Last Updated on October 14, 2023
It is great to see many of the UK airports taking a lead in efforts to meet the needs of those with ‘Special Assistance’ needs and on a recent trip to Gatwick Airport, London, it was great to see the efforts and attention the airport are putting into helping special assistance passengers.
Certainly, there are laws in many countries regarding provision for those with assistance needs, such as the Disability Rights Act and the Transport Right for the Disabled.
Many airports though still fail to meet many requirements, which are laid down in the legislation and suggestions which are made to improve the experience for special assistance travellers.
Apart from the legislation, there is another key reason for trying to provide a great experience for these passengers! A study by Small et al (1997) found that there is an extremely high level of loyalty from special assistance passengers when they find an airport or travel provider who meets their needs.
Get it right and you have loyal users. Get it wrong and these passengers will be extremely hard to win back.
Table of Contents
Who Are Special Assistance Passengers?
There are no hard and fast rules as to who is considered a special assistance passenger. Generally speaking, those passengers with visibility problems, who need wheelchair provision, those with hearing problems and those with mobility problems (including the elderly) are most often users of this service.
One of the most disabling things about disabilities though is being classified as needing ‘Special Assistance’ and the stigma which this brings. Many users with visibility problems, for example, do not wish to have to be made to sit in an enclosed special assistance area and to feel that they are not independent.
This is certainly a problem in some airports. Gatwick, on the other hand, works closely with disability groups and has trained many staff specifically in working with helping this passenger group.
(Make sure, if you are a helper, to download Gatwick’s very handy 19 pages booklet on making the journey easier‘).
What Gatwick Are Doing to Help Passengers
Gatwick has a dedicated team with dedicated assistance desks in a number of locations in the airport.
From the various airports I have visited, they seem to be doing at least as much as I have seen at any airport and, just by walking around the airport, you can get a sense of the efforts certainly being made.
- Training – Emphasis at Gatwick is put on taking the lead from the passenger or carer involved, i.e. to allow the passenger to take the lead in deciding what level of care is needed.
- Making contact with the Special assistance team – The main special assistance areas have at least one receptionist manning the reception desk. Inform the receptionists/greeter of the service you need. Note that you do NOT have to explain the reason why you need the help, i.e. protecting the dignity of passengers is taken seriously. Do make sure though that you have informed your airline in advance that you will be needing assistance.
- How does the service work – On arrival at the airport, you can head to either one of the main assistance desks or use one of the special assistance telephones which you will see dotted around the airport. You should book in advance and thus the staff will be expecting you and will have your flight information. You will be guided through check-in and security and, once in the departures area, there is a dedicated special assistance area in the center of the airside area. There are flight information boards inside this area so that you can keep a check on your departure gate number. The staff though will have a record of your flight and, as part of the service, are there to help you reach your departure gate. Mobility help is provided such as with the use of wheelchairs and buggy carts.
- Do I have to use special assistance – You may wish to find your own way around and to choose your own place to relax in the airport. You do not have to be based in a dedicated area.
Help Points
Special Assistance help buttons are located in a number of spots around the airport and are recognizable with the white on blue background icons, as shown in the image on the left.
Press the button beneath the icons and you will be put through directly to the main assistance base.
The help point shown on the left is located when you disembark from the shuttle, which takes you between the North and South Terminals.
Disabled Parking
Gatwick does have provision for disabled parking with their Blue Badge parking area in both the short-stay and long-stay car parks.
Note though that there is also a special assistance drop-off area that you can use. (Learn more here about the disabled parking options).
What if I Am Flying into Gatwick?
If you are flying into Gatwick from another airport, as long as you have made your airline aware of your needs at least 48 hours beforehand (some airlines ask for 72 hour’s warning), then Gatwick will normally have a wheelchair or mobility vehicle available for you.
You might also want to check this document from Gatwick Airport. This excellent document provides detailed information on walking times and distances between each part of the airport.
One of the problems that can sometimes occur is that an elderly passenger may wish to walk but then finds that the route is much further than they anticipated and need assistance.
Paul’s Thoughts
Airports are massively complex locations and trying to cater for 40 million-plus passengers a year is difficult.
Regulations in the UK dictate that airports must make an effort to help all users have an equal right to travel, such as through the Disability Rights Act.
Gatwick as an airport seems to be taking the rights of their passengers very seriously and has made huge strides to cater to all user types. Overall, the efforts and services they are now providing I find are extremely impressive.
Gatwick Special Assistance Contacts and Further Information
If you are traveling through Gatwick, the following information might be very useful for you:
- DO make sure to remember that you need to contact the airport 72 hours before your flight to make it clear that you will need special assistance help.
