Hi everybody. This is the first time I have written a trip report and I hope you find it interesting and maybe even helpful. I think it's way too long but I just kept typing....
This was my first overseas trip in need of wheelchair access in the airport. I went to the gym that morning and did extensive strength training and stretching in preparation for my flight. My itinerary on Delta was an open-jaw ticket JFK —> CDG, AMS —->JFK. At JFK, the wheelchair service was reliable and very kind. When I arrived at Terminal 4 via Airtrain, the wheelchair service area was at the top of the escalator from the Airtrain. I had checked in online the day before. When I was assigned the wheelchair, the agent took me to the kiosk for baggage drop and then we went to the TSA Pre-Check security line as that is where all wheelchair passengers go through security. The line was long; it took over 30 minutes. The agent offered to take me anywhere I wanted to shop before we arrived at the gate. All I wanted to do was pick up a liter of water and something to eat. He then dropped me off at the gate at a seat. Before boarding was called, another agent with a wheelchair arrived to take me down the jetway to the door of the plane. I could then walk into the aircraft and get my seat. I sat at 10C, a Delta Comfort bulkhead center aisle seat which was PERFECT. I had enough leg room to stretch my legs without touching the bulkhead wall and I’m 5’8”. Plus it was a newer aircraft, an Airbus 330 and the seat was absolutely comfortable. There was nobody in the middle two seats and a very nice woman at the other center aisle seat. The flight was uneventful and comfortable. The FAs allowed me to use the lavatories in Delta One as they were closer to my seat than the Economy lavs. Such wonderful service. The FAs told me that a wheelchair from Air France (Delta partner) would be waiting in the jetway for me when we arrived. They would tell me when to deboard so I wouldn’t have to stand. I can’t say enough good things about the Delta FAs.
We arrive at CDG but the plane wasn’t assigned a gate so we had to deboard away from the terminal and use a shuttle for terminal arrival. The FAs told me to wait until everyone deboarded. So I did. No lift arrived with a wheelchair. The FAs said I would have to use the stairs to get to the shuttle. I said that was no problem; I can descend stairs. The FAs said that a wheelchair should be at the entrance of the terminal where the shuttles let people off. No wheelchair was there. I went to the Air France desk which was right there. When I asked about the wheelchair that Delta arranged for me, the agents said that since the Delta pilot “CHOSE” to deboard outside the terminal, Air France is no longer responsible for wheelchair passengers. I said that was untrue as the CDG airport traffic control instructs pilots where to park as of course they very well knew. "Too bad" I was told. I had choice words I kept to myself. I will never fly Air France, that’s for sure. So I had to walk to immigration/passport control and saw a long line. I was able to talk to an airport employee assigned to that non EU line after about 15 minutes and told him of my situation. He was very kind and escorted me to another line which moved quickly. At the baggage carousel, I saw the woman who was seated near me and she was surprised I wasn’t in a wheelchair. I told her what had happened and she waited with me to pick up my bag from the carousel even after she had already picked up hers. What a lovely woman and I thanked her. I then walked by a desk that was selling Museum Passes so I stopped and bought one. No line.