"No wheelchair, no help"

Last year, the Heathcote family were refused service at the special assistance desk despite pre-booking for this facility on behalf of their nine year old autistic son, Miles. Anticipating large crowds which can present a stressful situation for people with autism, the family opted to book special assistance in advance of their Palma to Newcastle flight, but were sent away from the desk for not having a wheelchair in tow.

Miles' mother said of the event: "We presented ourselves at the Special Assistance bag drop where a lady shouted that if we did not have a wheelchair we had to go and wait in the normal line. We explained the situation but she just became increasingly rude and abusive, shouting louder and louder that if we had no wheelchair we could have no help. It was very distressing."

Despite not being wheelchair-bound, flying presents many challenges for autistic people. In addition to crowds, conditions might include uncomfortable cabin pressure and seatbelts, all of which can spark unexpected behaviours in autistic travellers. Mrs Heathcote went on to say: "When it came to passport control we went to the Special Assistance line again. The man at the desk was rude and said again that no wheelchair meant no help."

After filing a complaint to Spain's National Enforcement Body, AESA, a formal investigation was launched following which Palma de Mallorca management issued an apology for the bad service Miles received. In their letter to the family, they admitted to serious mistakes having been made by various staff, from check in through to boarding.
It is mandatory under European law for airports and airlines to provide the necessary assistance for disabled passengers, making Palma airport's blunder all the more shameful.