1-302-482-4225
There are a range of free services to help you at the airport and on board of the flights within the European Union provided you have a disability of any kind or your mobility is reduced because of age or temporary injury.
We recommend you to contact the support staff of the involved airports and airline in your journey directly and request special assistance when you fly. To ensure such special assistance is available to you, you need to book your flight and request such services at least 48 hours in advance of your departure. It is really important that you give the airlines and the airports the right and complete information about your needs so they can ensure your trip goes smoothly. If you have trouble contacting the airport or airlines to request such services, please call us at (enter your no. here), and we will help to notify the airport and the airlines of your request for special assistance.
If you are disabled or have reduced mobility, under the EC no. 1107/2006, you are entitled to receive assistance while in the airport and on-board of your flight, while travelling within the European Union. At most airports within the European Union, you should be able to find clearly marked Call Points where you can announce your arrival at the airport and ask for assistance.
Airports within the EU have to make assistance available to help you:
When a disabled person or person with reduced mobility is assisted by an accompanying person, this person must, if requested, be allowed to provide the necessary assistance in the airport and with embarking and disembarking. Ground handling of all necessary mobility equipment, including equipment such as electric wheelchairs is subject to advance warning of 48 hours and to possible limitations of space on board the aircraft, and subject to the application of relevant legislation concerning dangerous goods. Temporary replacement of damaged or lost mobility equipment may be available, although not necessarily on a like-for-like basis.
The airlines will provide following assistance to the disabled person/ person with reduced mobility
1. Carriage of recognised assistance dogs in the cabin, subject to national regulations:
In addition to medical equipment, the transport of up to two pieces of mobility equipment per disabled person or person with reduced mobility, including electric wheelchairs is allowed. It is subjected to advance warning of 48 hours and to possible limitations of space on board the aircraft and subjected to the application of relevant legislation concerning dangerous goods.
2. Communication of essential information concerning a flight in accessible formats:
The making of all reasonable efforts to arrange seating to meet the needs of individuals with disability or reduced mobility on request and subject to safety requirements and availability.
3. Assistance in moving to toilet facilities if required:
The air carrier will make all reasonable efforts to give such person a seat next to the disabled person or person with reduced mobility when a disabled person or person with reduced mobility is assisted by an accompanying person.
4. Overseas Accommodation and Overseas Transport Arrangements:
The majority of overseas accommodation, overseas transport and other holiday services provided overseas are not equipped to satisfy the needs of many disabled holidaymakers. Furthermore the natural terrain and the layout of some resorts can sometimes make life difficult for wheelchair users.
It is therefore important that before booking and confirming your holiday, the appropriate enquiries are made about the suitability of particular accommodation, resorts, transport and services. If in doubt, please contact us.
NOTE: Extra charge may have to be paid, if special arrangements need to be made for you, either before you go or when you arrive in resort. We cannot be held responsible if you fail to tell us about special needs/requirements that will affect your holiday experience and this means we will not compensate you.
5. Will I need someone to travel with me?
For your own safety and that of other passengers, the airlines may deny your reservation or require you to travel with a companion. That person would be responsible for assisting you in the event of an emergency if you are unable to help yourself. Generally, the people who are likely to need a companion are those who:
To decide whether you need to travel with a companion, think about whether you can manage the following activities without help. Can you:
If answer to the above questions is no, you will be required to travel with a companion and that person must be over 18 years old and physically capable of helping you in an emergency. Such person can travel with a maximum of 2 passengers requiring additional special assistance.
If in doubt, please make sure that you contact the airline and ask if you would be required to have a carer travelling with you.
6. Emergency Exit Seats
Due to CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) regulations, any persons with reduced mobility or any physical disability or intellectual impairment cannot be allocated seats adjacent to the emergency exits.
Some medical conditions require a fitness to fly certificate. If you consider yourself to have a condition that will require your G.P. to give authorisation for travel, please obtain a certificate from your G.P. stating you are fit to travel prior to contacting ourselves. If in doubt please contact us on the numbers stated above.
If there is cause for concern or reasonable doubt as to whether a passenger is ‘fit to fly’ the airline may request medical support in order to make a fair assessment.
