Transporting a wheelchair: Request special assistance from Royal Air Maroc

How to request wheelchair assistance when traveling with Royal Air Maroc?

There are times when you might need extra help getting to and from your flights. Maybe you are recovering from surgery or have a health problem that prevents you from walking. You might have tripped a day or two before your flight, which made the airport crossing extremely painful.

This is where airport wheelchair assistance comes in. Royal Air Maroc is obligated to provide disabled passengers with wheelchair transportation to and from their doors.

Any airline must provide wheelchair assistance for your connection. Regulations vary in other countries, but most major airlines offer some form of wheelchair assistance.

These are the best ways to request and use wheelchair assistance at the airport.

Before your departure date

Allow extra time between flights. You may experience delays if you are traveling during the summer or on vacation, when the wheelchair attendants are busy helping other passengers.

Choose the largest aircraft available when booking. You will have more seating and toilet options available on board an aircraft that can accommodate more than sixty passengers and / or has two or more aisles.

Call your airline Royal Air Maroc and request wheelchair assistance at least 48 hours before the start of your trip. If possible, call ahead. The Customer Service Representative will place a “requires special assistance” note on your reservation file and direct your departure, arrival and transfer airports to provide a wheelchair.

Think about meals before you travel

You may not be able to purchase food before or between flights. Your accompanying person in a wheelchair does not have to take you to a restaurant or a fast food stand. If possible, bring your own food and take it with you on your flight.

At your departure airport

Arrive early, especially if you are traveling during a vacation period. Take the time to check in for your flight, check in your baggage and go through security. Don’t assume that you will get row header privileges at the checkpoint. You may also need to wait for a wheelchair attendant to arrive to assist you. Plan ahead and allow extra time.

Tell your attendant in the wheelchair what you can and cannot do before reaching the security check area. If you can stand and walk, you will need to walk or stand inside the safety controller and place your hand items on the controller belt. If you are unable to pass through the sensor or stand with your arms above your head, you will need to pass a screening check. You can request a private review. Your wheelchair will also be examined.

Expect to check your personal wheelchair, if using it, at the door. Airlines do not allow passengers to use their own wheelchairs during the flight. If your wheelchair needs to be disassembled, bring instructions.

If you need wheelchair assistance on the plane, you will likely board before most other passengers. Stating your needs and abilities will help your wheelchair attendant and flight attendants provide you with the best possible assistance.

Important: tip your accompanying person (s) in a wheelchair. Many wheelchair assistants in the United States are paid less than the minimum wage.

Between flights

Wait to leave your plane until other passengers have alighted. A wheelchair attendant will be waiting for you and will take you to your next flight.

If you need to use the bathroom on the way to your connecting flight, please indicate that you are a traveler with a disability and that you need to stop at a bathroom. The wheelchair attendant will take you to a restroom on the way to the gate. In the United States, by law, your assistant does not have to take you to a place where you can buy food.

At your destination airport

Your wheelchair attendant will be waiting for you when you get off the plane. He or she will take you to the baggage claim area. If you need to stop in a bathroom, you will need to notify the attendant, as described above.

Accompanying passes

A person taking you to or from the airport can request an escort pass from their airline. Escort passes look like boarding passes. They are issued by airline employees at the check-in counter. With a companion pass, your companion can either come with you to the boarding gate or meet you at the arrival gate. Not all airlines issue escort passes at all airports. Plan to use wheelchair assistance on your own in case your companion is unable to obtain a companion pass.

How to solve wheelchair assistance problems?

Many passengers use wheelchair assistance. Airlines have also noted that some passengers who do not need wheelchair assistance use it to avoid security check lines. Due to these factors, you may have to wait some time for your wheelchair attendant to arrive. This problem is best solved by giving you enough time to register and go through security.

On rare occasions, air passengers have been taken to collect baggage or other areas of the airport and left there by wheelchair attendants. Your best defense in this situation is a cell phone programmed with useful phone numbers (00212 522 48 97 51). Call your family, friends or a taxi if you find yourself in this situation.

Although airlines prefer to have 48-72 hours’ notice, you can request a wheelchair upon arrival at the airport check-in counter. Take a lot of extra time if you need to request wheelchair assistance at the last minute.

If you have a problem before or during your flight, ask to speak to your airline’s Claims Resolution Officer. Airlines in the United States are required to have a CRO on duty, in person or over the phone, to resolve disability issues.

How to solve wheelchair assistance problems?

Many passengers use wheelchair assistance. Airlines have also noted that some passengers who do not need wheelchair assistance use it to avoid security check lines. Due to these factors, you may have to wait some time for your wheelchair attendant to arrive. This problem is best solved by giving you enough time to register and go through security.

On rare occasions, air passengers have been taken to collect baggage or other areas of the airport and left there by wheelchair attendants. Your best defense in this situation is a cell phone programmed with useful phone numbers. Call your family, friends or a taxi if you find yourself in this situation.

Although airlines prefer to have 48-72 hours’ notice, you can request a wheelchair upon arrival at the airport check-in counter. Take a lot of extra time if you need to request wheelchair assistance at the last minute.

If you have a problem before or during your flight, ask to speak to your airline’s claims agent.