Special Assistance

Passengers with a Disability or Reduced Mobility or Medical Condition

Overseas Accommodation and Overseas Transport Arrangements

The majority of overseas accommodation, overseas transport (including transfers) and other holiday services provided overseas are not equipped to cater for 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, if you have any disability, that the appropriate enquiries are made about the suitability of particular accommodation, resorts, transport and services, and that you are fully satisfied you have made the correct choice before you book and confirm your holiday. Please note: if special arrangements need to be made for you an extra charge may have to be levied, this may be the case 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. For customers who require support or advice prior to booking, please contact our Special Assistance Team who will contact our suppliers for further information. Simply call our Special Assistance Team on 0800 107 3409. (This is a dedicated number for special assistance enquiries and we are unable to transfer calls to other departments).

At the Airport and Onboard your Flight

We want you to have everything you need to make your journey comfortable and enjoyable. That's why Airlines offer a comprehensive range of pre-bookable services designed to meet your specific needs. Just choose the service you require and either call the Style team or contact the Airline directly who you are flying with no later than 48 hours before your departure to make your request. (You can make your request as early as the day your reservation is made).

We'll take care of the rest.
This page on our website contains information and answers to questions you may have, please check the information below in full and if you would like to speak to someone about assistance you need, just contact us on the using the information shown below.

Who Should I Contact?

If you are planning to fly with Thomas Cook Airlines we recommend you contact the airline directly on 0844 855 0515 for further information.

The Customer Service team will be pleased to answer any questions or queries that you may have regarding assistance. If you are planning to fly with another airline please find a list of contact details below.

Calls to 0844 numbers cost 4 pence per minute from BT fixed lines (mobile and other providers charges may vary).

Alternatively, if you would prefer to advise Style about any requirements you have, we are happy to pass the details onto the relevant airline. You can contact us on 0800 107 3409.

Airline	Flight code	Contact numbers
AIR EUROPA	AEA	0807505050
BRITISH MIDLAND	BD	0870 2407040 01332 854730(Fax)
EUROCYPRIA	ECA	00357 24658000 00357 24664516 (fax)
MONARCH	MON	08712253555 medicals.charter@flymonarch.com
THOMSON	TOM	08712314787 08701900737

Additional assistance

Advice for passengers requiring additional assistance or medical conditions

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 shown above.

Airlines welcome those who might require a little extra assistance (for example) due to, age or disability, and our cabin crew will do all they can to make sure your flight is enjoyable. To ensure all the assistance you require can be arranged, please contact us as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours before your day of departure.

The assistance Airlines can provide to disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility, includes the following:

• Assistance moving to and from seats on the aircraft;
• Providing use of the on-board wheelchair;
• Helping a passenger to and from the on-board lavatory providing this does not involve lifting or carrying the passenger;
• Assisting a passenger with their hand luggage on board the aircraft;

Airport authority responsibility within the EU
Airport operators within the EU have a responsibility to assist anyone with a disability during their time at the airport. This includes intellectual disability or impairment, age or any other cause of disability. The airports will signpost designated points for passengers with reduced mobility.

Airlines will provide the airport operator with advance information so that the appropriate service can be offered. To enable us to pass your request to them, we would ask you to contact us at least 48 hours in advance of your departure.

Wheelchair users

If you have your own wheelchair, this will be carried free of charge in addition to your normal baggage allowance. Since a wheelchair is carried in the hold and collected in the baggage reclaim area, we advise that it is adequately insured against loss or damage since the airline liability is limited.

Wherever possible you will be able to stay in your own wheelchair/mobility aid to and from the aircraft side. If required you will be transferred to another wheelchair to take you to your seat on the aircraft. If you are a wheelchair user who cannot manage stairs or are unable to walk, please contact us, in order that we can make arrangements and advise on the facilities available for getting on and off the aircraft, as these can vary depending on the destination you are travelling to.

At some airports it may not be possible for you to take your wheelchair/mobility aid to the gate, where this is the case it may have to be taken at check-in and given back to you in the arrivals baggage hall of your destination airport. If the Airline does this they will arrange for you to be transported from check-in to the aircraft in another wheelchair, or buggy where appropriate and, on arrival, from the aircraft to the baggage hall of your destination airport.

The Airline needs to know about the size (including height, width and length) and weight of your wheelchair and whether your wheelchair is collapsible, foldable or rigid, so please have these details to hand when you tell us you are bringing it with you. For health and safety reasons, airport staff are unable to manually lift equipment up and down stairs or narrow ramps.

Wheelchair Types and Preparation for Travel

It is your responsibility to provide sufficient information about your wheelchair/mobility aid and batteries prior to travel. Dependant upon the type of wheelchair/mobility aid being used, a number of safety measures will need to be taken before the flight and you will need to provide information to enable airport staff to assist you. Some examples of those safety measures to be taken are detailed below.

Electronically powered wheelchairs will be accepted for travel, providing that the general conditions for their carriage, as outlined in the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, are met. These relate to the batteries used to power wheelchairs. Since the batteries will remain attached to the wheelchair, it is important that the wheelchair can be easily stored in an upright position when collapsed for carriage.

For wheelchairs/mobility aids with dry cell batteries or non-spillable (including gel) batteries Protect the wheelchair/mobility aid from inadvertent operation i.e. remove the key, deactivate using the joystick, deactivate using an isolation switch or buttons. If you cannot do this you will need to disconnect the battery and protect it against short-circuiting by insulating battery terminals.

