Special assistance with virgin

[B&I]

Hi,
I’m traveling in a party of 9 in May including my 86 year old nana. She doesn’t use a wheel chair at home, but will struggle with walking any distances. I’m thinking of taking a wheel chair from home for her that she can use at the airport here.

If I request special assistance with virgin would I be allowed to use her wheel chair up to boarding the plane or would they provide one at check in and we check hers in?

Once we arrive in mco would her wheel chair be waiting for her at the door of the plane or would we collect in oversized baggage (like pushchairs - we’ll have two of those &#128585 or somewhere else?

And another question (sorry!) she doesn’t require assistance actually getting off the plane (just walking the distance to immigration etc) would we still need to wait and be last of the plane or are there wheel chairs waiting as everyone disembarks?

It’s not really very clear on virgins website and just wondering peoples experiences, thank you 😃

[Bootrip2]

Special assistance will help with getting your nan to the plane and with boarding first etc. Wheelchairs i think are brought out before pushchairs i think.
I would recommend you wait until everyone is off the plane to disembark as it is usually a real scrum, sit tight and you will be escorted off with a wheelchair waiting to whisk you through immigration. Otherwise your poor nan could have a long wait in the regular immigration lines. It is obviously up to your family to decide the best way to manage this, but bear in mind everyone is in such a hurry etc all the pushing etc is not a pleasant way to start the holiday.

[stanleycamel]

I would phone Virgin and discuss with them what your nana's requirements are and ask how they can help. They should be able to advise what would happen with your wheelchair and if necessary organise one to take her to the aircraft and meet her at the other end - special assistance does usually need booking in advance.

[Cosworth]

You can take your wheelchair to the door of the aircraft, then it will go in the hold (keep your cushion with you). At the destination, the wheelchair should be brought to the door, but will probably be after most passengers have disembarked. Occasionally, there may be a delay getting wheelchairs from the hold, but in that case, they will provide an "airport" wheelchair for use until you get to the baggage hall and collect your own chair. (The US airport wheelchirs are not very comfortable, being quite wide for some reason !)
Best to stay in your seat until after the rush is over. Some of your party could go with the crowds and meet up later, at the baggage carousel. You need to let Special Assistance know that you are taking your own chair, and would like to use it up to the gate.
After you check in at the bag drop desk, it is best to visit the Special Assistance desk to let them know if one of your group is going to push the wheelchair to the gate. At least then, they will check you off on their list. They need to let the team at Orlando know how many passengers are using their own wheelchairs and how many will need "airport" chairs.
Have a great holiday, it is always best to be prepared.

[ChrisS]

Hi B&I, unless it's recently changed, I read on here that special assistance pax in wheelchairs now join the main queue for immigration. Those who require special assistance at MCO may be able to definitively advise.

[jakesmum]

My husband and I both have to use special assistance and when we visited last june had to join the main queue for immigration with everyone else. We were lucky that my son could push my husband and my mother push me otherwise you have to wait until everyone is off the plane before assistance will push you through to immigration (so do ask them if you can just set off on your own with your mother in the chair).

If you only need the chair for the airports you can just use one of the airport chairs, they are not very comfortable but do the job to get you from A to B. I've never took my own chair so am unsure on the rules regarding when you have to give them up or get them returned

You need to prebook with your airline for the assistance and you have a variety of options. DH and I have a wheelchair through the airport and a lift onto the plane, but if you mother is fine to walk from the boarding gate she can have that option instead.

I hope this helps.

[Kev Harrison]

Be careful with Virgin special assistance.

We required an adjustment for my son and they didn't honour it, they ignored disability law here and especially in the USA.Make sure they capture what you are asking for support with. If it feels wrong when you talk to them, do it again.

I had this feeling and called three times, still messed it up.

They have just given me £1150 by way of apology.

[craigstacey]

We used special assistance with Virgin for my wife in December. On arrival at MCO we were very close to the exit door so didn’t wait around and found the wheelchair waiting for her. At both Gatwick and Orlando the assistance employees were fantastic, took us right through to the rental car garage in Orlando. May not be practical in your circumstances but we hired a mobility scooter for my wife which was invaluable.

[B&I]

Brilliant thank you very much for all the responses, think I’ll give virgin a ring

[B&I]

Originally Posted by jakesmum

My husband and I both have to use special assistance and when we visited last june had to join the main queue for immigration with everyone else. We were lucky that my son could push my husband and my mother push me otherwise you have to wait until everyone is off the plane before assistance will push you through to immigration (so do ask them if you can just set off on your own with your mother in the chair).

If you only need the chair for the airports you can just use one of the airport chairs, they are not very comfortable but do the job to get you from A to B. I've never took my own chair so am unsure on the rules regarding when you have to give them up or get them returned

You need to prebook with your airline for the assistance and you have a variety of options. DH and I have a wheelchair through the airport and a lift onto the plane, but if you mother is fine to walk from the boarding gate she can have that option instead.

I hope this helps.

See more...

Thank you. I was hoping I would be able to get her off the plane on my own, if she uses one of their chairs will there be one waiting for her when she gets off the plane (assuming I book one) that I can push her in rather than being last on the place and waiting for special assistance?

Thanks