It is your responsibility to provide sufficient information about your wheelchair or mobility aid and batteries prior to travel. Airlines policies on carrying wheelchairs and mobility aids can be found on their websites or by calling the airline directly or by contacting us.
Airlines are able to carry guide dogs free of charge on many routes, please contact us or the Airline you are flying with for full details. For more information on Pet Travel Scheme you can call or make contact in the following ways:
PETS help line: 44 (0) 870 241 1710 Monday to Friday – 0800 - 1800
PETS website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/contact-us
PETS e-mail: pettravel@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk
Stretchers are not carried on-board with Thomas Cook Airlines flights. For other airlines, please contact the airline directly.
For safety reasons customers are not permitted to carry their own oxygen for use on-board. Please contact the airline directly for more information.
Customers carrying syringes and/or needles must carry a doctor’s note or a repeat prescription as confirmation of medical requirement. Please read the following important advice about travelling with medication. We recommend that you:
It is advisable to obtain a repeat prescription from your GP and take this with you when you travel abroad so that medication can be replaced in event of loss, damage or having insufficient supplies.
Please be aware that some medication may contain ingredients that are considered illegal in other countries. You are advised to check with the Embassy of the country you are going to.
The carriage of needles and syringes is permitted onboard for the treatment or control of medical conditions. However, you must also carry supporting documentation in the form of either:
A letter from your GP confirming the type of medication and what is its application.
If you do not have a GP’s letter, the medication must have a printed pharmaceutical label identifying it as prescribed and belonging to you.
A "sharps" box to dispose of needles safely and hygienically is available onboard - please ask the crew.
The onboard fridge cannot be used to keep medication cold, (for example, insulin used for diabetes). However, you may bring a cooling bag with you.
The amount of liquid medication you are permitted to take in your hand luggage is subject to current security advice. Please visit the Department for Transport website for the latest information: http://www.dft.gov.uk
If you are hearing impaired and require assistance, please contact us or the airline directly (see the ‘Who should I contact’ section above). If required, an escort can be provided to and from the aircraft. Airlines offer separate briefing or subtitled in flight safety video about safety procedures for deaf and hard of hearing customers on-board. If you are hearing impaired, please contact us so that we can make the necessary arrangements.
If you are blind or visually impaired and are unable to travel without assistance you may need to travel with a carer who must purchase a seat. The assistance that the airlines offer visually impaired passengers may include an escort to and from the aircraft, individual safety briefings and assistance during the flight. Please contact us or the airline for specific details.
Expectant mothers should be generally accepted without a medical certificate up to the end of the 27th week of pregnancy. Between 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy a medical certificate may be required. This must confirm the expected date of delivery and confirm fitness to fly (doctors letter must have been written no earlier than 6 weeks before the outbound date of travel).
Cruise lines will not accept passengers who have entered their 24th week* of pregnancy or beyond. All pregnant women are required to provide a letter to state both mother and baby are in good health and fit to travel.
Passengers who have had a recent miscarriage may fly provided that they have had no bleeding or pain for at least 24 hours prior to the date of travel. A letter should be obtained from the passenger's doctor confirming this.
Any plaster cast must have been set in place for over 48 hours for legs and 24 hours for arms. In the case of a full leg plaster, where the leg cannot be bent, 2 (two) additional seats must be purchased.
Dependant on the person’s level of the mobility, assistance seating (that is, a seat with a moveable aisle armrest) may be used or alternatively a fixed armrest seat will be used if this is sufficient. The airline will endeavour to ensure that any accompanying person is seated next to the person requiring assistance.
We realise that some larger customers, due to their size, often find that aircraft seat width is insufficient for their needs. For your own safety and comfort and that of other customers, you must advise your travel agent at the time of booking if you know or are unsure as to whether the seat size on the aircraft will be sufficient for your needs. If you do require additional space, then subject to availability, you can purchase more than one seat located side by side or if you prefer a wider seat in an upgraded class (where applicable). We regret however, that due to additional costs incurred by your tour operator, you will have to pay the full cost of all seats required by you, plus any upgrade supplement per seat. For more information on seat width for individual airlines please contact us or the airlines.
If you have purchased an extra seat due to your size, please contact us or the airline directly to ensure the airline is aware.