to do next time.

 

[SuzieQ68]

Spoke with VA gold/platinum desk about booking wheelchair for mum travelling business class, International.

Agent advised wheelchairs were booked out. Both ends? Yes.

Agent stupidly, IMO, suggested i change dates in order to get wheelchair. How absurd is that, VA?

Gobsmacked. Surely with enough notice it can't be that difficult for any airline to source another wheelchair for the odd occasion there might be more than the 'allocated' number of people with disabilities on a flight....????

 

[Foreigner]

Gobsmacked. Surely with enough notice it can't be that difficult for any airline to source another wheelchair for the odd occasion there might be more than the 'allocated' number of people with disabilities on a flight....????

I believe VA outsources such service so keeps lid on the number of wheelchairs, maybe for cost reason. Doesn't impress.

 

[debgow]

It's nothing to do with not being able to afford wheelchairs. It is in the case of an emergency in flight, crew can only help so many wheelchair guests. However the agent could have/should have taken it further and requested to have the cap raised- presuming the agent didn't already ask.

 

[TheInsider]

Debgow that is completely incorrect nothing at all to do with an emergency. VA use the two wheelchairs cap (as do Jetstar) purely based on a cost decision.
Both carriers are also all within their right to impose these caps too as per a court decision a few years ago against jetstar. A person booked the flight and decided they needed a wheelchair, they didn't have any avail allocation on that flight. Jetstar offered to move this person to another flight that day. They declined and decided to sue them instead. The judge ruled in Jetstar's favour.

 

[TheInsider]

Depending on the agreement with the ground handler of the airline. They could charge the airline easily upto $100 per wheelchair they take through.

 

[Foreigner]

Depending on the agreement with the ground handler of the airline. They could charge the airline easily upto $100 per wheelchair they take through.

In case of business (or first) class pax the time/cost extends...from landslide to lounge then returning to take pax to gate.

 

[debgow]

Debgow that is completely incorrect nothing at all to do with an emergency. VA use the two wheelchairs cap (as do Jetstar) purely based on a cost decision.
Both carriers are also all within their right to impose these caps too as per a court decision a few years ago against jetstar. A person booked the flight and decided they needed a wheelchair, they didn't have any avail allocation on that flight. Jetstar offered to move this person to another flight that day. They declined and decided to sue them instead. The judge ruled in Jetstar's favour.

Well I did work for Virgin up till recently for 5 years, and that is what we were told.

 

[RooFlyer]

It's nothing to do with not being able to afford wheelchairs. It is in the case of an emergency in flight, crew can only help so many wheelchair guests. However the agent could have/should have taken it further and requested to have the cap raised- presuming the agent didn't already ask.

Debgow that is completely incorrect nothing at all to do with an emergency. VA use the two wheelchairs cap (as do Jetstar) purely based on a cost decision.
Both carriers are also all within their right to impose these caps too as per a court decision a few years ago against jetstar. A person booked the flight and decided they needed a wheelchair, they didn't have any avail allocation on that flight. Jetstar offered to move this person to another flight that day. They declined and decided to sue them instead. The judge ruled in Jetstar's favour.

To be honest, debgow's explanation sounds plausible. What would happen in an emergency if there were (say) 10 pax needing assistance, unable to stand by themselves?

A single court decision reflects the merits of the case in point, only, usually. It may well reflect reality, but can you provide any further evidence that its purely a cost, and not safety issue, TheInsider?

 

[TheInsider]

Simply because qantas doesn't have a cap.
They are the same aircraft.
It's a cost based decision.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm not convinced that that syllogism works!

 

[TheInsider]

Believe me or not. That's what it is. It's not based on any emergency rulings or safety issues.

 

[Foreigner]

What would happen in an emergency if there were (say) 10 pax needing assistance, unable to stand by themselves?

But the same could be said of children and other older passengers who may need assistance.

 

[RooFlyer]

Point taken, but there is a difference between a seat-bound passenger (I hope that isn't anything -ist!) and those 'needing assistance' (any number of otherwise mobile pax may 'need assistance' after an incident). With pax who need wheelchair assistance, the airline has a mechanism to restrict the numbers on board by restricting boarding assistance.

Put somewhat crudely - if you allow many wheelchair bound pax to board, you are saying that the airline takes responsibility for them in an emergency (edit: responsibly knowing they will be immobile under their own steam in any circumstance) . I'm not saying I agree with it, but the airline may choose that they don't want to take that responsibility, thinking that it would impact too much on the ability of the crew to assist the rest of the pax in an emergency. This would be an 'operational decision' based on the scenario after an incident, as opposed to a 'cost decision' based on airport activity.

Different airlines could take different attitudes - which is why the 'Qantas allows it' argument stated above still doesn't convince me.

 

[Bigglesworth]

This is a hit and miss area for Virgin from my experience with them having left my 90 Year Old father in law sitting in the waiting area for 45 mins whilst they tried to source a chair even though I had told them at the booking and rung the same day he was flying.
I won't put him on Jetstar because they show zero respect for the aged