- You can learn more about the help the airport provides by calling +44 (0)844 892 0322 and then choosing option 2.
- Guide dogs are allowed in the airport.
Dr Paul Symonds has a PhD in Wayfinding from Cardiff Metropolitan University in the UK. Paul works with the signage industry, airports and other locations providing wayfinding audits, consultancy and training.
I would like to thank all the staff at Gatwick airport, both on the outward journey to Valencia and on return journey two weeks later
Also the staff at Gatwick railway station.
All the staff were friendly, efficient and professional
Thank you.
Thanks Mark for giving your feedback. Great to hear that you experienced a very positive situation with the special assistance at Gatwick. We often only get to hear when it goes wrong but I know that airports such as Gatwick, Bristol and Cardiff do a lot to try to get it right and to meet DDA guidelines.
Special assistance had been booked for my husband arriving last night to Gatwick on a flight from Oslo. Wheelchairs were left outside the plane but no one came to push them. Eventually myself and another lady ousted our partners to passport control and baggage collection where we once again phoned special assistance. We were told someone would be there soon. As both of us has cases missing we waited, on the advice of one of the staff in the hall for a further 3/4 hour by which time no one or cases had arrived. The airline desk was closed in the baggage hall and also at the flight booking desk. A lady on the help desk phoned someone on the airline but couldn’t give the number and said no one could help re the missing luggage. I eventually managed to push my husband to the shuttle to get to North terminal and to the car park. At no point did we see any special assistance. My husband can only walk a short way and has a blue badge. I am 84. Gatwick let us down badly.
Myself and a fellow passenger were left with one wheelchair between us in a corridor. We were promised someone was coming but no sign of anyone. Eventually the other passenger called her son in law who was still airside and between him and the one wheelchair we managed to get us both to the arrivals hall. Very poor.
I am travelling to Gatwick to go on holiday to Spain .I have Muscular Dystrophy & can only walk badley with my husbands help & a stick .As we have to navigate quite a way ,some on moving walkways & my husband will be pulling a case & me I was wondering is it possible to get help or a wheelchair before I get to the Special Assistance desk .I have booked Special assistance & we are travelling with Easyjet
I would like to thank Pablo who supported Jeremy and I on our way back from Seville. Pablo has clearly invested in learning everything he could to make people’s travel easier. His sensitivity and thoughtfulness are outstanding and his quiet interventions to support colleagues and us did not go unnoticed. We really hope he is offered recognition fir his hard work and the beautiful way he does his job. He makes lots of people’s lives better via his work. Thank you from Jeremy and Sarah
the options when I call are for flight information, carhire, parking or hotels.
Please advise number to call to book assistance.
Hi Julie, as I understand it, the contact info for Gatwick Airport special assistance is call 01293 507500. They also have the email address: hiddendisability@gatwickairport.com
I travelled on 01.07.19
On Easyjet flight EZY 8905 from Gatwick to Gibraltar .
I had booked special assistance and was taken on buggy to gate 106.Boarding pass was checked and I was told to make my was through, unassisted. Along with speedy boarding passengers, we were left standing on staircase for more than 15 minutes. I was in centre of staircase surrounded by other passengers with no help and unable to hold onto anything for support. It was hot and I found it to be extremely distressing. There were no staff there to help. I have mobility issues and also a condition which makes standing extremely difficult
Hi Carol. Sorry to hear about your situation and I have heard a few other stories and it is normally Gatwick Airport. I have heard some very good things also about the service in Gatwick so it almost seems a mixed bag. Bristol airport I have found to be especially good. Certainly, a lot more needs to be done to help with special assistance and accessibility for all at UK airports. Training of staff seems to be one of the biggest issues I think and from my own research. Let’s hope these airports will take note! Take care. Paul
Hello
Can you help on this question please
My wife has difficulty in walking and has her own hired wheelchair
We will be arriving the evening before the flight boarding
We will check in with our bags
Do we at that time check in and leave our wheelchair, if so she wont have a wheelchair
Can you tells us what happens please
This is our first time I have had to do this
Best regards
John Phillips Thank you
Hi John. Thank you for reaching out. The best thing to do is to call Gatwick special assistance on the number given on their website: UK Tel 01293 507500. cheers. Paul
Hi paul.. my son suffers from adha and when we fly he gets very anxious about going through security and the large volume of people.. do you think we would be able to get special assistance for him.
Hi Lisa. Absolutely yes. In fact my mother-in-law was anxious because of the language differences and she received special assistance i.e. they were brilliant although that was in Bristol Airport, England. But yes, if you ask for special assistance they should provide it and certainly for anxiety issues.
