SunExpress provides airport and in-flight assistance to passengers with disabilities

For a passenger with reduced mobility, before the first flight in a wheelchair with Sun Express, there is often some uncertainty. What does he have to take care of and what is the procedure at the airport?

Each passenger wishing to travel with his wheelchair must know what preparations he must make. He also needs to discover how to proceed at the airport and on the plane in order to achieve a relaxed and serene journey with his airline.

Traveling with a wheelchair: What are the costs?

The answer is simple: no more than any other air travel. Transporting a wheelchair on board a SunExpress flight is completely free, but the Turkish operator requires that the passenger inform their customer service department of this particular need in advance. He must report the transport of his medical device 48 hours before departure.

If you are traveling to Turkey, call +90.44.40.79 to communicate your travel needs to a Sun Exmress agent, and 0090.232.444.07.97 if you are traveling from another country. See other Sun Express call center contact numbers here.

Traveling with a wheelchair: Procedures to follow when booking a plane ticket

For everything to go smoothly at the airport, you must indicate when making your reservation that you are traveling with a wheelchair. This is the only way to ensure that all service personnel are unavailable. This is also important because the number of places is limited. Depending on the aircraft type and provider, these may also vary.

You should also indicate the type of reduced mobility you have (WCHR, WCHS, WCHC, BLIND, DEAF/MUTE, DPNA) as this helps the airline to ensure that everything goes smoothly and makes planning easier for staff of the airport.

Check-in and boarding procedures at the airport

As soon as they arrive at the airport, the passenger must go to a service point and discuss with the staff what they need help with. In principle, it can help him with almost all airport processes: baggage drop, check-in, going through security checks and boarding.

The passenger can make the decision when he wants to return his personal wheelchair. Alternatively, he can get to the plane on his own. If he cannot walk, he will be transferred to a cabin wheelchair. It is narrower than the standard models and suitable for carrying him across the aisle to his seat. Before that, he will be brought onto the plane using an elevator or ramps.

Taking a SunExpress flight with an electric wheelchair?

Due to the batteries, electric wheelchairs are classified as so-called dangerous goods. They are always checked and prepared by hand before departure. Airport personnel must therefore know in advance which energy source they are dealing with. There can be problems with wet batteries – these can only be transported upright and not tilted when charging. Depending on the type of aircraft, this is exactly what is needed.

As a safety measure, SunExpress requires that the battery be removed from the chair, and its poles must be removed to avoid any risk of short circuit.

Check-in procedure on the flight

For a passenger with reduced mobility, check-in can be done online, but they must fill out a form containing information about their device.

Before boarding, you can decide for yourself when you want to return your personal wheelchair. You can borrow a model free of charge at the airport. Alternatively, you can get to the plane on your own. This is marked accordingly by the staff and loaded on site.

If you cannot walk, you will now be transferred to a cabin wheelchair. It’s narrower than standard models and is suitable for carrying you across the aisle to your seat. Prior to this, you will be brought onto the plane using an elevator or ramps.

SunExpress accepts that your assistance dog travels with you in the cabin, and without the need to put it in the crate.

However, to travel with your guide dog, you must have the necessary information to avoid inconvenience at the airport.

You must present a certificate attesting to your state of health, it must be signed and stamped by a doctor. The dog must also travel with a health certificate issued by a veterinarian, its vaccination record and a certificate indicating that it has been trained as an assistance dog.

Be aware that assistance dogs cannot travel in the aisle of the aircraft, nor in the emergency exits, nor in any place that is inconvenient for the rest of the passengers. In general, you are always assigned seats at the front of the plane, being the last to board and the first to disembark.

The dog must always be placed at the feet of its owner, if you consider that your animal needs more space you can buy an additional seat, this option allows your animal to have more space on the floor of the dog. plane, but under no circumstances may he occupy a seat. He can travel in your arms as long as he is no taller than a two-year-old child. And of course; the animal must be well trained. It is the responsibility of the passenger traveling with an assistance dog to ensure the good behavior of his animal.

You won’t be able to bark, growl, let alone attack other passengers. You are responsible if the animal does not meet its physiological needs inside the airport or on the plane, it is advisable not to feed or water it in the minutes preceding the trip. It is also advisable to walk the dog before boarding the plane.