Copyright: Michael Coatesworth.

Last revised: February 04, 2008

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Airtours treatment of wheelchair users
By
Mike Coatesworth

"All names have been removed to save embarrassment to the airtours reps concerned."

I had done everything possible to ensure a trouble free holiday. I had explained to the travel agent that I was a full wheelchair user and I would require assistance during my journey.

She informed me that this was not a problem, and she gave me the telephone number of "Special requests for transfers."

I rang the number and spoke to an agent, who asked what it was that I requested, and after explaining that I would require assistance on and off the plane, and ground floor accommodation, she informed me that it was not a problem and that she would have someone fax me with the necessary documents.

Within 24 hours I received the fax from an airtours rep from the Special requirements team," stating my requests, of which I had to sign and return, this I did.

After booking the holiday for myself and my son (Stephen) and his partner (Pamela), we were looking forward to our 14-night stay in Zakynthos, Greece.

The flight was from Birmingham to Zakynthos. When we booked in at Birmingham airport, the airtours rep at the check in desk informed us that we were seated in the third aisle from the front, (03 D.E.F). We requested the front row seats, but apparently the 3rd aisle seats were the seats that had been booked for us and they could not be changed.

When it was time to board the plane, we were called forward and had no problems being escorted on to the plane, and all the staff were very helpful. The cabin crew greeted us with a smile and were extremely helpful and ensured that we had everything that we needed. All through the flight there was no problems except for some discomfort of being placed in the 3rd aisle seats.

*****

When the plane landed at Zakynthos airport, we were left in our seats until all the other passengers had departed from the plane, and when it was our turn to leave the plane, two slightly built Greek airport staff came to assist me off the plane, they did not have an aisle wheelchair, so between them I was carried off like a "slab of meat" and placed into a wheelchair, at one stage I and the cabin crew thought that the two men were going to drop me, and the cabin crew were "very concerned" for my safety and after I was placed in the wheelchair, they ensured that I was alright before allowing me to leave the aircraft.

The two Greek airport staff escorted me to the main terminal and on arrival I was taken to an airtours rep, checking passengers off his list on a clipboard.

The unsmiling airtours rep asked me to get on to the coach, and when I explained that I was a full wheelchair user, he stated, "then you have a problem,"

To which I replied, "no, you have the problem!"

He went away and returned a few moments later with the airtours manager, She told us that she had not been informed that the booking was for a wheelchair user. She also informed us that we would not like the Mavrias holiday village, as not only was the area not wheelchair friendly, and far too hilly, (which we found later, not to be the case at all,) but also that it was far too quiet and that we would find it far too boring.

In my opinion, she went out of her way to ensure that we would be put off visiting the resort?

The manager explained that we had been booked on the 3rd floor of the Princess Hotel at the Mavrias holiday village in "Tsilivi," but unfortunately they had no lift, so would we mind if they sent us to "Laganos" to stay at the "Hotel Esperia," where they had a lift to all floors. She stated that it was only for one night, and that she would sort out the problem at the Princess Hotel, and that airtours would move us to our original holiday destination the following morning. She informed us that an airtours rep at the Hotel Esperia would meet us. She stated that if we liked Laganos, that we could stay there for the duration of our holiday.

We agreed to this and a taxi was booked for us and we were taken to the Hotel Esperia. When we arrived at the hotel, "there was no airtours rep to meet us!" The receptionist spoke very little English, and didn't know who we were, but after a little explanation, she booked us into a room.

We went to the lift and found that it was not wheelchair friendly, and that my wheelchair had to be forced in and out of the lift.

The bedroom door was only just wide enough for the wheelchair to get through. Once in the bedroom, we found that the bathroom was not wheelchair friendly, as the door was not wide enough. We informed the receptionist at the desk, and she informed us that we would have to wait for the hotel manager to arrive in two hours time.

When the manager arrived, he was "very friendly" and co-operative, and he offered us the use of a larger bathroom in a different room, which we found "fairly suitable," and that we could use this room for as long as we needed it, but as soon as the room was required for other guests, then we would have to give it up.

