Warning About Wheel Chair Assistance at Paris Airport (CDG)

It is horrible. We had two hours to make a connection. Barely made it. 20 minutes spent at airplane jet a way discussing which chair to use. Long way to security. Elevators only hold 1 chair at a time. Taken to a bus stand. Waited 10 minutes for a bus. Bus to other terminal. Waited while pusher took passports and boarding passes to the gate. 20 minutes later taken by lift truck to the plane parked outside at remote stand. Lifted up to rear door of plane. But passengers coming in front door. Had to work to our seats through crowd.

 

15 days later, different direction, similar problems. Two hours wasted. Beware CDG.

Beware CDG even if you are able-bodied. It is a huge airport and, as you discovered, some planes park on the tarmac. With a wheelchair, I would want three hours minimum for a connection. Better to sit around for an hour than a panic.

The last time we flew to Florida (last year) we flew Air France via CDG, I didn’t have any major problems but I heard a number of very disturbing tales from other people needing assistance, including one very elderly Indian lady who was flying back to India from Texas (or somewhere like that), she had been separated from her daughter by the staff and didn’t know where her daughter was. There was another lady who was needing assistance all but abandoned by the staff, and myself, fortunately on that day I could walk, and had my husband to assist so I was ok. On boarding I was told to sit on a bollard rather than get wheelchair assistance. On our return we had a very nice wheelchair assistance who told us CDG was the worst in Europe for disabled assistance. I thought this was remarkable given how bad Heathrow is. Also, Air France were truly uncaring in regard to both assistance and special diets. Needless to say we won’t be flying with them again, and it seems they will be going bankrupt shortly apparently.

 

 

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...The last time we flew to Florida (last year) we flew Air France via CDG,...

A personal add. When we were booked on a cruise out of Barcelona we booked two first class seats on Air France using Delta miles. The trip was LAX to CDG to BCN, We are able bodied but were advised by Air France to allow at least 3 hours to connect at CDG even though they had a BCN flight leaving 90 minutes after our arrival from LAX. Their explanation was that our flight to BCN can be rescheduled to leave from Orly, a long drive from CDG.

 

We decided to forget Air Chance (err... I mean Air France) and wound up going via Frankfort on Lufthansa, a very smooth trip, using United miles.

The worst experience I've ever had was with Air France and Charles De Gaulle Airport. I will walk barefoot across a country of broken glass before I ever fly with Air France again. I would be unhappy to have to go through CDG again, also.