For wheelchairs/mobility aids powered by wet-cell (spillable) batteries Remove all connections from the battery terminals. Protect the battery terminals to prevent short circuits by covering the terminals with electrical insulating tape or plastic caps. Ensure that the battery (or batteries) is securely fastened and installed in the wheelchair/mobility aid battery tray. To ensure safe carriage of your wheelchair/mobility aid it would be very helpful if you brought the manufacturers instructions (re: disconnection of batteries) with you to the airport. Please note that you cannot travel with wet-cell batteries for any purpose other than for powering wheelchairs.

If you are a wheelchair user or have reduced mobility, we recommend that you contact us or the Airline directly as soon as possible after booking, and no later than 48 hours before departure, to request assistance service at airports. If you do not request this in advance we and the Airline cannot guarantee that this service will be available, as there is a limit on the number of passengers with reduced mobility and the number of wheelchairs we are able to assist on the day with no pre-notification.

Other Mobility Aids

Manual wheelchairs, crutches, sticks or walking frames are carried free of charge and are not included in the normal carry-on baggage allowance. Small mobility aids such as crutches, sticks or wheelchair accessories may be taken into the cabin, provided they can be safely and securely stowed. Note: If these items are being transported on behalf of someone else who is not travelling, then in this instance any normal excess baggage charges will apply.

Onboard the Aircraft

All Thomas Cook Aircraft have an onboard wheelchair specially designed to fit the aircraft aisles. We offer priority boarding for passengers requiring assistance and the vast majority of our seats are designed with lifting armrests to enable a simple transfer between wheelchair and seat. You will be transferred to the on-board wheelchair on entrance to the aircraft and your own chair will be stored during the flight.

Please note that mechanical hoists cannot fit within the confines of the aircraft cabin and therefore cannot be used for the lift and transfer of disabled passengers by personal attendants into the aircraft seat.

ONBOARD TOILETS
Cabin crew can provide assistance to and from the toilet door with the onboard wheelchair, but cannot assist within the toilet for hygiene reasons. If this type of assistance is required, please refer to the section on ‘Travelling with a carer’ section of our website or contact us for further advice.

Travelling with a Carer

A carer must travel with any passenger who does not meet the DFT (Department for Transport) code of practice definition of self reliance. In establishing whether someone is "self-reliant" the DFT stipulate that the passenger should be independent in the following areas:

• Feeding - the passenger should be capable of feeding themselves. Cabin crew could still expect to assist with opening food containers and describing catering arrangements to blind people.
• Lifting - the passenger should be capable of moving from a passenger seat to an on-board wheelchair.
• Toileting - the passenger should be capable of using the toilet facilities unaided.
• Communicating - the passenger should be able to communicate with cabin crew and understand their advice/instructions.
• Medicating - the passenger should be capable of administering their own medicines and medical procedures.
• Breathing - the passenger should not be reliant on supplementary oxygen.

If you are not self-reliant (capable of taking care of all your physical needs independently in-flight) a carer is required for travel to take care of these needs. The carer must purchase a ticket at the same time.

A carer can travel with a maximum of 2 passengers requiring additional assistance as outlined above. 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.

Assistance dogs

Airlines are able to carry guide dogs 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 0830 - 1700
PETS Website: www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/quarantine
PETS Email: pets.helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Stretchers

Stretchers are not carried on-board Thomas Cook Airlines flights. For other Airlines, please contact the Airline directly.

Oxygen

For safety reasons customers are not permitted to carry their own oxygen for use on-board. Additional oxygen can be provided on flights with Thomas Cook Airlines (where the duration is less than 5 hours) at a charge of £100 each way.

On Thomas Cook flights, only one customer can be carried per flight requiring additional oxygen, we therefore recommend that you call 0844 855 0515 prior to booking your holiday so that the Airline can discuss your requirements. This service must be booked at least 21 days prior to departure.

Medication

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 carry enough medical supplies to cover use in-flight, plus sufficient for 2-3 days use upon arrival. The remainder should be packed in the hold, (the temperature of which is maintained between 4 and 5 degrees centigrade).
• Have a letter from your GP confirming the name and type of medication being carried, with prescribed doses. The letter should state what the medication is for and any other medical items required. For example, syringes or EpiPens, that might otherwise be questioned by local security or customs.
• The medication should be in its original packaging, clearly pharmaceutically labelled identifying it as prescribed and belonging to 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.

Needles and Syringes
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 it is for. Or,
• 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.

Keeping Medication Cold
The onboard fridge cannot be used to keep medication cold, (for example, insulin used for diabetes). However, you may bring a cool bag with you.

Liquid Medication in Hand Luggage
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: www.dft.gov.uk

Hearing impaired

If you are hearing impaired and require assistance, please contact us or the Airline directly (see the Contact Us section above). If required, an escort can be provided to and from the aircraft. The in-flight safety video includes subtitles. Airlines offer separate briefing 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.

Visually impaired

If you are blind or visually impaired and are unable to travel without assistance you will need to travel with a carer who must purchase a seat. The assistance that we offer visually impaired passengers can include an escort to and from the aircraft, individual safety briefings and assistance during the flight. Also, Braille cards are available on some flights on request.

Expectant mothers

Expectant mothers will be accepted without a medical certificate up to the end of the 28th week of pregnancy. From 29th week the expectant mother must produce a medical certificate confirming the expected date of delivery and confirming fitness to fly (Doctors letter must have been written no earlier than 6 weeks before the outbound date of travel). Expectant mothers will not be accepted under any circumstance from 34th week. In the case of a Multiple Pregnancy the pregnancy should not be beyond the 32nd week at the time of the return inbound flight.

Miscarriage

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.

Broken limbs

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 additional seats must be purchased.

Seat Width

The seat widths on Thomas Cook Airlines aircraft vary from 16.25 to 18 inches depending on aircraft type or grade of seat purchased (other Airlines may vary). 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 tour operator or 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.If you have purchased an extra seat due to your size, please contact us or the Airline directly to ensure the Airline is aware.