When we asked how long this would be for?

He replied that it could be anything from one to fourteen days.

We asked if we could just change rooms?

He apologised and stated that we couldn't, and as far as he was concerned, that was the end of the matter, and if we were not satisfied, then we should take it up with the airtours rep.

We asked where we could find the airtours rep, and was informed by the manager, that the rep would not be available until the following afternoon as she was on "airport duties" in the morning.

We decided to wait and went out to look over the town of Laganos. (Read separate report.)

The following morning, 24th May, we went in search of the airtours rep, and although the manager of the hotel had informed us that the rep would not be available until the afternoon, we had already decided to go to the airport to see her. As we were heading for a taxi, we noticed an airtours rep walking down the street towards the hotel next to ours. We called to her and asked her for assistance. The rep asked us our names and when we told her, she informed us that she was just coming to see us, and we decided to ignore the fact that if this indeed was the case, then she was entering the wrong hotel. We explained the whole situation to her.

We then followed her into the hotel, where after a brief discussion with the staff, she made a phone call to the airtours office.

We sat down at a nearby table and waited.

After a few minutes she lifted her briefcase and placed it directly in front of her, and except for mumbling, we could no longer hear what she was saying. Then suddenly she stood up and said loudly, so that we could hear her, "oh, so if they wait in their room for a couple of hours, you will telephone them on the situation?" Then she hung up the phone and walked over to us and explained that she had spoken to the rep in office and that she had been asked to inform us to wait in our room until we received a telephone call from the office as soon as the problems were resolved.

We asked how long this would be for?

The rep shrugged her shoulders and stated "a couple of hours?" With this she stated that she could do no more and that she had other places to visit.

We went outside and discussed the matter between us and we decided that we were not satisfied with the rep's handling of the situation, and on top of this, we were now in the second day of our holiday and we still hadn't arrived at our destination. So we took a taxi to the airport, where we found a rep on duty, who informed us that the airtours office was a hundred yards down the road. So after thanking her, we visited the office to be met by a rep running out of the main office door, she passed us and looked up the road. While she was doing this, we went into the office and asked to see the manager, and a few seconds later, the first rep returned and went into the inner office and closed the door.

A few minutes later and the inner office door was virtually thrown open and an irate airtours manager stormed out and faced us. She spoke directly to my son and his partner above my head and ignored me as if I did not exist! She thought it was "very imprudent" of us to visit the office when we had been "told" to wait in our room until matters were sorted out.

We waited until her tirade had calmed, and then "quite calmly and politely," I explained the situation, and reminded her that she had stated that we would be at our destination first thing that morning, and that seeing it was already almost lunch time, we had decided not to wait around any longer than was necessary, and that we certainly didn't want to wait in our room on a hot day wasting valuable holiday time. I calmly informed her that if we were in England, and I had booked to go to "Blackpool," then I certainly didn't want to end up in "Southport."

At this stage she seemed quite surprised that I was aware of what was happening around me?

I also informed her that I did not like Laganos and I requested that we be sent to the destination that we had booked, which was the "Mavrias holiday village in Zakynthos."

At this time while she was standing with hands on hips, I fully expected her to give us another outburst, and so it was at this stage that I gave her one of my business cards and explained to her, that not only were my family and myself on holiday, but I was also there to write an article on how "wheelchair users are treated compared to the able bodied travellers, and that I was also there to write on how wheelchair friendly the resort was?"

I informed her that so far I was not impressed in being handled in an impolite way by her, and the reps that I had been in contact with since our arrival.

The airtours manager stared at my card, and a few moments later, excused herself and left us. She returned briefly moments later and politely asked us to wait while she sorted out the room at the holiday village, and she requested that my son and his partner to take a seat. A couple of minutes passed and another rep came out of the office and offered us coffee, to which we accepted.

