This is to raise awareness that prostate cancer qualifies guys for Airport Assistance, AA and to provide a review of my experience.
I am currently on holiday in Florida and travelled out here using airport assistance in Gatwick Airport and Orlando International Airport. I am one year post op for prostate removal and have regained control of my bladder bar the odd accident. If you don't want to read the whole review then in short the service is very good and made a huge difference to my experience.
Note: you need to register for airport assistance via your airline at least 48 hours before you fly for the best experience. You can get assistance on the day but I don't know how much more complex and difficult that may be. I actually booked airport assistance with my flight tickets, several months before I was due to fly.
On my arrival at Gatwick, I went through check in as a standard passenger. I believe you can get help literally at the terminal entrance, if you need it. I picked up AA after check in. There is a dedicated area on the security entrance and you just alert them that you are there and have AA. I was then directed to the assisted security line and raced through a baggage check. This was easy and the staff were wonderful. After security I walked through duty free. You can get a buggy to help you if needed.
Finding the next AA area was more difficult. I asked a security person and was told to go to the first floor via the lifts and its as you come out of the lift. I took that to mean it would either be to the left, right, or straight ahead. That was wrong and it was actually a desk next to the lifts. Once I found this, I was given a sunflower lanyard with a pager and invited to sit in a dedicated area to wait for a lift to my flight. My wife and I rested here till the pager went off. We then were taken to an electric buggy and driven all the way to our gate. We didn't pay to choose our seats and I am delighted to report that BA had placed us together and near a toilet. One minor disappointment was that AA doesn't get you on the plane any quicker, but to be fair it wasn't really needed.
On the flight, there was nothing they could do to help with the 9 hour flight and for the record at 4 hours I did start to get the wind and by the end of the flight I was getting aches in the area where I had the operation and the wind was fairly bad.
Top Tip - alert the cabin crew to your status as an AA traveller. They will then have the necessary assistance waiting for you when the plane lands.
At Orlando International Airport, I had to wait till last to leave the plane. But with the assistance of a smart wheelchair and an airport assistant we arrived at baggage claim ahead of most people. My wife also had a smart wheelchair. The smart element was a joystick that the assistant used rather than pushing the wheelchair.
At baggage claim, I was offered further assistance to get through immigration, but chose to walk the short distance from baggage claim, through immigration, and out into the world.
I would urge people to use this facility as it is an excellent service and after going through all you have been through you deserve that little bit more help!
I will come back with a report on the return journey.