Hi. I just wanted to thank all the staff at Gatwick for the help for my daughter who has autism. Your lanyard that you gave us to put on my daughter was 100 percent perfect. We got check-in as soon as we could and we were put in the front of the queue for passport control. What more can I say? Well done Gatwick Airport. We went for some food at Whetherspoons and the manager noticed us and took as to a table as there was a big queue. It made it so easy and quick. Thank you to all your staff.
Hi Lee. Fantastic to hear that Gatwick provided you such great special assistance service and support. I know the staff there do a lot of great things and they do try to improve things continually. Paul
I would like to thank special assistance at Gatwick and in particular Clive for his assistance during our recent flight back from Malpensa. My youngest daughter has special needs and is unable to walk long distances and he came immediately on the plane to collect us with a suitable chair. He accompanied us to a special transport vehicle, where he loaded all our luggage at the back and the three of us (my two daughters and I) sat behind him. We were taken all the way through the airport on this vehicle through passport control (avoiding long queues) and through baggage reclaim until the exit. Clive was very helpful and accommodating as well as friendly and professional – our best and most hassle free journey yet – thank you!
Can you get special assistance from south terminal to north terminal on the shuttle
Hi D, if you get in touch with Gatwick Special Assistance they do provide assistance throughout the airport yes. All the best for your upcoming journey. Paul
I have been calling 01293570500 special assistance number given for Gatwick Airport ,for the past 2 hours. Some time the line is engaged then after 2 minutes dialling tone I get a recorded message”the caller cannot take my call”!
What is going on with this office?
Hi Peter – I have no idea. Some people find Gatwick special assistance amazing and others awful. Are you using the right number?
Worth checking https://www.gatwickairport.com/faqs/before-you-travel/ for the latest info
Hi. I had to send this to you after my experience with the assistance at Gatwick Airport. I flew in on 28th June and returned 30th June.
From landing to leaving, everyone I met was wonderful. Polite, efficient, friendly and nothing was too much trouble.
Can I add that during these difficult times with travel, all the staffs good humour and professionalism was so welcome.
Thank you for making my journey firstly, possible and second, ensuring all went to plan. Greatly appreciated.
We would like to thank the staff member who helped us today on our return flight from
Palma . We believe his name was Steve . He drove the carrier . He was so cheerful and made us laugh so much after a very long day and delayed flight .
He is a real credit to your team and we hope he gets the recognition he so rightly deserves .
It amazing how diverse the reviews we get fro Gatwick Special assistance i.e. many people who have a fantastic experience and others awful and who say they will never use gatwock again. I know Gatwick do try to make improvements.
Hi Dr Paul, I have a pacemaker so can’t go through the metal detector arches. Do I have to show special ID or just tell them I have a pacemaker? Do I need to go through special assistance?
Hi Ik. I do not know the answer as I am not knowledgeable in any way regards pacemakers and wayfinding.
I strongly recommend to contact Gatwick Special Assistance as soon as you can (in advance) and get their advice. I would talk to their special assistance team, yes
My mum and I would like to say how kind and helpful Linda was in assisting us through bag drop and onward through security and to the no1 lounge. She is an asset to your team
I would like to ask for Special Assistance to put their passengers on first and ALWAYS have SA ready at flight arrival to take SA passengers off. Time after time SA come along 30 minutes, often longer. Several times it’s taken more than an hour before leaving the terminal!! In turn trains are missed, parking costs increase, people collecting are charging up huge waiting cost and IMPORTANTLY SA passengers are left on the plane feeling like second class citizens. Whilst it is an appreciated and much needed service it still needs a lot of improvements.
We have travelled three times this year from Gatwick north terminal. We park with APH parking very good service. The problem is that APH drop you at bus stop number 10, Three times the special assistance phone was broken May, June, sept.
I walked about 600 metres to the terminal to try and get assistance, I finally found a wheelchair walked back to get my wife and our luggage. we were lucky we travel lite, two small suit cases and one hand luggage another 600 meters to the terminal.
I complained at the special assistance desk and was told the phone has been out of order for some time. really helpful,,,, The south terminal is completely different special assistance is right by the bus stops.
When we arrived back we where told the buggies are not allowed outside as there are barriers to stop them, I had to hunt down a wheelchair again and struggle to the bus stop. We never had a problem with any airports in Greece;,
Thank you for the excellent special assistance i received from the staff at Gatwick when flying to Cork with Ryanair. Both within the airport getting to the departure gate to the helpful staff on the aircraft.