Caring for all passengers
We're passionate about the customer experience and improving the passenger journey - for everyone. We initiated debate throughout the industry with our Challenging for Change report.
Our research programme set out to understand the experience of disabled passengers and how we can serve them better. The report has changed what we do and how we do it. We've invested in innovation, pioneering the use of beacon technology to provide a better service to our customers and their passengers. Our award-winning disability lanyard initiative has opened up our passenger assistance services to travellers with hidden disabilities. And we're continuing to make air travel more accessible through initiatives such as airport tours for children with autism and their families, and Dementia Friends training for all our colleagues.
The human touch
We want passengers to enjoy their time at the airport, reassured that they are being well cared for by our colleagues. We aim to provide a personalised service by capturing accurate passenger information, while being flexible and sensitive to any changes in their requirements.
Our customer care agents are trained to recognise and support passengers with hidden disabilities, including travellers with dementia, autism and Asperger's syndrome, mental health issues, stomas, and hearing, visual and sensory impairments.
Investment where it matters: you
We use the latest technologies to improve our service to you. Locating wheelchairs in a busy airport can lead to delays for passengers and the airline, so we use a barcoding system to locate them quickly. And our real-time resource-allocation system ensures our teams and our equipment are where they need to be to best meet passenger needs. It also gives us and our customer complete visibility of our PRM operations.
Watching our sunflowers grow!
We're proud to be behind the hidden disabilities sunflower lanyard. Originally designed to support passengers at UK airports, we didn't patent it as we didn't want there to be any barriers to its adoption. Now the scheme is in use at airports around the world and has also been adopted by shopping centres and high street retailers. Thanks in part to our efforts, both Birmingham and Bristol airports have received the National Autism society's Autism Friendly Charter Mark and both airports are also Dementia Friendly.
The lanyard acts as a discrete sign to all airport staff that additional support may be required. This could mean giving a passenger more time to prepare at check-in or security; allowing them to remain with their family at all times; ensuring they receive a comprehensive briefing on what to expect as they travel through the airport; or helping them to read a departure board or sign.
Need our assistance?
If you need passenger assistance from us, please visit the relevant airport website: