Trip To Vietnam?

Question

Next week, my mom is going to take my grandmother back to Vietnam for a visit. They are going to land in Hong Kong and transfer flights from Hong Kong to Vietnam. My grandmother needs a wheelchair so my mom was wondering if my grandmother brings her own wheelchair, will assistance be provided for my grandmother when they transfer flights? (In other words, if my mom has to carry the carry-on luggage, will there be someone who will help assist my grandma from one plane to another?)

Answer 1

Yes.

First, they really should just check the wheelchair when you check in.

You just need to tell the airline (which I'm assuming is Cathay, based on your routing) by calling reservations beforehand, and reminding them again when you check in. They'll make a note on the manifest. When you check in, they will call a wheelchair porter for them to the ticket counter.

In HKG, they will have someone meet the flight to assist her to your next flight, and in all likelihood they'll arranged for help when they reach HAN or SGN.

Good luck!

Answer 2

First, make sure the airline your grandmother will be flying on is notified about your grandmother's need for curbside-to-curbside wheelchair service. The service is free, and it will make everything easier for her travels. The airline will make sure wheelchairs and assistance is available as well as make sure she will have an aisle seat through her entire trip. They will also make sure her wheelchair travels with her flights and arrive with her in Vietnam.

Some airlines let you use your own wheelchair up till boarding, but, unless there are special needs, it is best to use the provided wheelchairs and baggage check the personal wheelchair. Most airlines use what's called an aisle chair to move a disabled person in the plane to their seat. Regular wheelchairs will not fit between the aisles, so it's not practical to carry-on a wheelchair even if you could.

Both my Father and Grandmother traveled from California to Hanoi for my wedding, both required wheelchair service and they survived going there and back with very little complications.

Answer 3

The only thing that I would add to the above posting is that after contacting the airline, make sure that if they transfer to a Vietnam Air flight, a wheelchair and assistant will be waiting at your arrival gate in Vn. I've never been to Hanoi and lately all my flights to Saigon have docked at the jetway, but I believe that they still use buses to offload some flights to the terminal at Tan Son Nhut. Make sure you get a flight to the jetway !