Assistance at MCO - Gone?

[MrsGrumpy]

MCO on Saturday was a nightmare. We were told that because it was being abused so badly they no longer have a separate queue for wheelchairs, we waited over an hour in the regular lines. And a warning for anyone planning on using the sunflower lanyard they don't appear to be honouring them - we saw at least three people wearing them in the queue too. They were very lucky there weren't some major meltdowns.

[JoJoBell]

We flew out on the 28th May and there was no wheelchair line

Had to wait quite a while for my WC to get to the aircraft and we were at the back of what was luckily a short queue

[BarryandCaron]

We were sent straight to the US line last month. DS was in his wheelchair wearing his sunflower lanyard. We were through in minutes and before passengers first off our plane.

[keith&carol]

We were told in March that a woman is now in charge of MCO . She has worked at other major airports and in all of them she had got rid of wheelchair line at immigration. They had waited until she left then put it back again.

[WendyBelle]

How is this fair and equal? If you use a wheelchair you have to wait until the handlers come and get you, you usually have to wait a while after the plane has completely emptied.
If you were able bodied you would have an equal chance of getting into the immigration lines with everyone else but forcibly having to wait until last means you are always going to be at the back just because you have some kind of disability, which is unfair.
For my mum when she goes she says the wheelchair lane equals up any unfairness in the waiting time brought about by being forced to wait until the end and be always last. Wheelchair queues don't go sailing through either contrary to what some of her friends think, she says, there is often a queue there, but it went just a little way into making up for always being last off.
Surely it ties up the handlers time too, as you aren't allowed a family member to push you in an assistance wheelchair.
Should leave it how it was. My mum would gladly love to be able to walk and jostle her way into queue with the rest of the plane and not have her permanently mashed ankle than 'jump a wheelchair queue'

[vowels]

We were at MCO in December and I had forgotten to ask for assistance for my daughter who has ADHD.

I spoke to an immigration officer who placed us in a special assistance queue. This happened at arrivals and departures. We waited fifteen to twenty minutes. They had passengers in wheelchairs in these queues on both occasions.

Immigration was extremely busy but the offcers were very helpful and courteous. If there is not an obvious queue, I would maybe just explain the situation, this is what I did, and they may just open an additional queue.

Two hour queues and children having meltdowns is a nightmare. Two hour queues and stuck in an airport wheelchair must be agony.

[MrsGrumpy]

Originally Posted by vowels

Two hour queues and stuck in an airport wheelchair must be agony.

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It was!

[sasperella]

Originally Posted by WendyBelle

How is this fair and equal? If you use a wheelchair you have to wait until the handlers come and get you, you usually have to wait a while after the plane has completely emptied.
If you were able bodied you would have an equal chance of getting into the immigration lines with everyone else but forcibly having to wait until last means you are always going to be at the back just because you have some kind of disability, which is unfair.
For my mum when she goes she says the wheelchair lane equals up any unfairness in the waiting time brought about by being forced to wait until the end and be always last. Wheelchair queues don't go sailing through either contrary to what some of her friends think, she says, there is often a queue there, but it went just a little way into making up for always being last off.
Surely it ties up the handlers time too, as you aren't allowed a family member to push you in an assistance wheelchair.
Should leave it how it was. My mum would gladly love to be able to walk and jostle her way into queue with the rest of the plane and not have her permanently mashed ankle than 'jump a wheelchair queue'

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I totally agree with this. Almost disability discrimination.
This year DD and I are treating ourselves flying PE.
I use a wheelchair so will be last off the plane.
As I’ve said before how is that fair. I thought PE were first off the plane but because I’m using Assistance...!

[ayeready]

Just a heads up.

We were met by MCO assistance as we got off the plane as usual. No changes at all at MCO.

It would seem people are not contacting the airport prior to arrival and arranging assistance. This is why there have been problems. If you just turn up and wave a sunflower lanyard your likely to have issues.

[sasperella]

Originally Posted by ayeready

Just a heads up.

We were met by MCO assistance as we got off the plane as usual. No changes at all at MCO.

It would seem people are not contacting the airport prior to arrival and arranging assistance. This is why there have been problems. If you just turn up and wave a sunflower lanyard your likely to have issues.

See more...

Hi,
Can you just clarify what you mean by contacting airport prior to arrival for assistance?
We’ve booked Special Assistance with Virgin and looked at MCO website which just says contact your airline for SA? TIA.