Airports - Wheelchair damaged

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If your wheelchair is damaged during handling at the airport or lost on a plane, you should be compensated for it.

Typically, you won’t be able to take your own wheelchair into the cabin of a plane. Your airline will instead place it in the hold. Your airline should provide a different form of mobility aid for you to get to the plane safely.

Currently, airlines are typically only obliged to pay a maximum of £1,200 when their luggage is lost or damaged, as EU regulation doesn’t set out the amount to be compensated. However, several airlines have agreed that they won’t be stick to this maximum payout where wheelchairs or mobility aids are concerned. Get in touch with the airline via Resolver to confirm the airline’s policy.

If the airline and airport pass the buck and refuse to take responsibility, you should escalate your complaint to the Civil Aviation Authority. Airlines and airports should work to determine who is responsible and ensure that you are properly compensated.

While your wheelchair is damaged, you should be offered a replacement according to the EC regulation (although it might not necessarily be like for like).

You should know

Should you complain to the airport or the airline? Things can get pretty confusing, since there are certain things an airport can’t deal with.

Airports can deal with complaints about:

Facilities
Airport shuttle services
Lost property (for property that you haven't checked in)
Noise and environmental issues
Accessibility issues
Security and searches

Airports can't deal with complaints about:

Long queues at check-in

If long queues at check-in have negatively impacted your journey, you should contact the airline you flew with to raise your issue via the Resolver homepage. Their staff are responsible for making sure check-in queues move at a reasonable speed, allowing customers to check in on time.

Airport parking

Many airport parking areas are managed by private parking companies. If you’ve had an issue with a private parking firm that isn't owned and operated by an airport, you should raise it directly with them via the Resolver homepage.

Retail

If you’ve had a problem with a retailer within an airport, you should complain directly to the retailer in question via Resolver’s homepage.

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