Airport Wheel Chair Service

[Michigan]

Hello,

Last March I became seriously ill while waiting for my flight from Penang to Bangkok.

I requested a wheel chair to be waiting for me on arrival in BKK and after landing was wisked away by a young guy who broke the record for driving me to and thru immigration.

I gave him a tip (can't remember how much but probably 100 bt) and another driver was supposed to be driving me to the curb where my taxi driver was waiting.

The same guy decided to drive me to the curb however and while waiting for the taxi, he demanded extra money.

This put me in a difficult positon as I only had one 1000 baht bill and wasn't going to give up my last Thai money.

In the end I gave him 10 Malaysian Ringgit and he seemed satified.

Let me clarify that given the condition I was in, I would have paid the 1000 baht and that I am really grateful that the service exist.

My question is if there is a standard fee for that kind of service or do they rely on tips and if so how much ?

Kind regards,

Nick in Michigan

[merijn]

Wheel chair service is for free at Survarnabhumi airport. ( tip is always welcome )

Normally the wheelchair service has to be requested before arrival.

[Michigan]

Wheel chair service is for free at Survarnabhumi airport. ( tip is always welcome )

Normally the wheelchair service has to be requested before arrival.

I am trying to find out if the service is free at any other airports.

I am always willing to give a tip, but I don't like it if a tip is demanded !

[harrry]

Wheel chair service is for free at Survarnabhumi airport. ( tip is always welcome )

Normally the wheelchair service has to be requested before arrival.

I am trying to find out if the service is free at any other airports.

I am always willing to give a tip, but I don't like it if a tip is demanded !

I believe some airlines charge some airports however if you are flying on from the US on this would now be illegal. Some other countries have similar rules.

I personaly do not like the practice of tipping wheelchair assistants. It is the responsibility of the airline to transfer you from the aircraft through the terminal and I think tipping encourages the demanding. Did you tip the air hostess?

[Michigan]

Wheel chair service is for free at Survarnabhumi airport. ( tip is always welcome )

Normally the wheelchair service has to be requested before arrival.

I am trying to find out if the service is free at any other airports.

I am always willing to give a tip, but I don't like it if a tip is demanded !

I believe some airlines charge some airports however if you are flying on from the US on this would now be illegal. Some other countries have similar rules.

I personaly do not like the practice of tipping wheelchair assistants. It is the responsibility of the airline to transfer you from the aircraft through the terminal and I think tipping encourages the demanding. Did you tip the air hostess?

Point well taken, let's hope we don't start that trend otherwise I might as well stay home !

However I do tip:

hairdressers

taxi drivers

waitresses

massage girl / person

hotel bell boy

room cleaning staff (in Thailand only)

the air hostess is a glorified waitress, so maybe we should give her tip also :-)

Giving a tip is ok, giving too much and spoiling it for everybody else is another thing

[scorecard]

Wheel chair service is for free at Survarnabhumi airport. ( tip is always welcome )

Normally the wheelchair service has to be requested before arrival.

I am trying to find out if the service is free at any other airports.

I am always willing to give a tip, but I don't like it if a tip is demanded !

I believe some airlines charge some airports however if you are flying on from the US on this would now be illegal. Some other countries have similar rules.

I personaly do not like the practice of tipping wheelchair assistants. It is the responsibility of the airline to transfer you from the aircraft through the terminal and I think tipping encourages the demanding. Did you tip the air hostess?

Point well taken, let's hope we don't start that trend otherwise I might as well stay home !

However I do tip:

hairdressers

taxi drivers

waitresses

massage girl / person

hotel bell boy

room cleaning staff (in Thailand only)

the air hostess is a glorified waitress, so maybe we should give her tip also :-)

Giving a tip is ok, giving too much and spoiling it for everybody else is another thing

Wheel chair service at Kuala lumpur International Airport is free but the paper work to get it organized is a nightmare.

I was working in KL, got sick, went to hospital for 1 week, doctor said I could fly home to Bkk if there are wheel chairs organized at every airport.

My work colleagues called Malaysian Airlines in advance (in KL) and requested the wheel chair and asked that it be provided at the point where I would get out of the taxi. The answer was "Yes, well understood, it will be at kerb where taxis arrive".

It wasn't there. My KL work colleagues went inside to the Malaysian check-in area and the nightmare started:

- Check-in staff "not our problem, go away"

- "So where do we go?" "don't know, go away"

- Ask for supervisor "Not here, gone for dinner, go away"

- Malaysian Airlines person at end of the check-in row gives hand signals "come here" "25 Ringit fee please, now". Second Malaysian Airlines person appears quickly and severely dismisses first person. "What do you want?'

- All explained again, "WC already requested in advance, It's not at kerbside, what do we do now?"

- "Go upstairs to main office and complete application form, and sick person must accompany you, and do you have letter from doctor saying passenger must use wheel chair?"

- No letter because we called in advance and were told It's all organized.

- "sorry, cannot help you. Bye"

- Another Malaysian Airlines person arrives, and tells us to go upstairs to main office anyway.

- First staff member we encounter was simply rude and made it clear we were a nuisance.

- I throw a tantrum and raise my voice, and another older lady appears and asks what she can do to help.

- All explained again. The new lady is clearly very embarrassed and apologised quite sincerely and calls first girl back to counter and tells her strongly to apologize.

- So we now have an approval in writing.

- First girl tells us to now go back to Check-In.

- Older more sensibe lady intervenes again and politely asks me to take a seat and she gives first girl a severe berating.

- Wheel chair arrives 10 minutes later.

- Success

- Young man 'driving' the wheel chair is very polite and caring, checks if I need to go to toilet, asks if I would like to have a coffee, etc. He says, let me take you around the airport, it's too boring to just sit and wait. I discretely offer offer him a tip when his service terminates. "No thanks, It's my pleasure to take care of you."

[Lancashirelad]

- Young man 'driving' the wheel chair is very polite and caring, checks if I need to go to toilet, asks if I would like to have a coffee, etc. He says, let me take you around the airport, it's too boring to just sit and wait. I discretely offer offer him a tip when his service terminates. "No thanks, It's my pleasure to take care of you."

How lovely, isn't it nice to know there are still some caring people working in the service industry in the world.

[Michigan]

- Young man 'driving' the wheel chair is very polite and caring, checks if I need to go to toilet, asks if I would like to have a coffee, etc. He says, let me take you around the airport, it's too boring to just sit and wait. I discretely offer offer him a tip when his service terminates. "No thanks, It's my pleasure to take care of you."

How lovely, isn't it nice to know there are still some caring people working in the service industry in the world.

Maybe Malaysia service people are better than Thailand's service people ?