Special Requests

There may be circumstances when travellers require special needs or assistance to enable them to have an enjoyable holiday. This could include assistance with a particular medical condition, dietary arrangements or mobility needs.

Special Requests For Flights

Special Requests For Accommodation, Cruises and Car Rental:

We know that it’s vital for customers to understand and make their own minds up about what assistance they will need, including getting adequate information including walking distances at airports or onboard large ships.

We also know it’s vital to help customers provide the right information about their needs to the right people at the right time. We would certainly not want to make any assumptions about the any assistance required.
Consequently we ask customers with special requests to complete ABTA’s checklist form below prior to making a confirmed booking so that we can check availability with travel suppliers that can be relied upon to provide appropriate service and assistance.

The questions aren’t meant to be intrusive. The information you provide will be treated confidentially and will only be used to check that the transport, accommodation and facilities in the destination are right for you. It all helps to ensure you receive a quality service tailored to your particular needs.

If you’re travelling by plane or ship you should provide information about your needs at least 48 hours before you travel and preferably at time of booking, especially if you are planning on taking your own wheelchair or an assistance dog. Pre-notification is vital because without it you have no legal guarantee that you’ll get the assistance you need on your journey.

You’ll see an arrow like this > in the checklist to highlight the pre-notification info that airports, airlines, ship operators and maritime ports need. Your travel agent or tour operator will send your information to the appropriate people.

If the airline or ship operator doesn’t ask for this information you should tell them anyway. For safety reasons they need to know the type of wheelchair battery. When flying you should remove the control box from the wheelchair and carry it in your hand luggage to avoid risk of loss or damage.
What are the dimensions and weight of your wheelchair?
Please be aware, some steps can be steep with narrow treads.
Cabin crew are not allowed to assist you with certain activities. So, if you’re unable to do these on your own, you may need to travel with a companion who can help you.
Some buses and coaches may have steep steps.
There may be a charge for this. Please ask your travel company for details.
For example, at some airports routine flight departure information may not be announced over loudspeakers and may only appear on a television screen. On some planes the in-flight safety card or demonstration may not be accompanied by a full spoken explanation.
On an aircraft or onboard a ship can you do the following without assistance
NB: If you’re travelling with a companion who will provide full assistance, you may not need to notify about your accessibility requirements. However, bear in mind that if you need assistance in doing any of the following, the airline will insist on you travelling with a companion who can assist you.
On request, airlines must make all reasonable efforts to arrange seating to meet your disability needs – subject to safety requirements and availability.
You must make sure that the dog has been micro-chipped, processed and immunised against rabies in accordance with the Pet Travel Scheme – check with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, telephone: 01189 835 555. A guide is available for download at www.gdba.org.uk.
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