After a while, the manager returned and informed us that everything had been sorted out and that our room in the holiday village was ready, and that she had booked a taxi to take us to pick up our belongings from the "Hotel Esperia," and then take us to our original destination. She stated that an airtours rep would "definitely" meet us at the holiday village.

We thanked her politely for her co-operation and then waited outside the office for the taxi. As we finally entered the holiday village, we found a complete contrast to Laganos, (read separate report.)

As the taxi pulled up at the "Princess Hotel," friendly hotel staff met us, but no airtours rep! At this stage we were not too bothered as we were just delighted to arrive at the destination that we had booked. We went to the reception desk where were informed by the receptionist that our room had been ready since the previous morning, and that they had expected us the previous day, and that through courtesy they had kept the room available for us for a further day.

This meant that there had been no need at all for us to have been sent to Laganos! So why were we sent there?

When the airtours rep turned up later, we found her "friendly and helpful." She confirmed exactly what we had been told by the receptionist, that our room had been ready before we were sent to Laganos, and that she had personally telephoned the airtours office to inform them that there was "no problem" with us having our room, and that she had being totally surprised to find that "after she had informed the office," that we were sent to a different location!

All through the rest of our holiday, the airtours reps at the resort were very helpful, and treated my family and I with courtesy, and always greeted us cheerfully whenever we met. In my opinion, these two reps are a credit to the company.

Return Flight

The airtours rep telephoned a taxi to take us from the Mavrias holiday village to the airport at Zakynthos for our flight home. When we arrived at the airport, she was already there to meet us and ensured that we went to the head of the queue to hopefully get the front seats. After informing us that we would be dealt with shortly, she left to carry on with her duties.

When we checked in, the check in clerk informed us that we were once again, seated in the third aisle from the front, (03 D.E.F). We were informed that these were the only seats available to us. Another airtours rep spoke to the clerk in Greek, then turned to us and stated that we could not have the front seats as they had already been allocated to other passengers, and that also with it being next to the emergency doors, wheelchair users were not allowed to use them.

We informed her that when we used airtours last year on a visit to Cyprus, we were allowed and given the front row seats.

She replied that it was company policy that all wheelchair users were placed on the third row from the front, and that there was nothing that she could do about it.

Once again, when we boarded the plane, I was carried and displayed in front of the other passengers, like a "slab of meat" to my third row seat, as no aisle chair was available.

Once on board and settled in, we asked a cabin crewmember why we could not have the front seats?

She informed us that wheelchair users "could have" the two inside front row seats, but not the aisle seat.

When we asked why it was that as we were first in the queue, and also having requested the front row seats at the start of the holiday for our return journey, we were informed that they were not available?

She told us that the passengers in the front row seats had "paid extra" for the "extra leg room."

So we now knew that the airtours rep in Zakynthos airport was not telling us the truth? The seats were not available to us, not because of safety or emergency exits, but because of money? Had I been offered the chance, I would have gladly paid the extra.

Recommendations

1. Airtours reps should always put passengers first

2. Airtours reps should always be courteous to passengers no matter what the situation

3. Front row seats should be made available on all planes for wheelchair users, and given priority as they are on trains and buses in the UK

4. All planes should carry an aisle wheelchair, in case it is required by a wheelchair user to transfer to and from a seat. The chair can then be used at "any" airport

5. Airtours reps should always tell the passengers the truth

6. Airtours reps should have better communications with each other

7. Airtours reps should "never assume" that just because a person is in a wheelchair they are unintelligent

8. Airtours reps should "always assume" that a wheelchair user "is intelligent enough to know what is happening," and should in any problem situation, first attempt to talk to the wheelchair user and treat them as equal, rather than talk above them to the carers that are with them, as if the wheelchair user does not exist

Mike Coatesworth

Pictures of my visit to Greece

More pictures of my visit to Greece

Visit my other disability access pages

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/disaccess2.htm

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/disabacc.htm

*****

My novels can be seen at

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/onetear1.htm

http://www.btinternet.com/~mikeco158/cuppa1.htm

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