Wheelchair-bound holidaymaker John Roberts is an a mission to test facilities for disabled travellers. Here he gives us his verdict on a Qantas flight from Sydney to Hong Kong.
Read previous reports from John’s 32-day trip at travelweekly.co.uk/travelchallenge.
Our last flight with Qantas left us with a few anxieties, but although help is difficult to find at Sydney we struggled on.
Baggage trollies cost a (non-refundable) $4, but we had no small change to hand after paying for our taxi. We wondered how much the airport makes out of this as we struggled on without a trolley.
We found our way to the check-in desk and parted ways with our luggage, which staff inspected to verify the sustained on a previous flight, and which Qantas have agreed to put right. I am assured it will be quickly resolved when we get back home.
We were quickly boarded and made comfortable, and what a great crew we had this trip, Alan and Mark leading the team and Mei looking after us in the cabin.
Mark is a fun guy with a tale or two to tell, but respectful, courteous and eager to ensure passengers are well looked after – something Mei achieved skilfully and without difficulty.
We were alone in the lower cabin as the flight was quiet. The food was excellent, and I was sufficiently relaxed this time to enjoy a few hours sleep on the way, something I normally find difficult.
My wheelchair was in the cabin, so we were first off and very quickly on our way through the airport with great help from the ground staff at Hong Kong.
After a short delay at immigration we were collecting luggage and being whisked off to the Island Shangri La Hotel, where we were sure a warm welcome and excellent service awaited us.
Where else has John visited?
The small map on the right shows where John has been in the Cairns area.
Click the icons for links to his full reports.
- Zoom out to see the rest of John’s route
- Visit the Disability Travel Challenge page for the full-size map