In August I flew to City of Derry Airport from Glasgow. I was excited as this was to be my first visit to the city, but also my first Loganair flight.

In July I watched Loganair land on the beach runway on Barra, a cool experience to say the least, and I knew this trip was coming so I was looking forward to the experience.

During the booking process, I provided all of the information on my access needs, mobility device, dimensions, wattage etc. I thought the process was a great inclusion and the opportunity to save my needs for future flights 👌🏻

I got to the airport more than two hours ahead of time as I’d hoped to document a straightforward journey through the airport, to promote confidence amongst disabled travellers – that plan went right in the bin.

I went to the desk early to make sure I had plenty of time, and they didn’t have any of the information I provided – brilliant!

I asked about a manual process for this issue and was told there isn’t one. Totally useless for a large variety of impairments.

A queue was starting to form behind me and after a phone call the man on the desk asked me to step out of the queue and fill out the access needs form.

So I did that. Only I couldn’t find the form – it displayed during the initial ticket booking, and as far as I could see (at the time) it wasn’t easily found on the site.

I got back in the queue, waited to be seen again.

I explained I couldn’t find the form. He made a phone call and a lady said it’s fine, she’d you the form.

I stepped out of the queue again, and received an email. And inside the email was a screenshot of the form – a screenshot – a JPEG, for me to fill out – did they want me to use Photoshop?

I tried to work this between two devices – my work and personal phone – reading the questions on one and answering on the other – but it was stressing me out. I couldn’t do this, I needed help.

Back in the queue I go, and when I get through the crowd again, I explain the challenge I’m having and that I needed there to be a manual way for the airline to do this.

Again, he insisted there wasn’t but resolved to go through the questions with me and send the answers on.

This took about ten minutes. He then got a reply saying the email had to come from the customer – so he forwarded the email to me to send on, and it had several inaccurate entries.

So I fixed them, sent them on, and two hours after I first arrived we finally got through it – this, again, is the time tax on display. 

I lost two hours of my day to an inefficient contingency process.

With my flight time drawing near, the man at the desk resolved to go to the assistance desk for me and let me race through security.

I followed the signs, got through the airport to gate one, only to find there were stairs leading down to it. BRILLIANT.

There was a help point on the wall to request assistance, and I would have used this if not for the cleaning trolley parked in front of it!

A member of the airport crew happened to pass and said she’d get someone – then, thinking better of it, put her high-vis on and took me down in the lift to gate 7, then took me through the airfield and back in at gate 1.

I was so grateful, and made sure that was clear. I always believe thanks should be given when it’s due.

I got the ambulift fine, and got on the plane in the end. 

Before takeoff I got an email from the lady the man at check-in was speaking to – confirming I was permitted to board (no shit)ending in:

Please note – the chair is approved on the basis of the aircraft type that is scheduled to operate the flights. If however, the aircraft type is changed for any reason, the chair will not be able to travel as it will not fit in the hold.

Right, okay? And the contingency is what? Will you find me another flight? Will you reimburse me for alternative arrangements I need to make? Am I just Irish now, and have to start a new life here?

I sent a strongly worded email back, highlighting that I’d done all I was supposed to and lost hours subsequent to this. I made clear when my return flight would be and insisted the information I gave earlier be noted.

And she confirmed, after a whole lot of “we apologise for the inconvenience”.

I didn’t reply, I honestly didn’t have the energy to. I’m glad to say the flight back went without issue, my information was there and they’d even filled out the form that gets attached to my device.

For the purpose of being clear and honest. There was a confirmation request email in my spam, which I of course didn’t see.

*Waits for the inevitable people who’ll blame me.

But the true issue is the lack of an alternative, manual process. Rather than a basic way for check-in staff to gather this information in the event of a communication breakdown – they’re making people go through this.

I eventually found the form but the fact remains there are those who will need assistance in this situation and being told this isn’t something staff can do is utterly ridiculous.

You got this right on the way back, but do better on the way out.