Overview

Edinburgh Airport has been striving to improve services to assistance passengers for years, and I think it is beginning to show. Departures: You can go directly to the assistance reception if you want assistance from start to finish, but you need not deal with them if you don't want to. If you prefer to be independent through the airport, simply go and get a gate check tag for your chair from the baggage drop area and take yourself through departure procedures. You will be fast tracked through security even if you arrive without a member of staff, then you can make your own way to the gate area which is where you wait for security. You are then collected and taken down for assistance into the plane, there is no need to sit anywhere special and you are included in all the information given to other passengers. Staff have been very good at asking what way I prefer to be assisted. Arrival: I am usually met fairly promptly and the wheelchair is brought to the plane. Beware that sometimes you get into the lift and then they drive you to the terminal and you get out again. If you are on a very nearby gate, you will go down in the lift and and straight out again. They don't always remember to tell you, so they stand there wondering why you didn't get out again already! All arrival procedures are in a short sequence, all on one level, very close to the exit and onward travel.

Transport & Parking

The transport is now much closer to the front door, though drop off disabled parking is further than the 50m standard for a blue badge. You have 20 minutes of free parking with a blue badge in the drop off area which is not adequately communicated on signage. Just press the assistance button on exit and put the badge in your window. Local tip: have your collection driver wait in the free park and ride car park 5 minutes from the airport until your flight has landed and you are ready to proceed to the collection area, then you can be sure not to go over the 20 minutes permitted. Lothian buses come close to the door but car park transfer buses can be a few hundred metres away. All the parking transfer buses I have ever used or seen have been accessible. Trams are a few hundred metres away, accessible and the trip from terminal to trams is flat with a good paved surface.

Access

I'm never going to give anything 5 stars if I still need to wait for special assistance, but it's so much better than some other airports!

Toilets

Doors to toilets are far too heavy for me, but once inside it's a very standard loo

Staff