Reserving wheelchairs in airports

I took a Continental Airlines flight from Seattle to Cancun and return, Feb. 27-March 8, ’05. I know ITN does not normally include anything on North America, but Houston is an international gateway plus I was assured by the ticket clerk that the same policy holds true everywhere: that is, even if you have made a reservation for a wheelchair, it will not arrive if you have not filled out and submitted the proper paperwork.

In Seattle, after the agent saw I had reservations for wheelchair assistance in Houston, he offered to provide for me a wheelchair to the gate. I declined, since I wanted to make several stops along the way and had several hours to cover the distance. He said nothing about a form.

On the plane, I mentioned the wheelchair and the stewardess said nothing. When I got off the plane, the attendant said I had to go up to the top of the ramp for a wheelchair. At the top, the agent denied that I had reserved a wheelchair, denied the Seattle agent had offered me one and denied there was anything in the computer about it. She waved a long form in my face, saying, “Without one of these, you don’t get anything” and “If you had made a reservation for a wheelchair, they wouldn’t let you get on the plane without one of these.”

After much begging, she allowed me to have a form. She even filled out the return-flight portion and admitted that the computer did say I was “handicapped” although it did not say how. She also said she would take care of getting me a wheelchair in Cancun but that I would have to give the form to the check-in agent in Cancun upon my return. She then let me have a ride on an electric cart to my next terminal.

As it turned out, there was no wheelchair in Cancun, either. Because I was blocking everyone from a rapid exit of the plane, another passenger went ahead and brought back a wheelchair and an attendant for me.

On my return trip, I discovered that the forms (also used for unaccompanied minors, the senile and others needing special handling) were to be given to the attendant on each airplane and that the captain would phone the request for assistance at each landing.

KIT STEWART
Sequim WA

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to Continental Airlines (Box 5607, Houston, TX 77210-4607) and received no reply.