Why is air travel so hard for disabled people?

I’M 87, disabled with arthritis. and have just returned from a holiday in Italy. Arriving at Rome airport, my son was told someone would bring me to him. An hour later, I was still in a holding room, alone for the last 20 minutes apart from the person in control who shouted at me when I asked how much longer I had to wait. Fortunately, my son persuaded Customs to let him back in, and he arrived to help me. On our return to Manchester, there was an elderly couple, both in wheelchairs, and me waiting on the plane for ‘assistance’. This time, my son refused to leave me and we were all lifted off the plane and eventually left with one ‘assistant’ for the three wheelchairs. The ‘assistant’ was going to take the gentleman and come back for the other lady, but there was no way we would let this happen, knowing how traumatised I’d been in Rome so my son and his partner who had also stayed behind, wheeled her. This was my first time flying since being disabled and I’m not sure I would again. I’ve travelled by train many times since becoming disabled, several times unaccompanied, and the assistance has always been spot-on. Mrs JEAN WILKINSON, Ashington, Northumberland.

HAS Heathrow’s disabled service left you stranded? Go from Gatwick. We’ve flown three times from there this year and I requested ‘special assistance’ for my husband, who has difficulty walking to the departure gate. It worked like a dream. The staff were so helpful, I can’t praise them enough. Mrs JENNIFER HOLLOWAY, Ashford, Middx.

THERE is considerable abuse of the service by people trying to avoid the security queues, enabling the wheelchair user and their travelling companions to board first. This puts demand on the system and causes delays to the genuinely disabled. Maybe it’s time for the airlines to insist on proof that the wheelchair service is genuinely required. JOHN MORRIS, Atherstone, Warwks.