How to tell if your flight has an air-bridge or stairs?
A colleague has a family member who struggles with the stairs, and wouldn't be able to climb (injury). They've spotted a trip to Tasmania on Jetstar from Sydney, but are wondering if the planes have stairs or an air-bridge/jet-bridge.
The flights are JQ747 and JQ748, but I'd prefer a more generic way of finding out this information?
Best Answer
There is no way to guarantee either. Aircraft parking assignments are planned in advance, but subject to change without prior notice due to various reasons, such as the previous flight using the gate being delayed.
You can decrease the risk of a bus gate (stairs) by choosing flights that come and go during the daytime, early evening, as they do their best to park turn around flights at the gate for more efficient loading and unloading. Flights that arrive late or depart very early may use aircraft that park overnight, which would be more likely to use a bus gate to keep jet bridges open for turn arounds.
But if the flight uses a bus gate or stairs, then all airlines and airports have means to board passengers with mobility issues, ranging from simply carrying a specially designed wheelchair up the stairs, to using a lift truck to move the passenger and wheelchair up to one of the service doors.
Pictures about "How to tell if your flight has an air-bridge or stairs?"
What is an air bridge flight?
Meaning of air bridge in Englishan arrangement in which two countries agree that people can fly directly between them, without some of the rules and controls that affect travelers from other countries: Air bridges could allow people to travel freely between the UK and other specified countries without quarantine.Why do some airlines not use air bridges?
Not paying the price Jet bridges may have brought many conveniences, but they come at a price. Airports charge usage fees for many facilities, which are not included in the standard airport landing fees. This usually includes jet bridges.Do airports have stairs?
The most common type of airstair is found in most business aircraft, regional jets, and other small airliners, which is a stair built into the inside of the main passenger door, which is lowered to the outside.Why do some planes board with stairs?
Stairs are often used by budget airlines which offer passengers optimum service at the lowest possible cost. So, in order to achieve the lower pricing, these airlines often let go of certain conveniences like the air gates, which may make the ticket price costlier.Aircraft Passenger Boarding Bridges PR (English)
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Answer 2
It is not the flight/plane themselves that could be the problem, but the airport.
If your friend's family member needs extra help to board the plane, then they should ask the airport/airline directly for assistance. (As soon as possible)
For example, I assume they will go to Launceston airport in Tasmania.
They have a "disability/accessibility plan" that supports different disability (wheelchairs and other )
https://www.launcestonairport.com.au/accessibility
I assume Sydney Airport has the same kind of assistance.
Either jet-bridges if boarding from the airport, or ramps (or elevators) if boarding from the tarmac.
Answer 3
As far as I am aware there is no generic way to discover this information. See the discussion at Ryanair Using Jetbridges, Where? about this topic where a Ryanair crewmember was unsure whether they use it at BUD or not as it was not his/her route and also someone pointed out sometimes it's just "depends" and that easyJet some places uses both.
Answer 4
Trying to address your need rather than answer your question directly:
- Visit the airport's website.
- Figure out the best telephone number to call regarding service for passengers with disabilities/special needs (it might just be some single center service number of course).
- Call and tell them about your friend's physical trouble, and ask them how can it be arranged for him not to be inconvenienced/suffer any pain.
- Suggest options such as: Ensuring an air-bridge; offering to take him out via an elevator down to the tarmac, then using a mobile lifter to the airplane's entrance; or whatever arrangement they suggest that I might not have though of (ramps? being carried on a chair?).
I'd say that's the best you can do in your situation.
Answer 5
If the airport is small it may not have bridges and thus you know it will be stairs. Otherwise you can't know as it can be situational: "They don't have a gate for us, we are going to use stairs." It's happened to me twice at major (admittedly foreign) airports.
And since I wrote this I've had to use stairs twice at major US airports. Seattle has some "gates" that are always actually stairs.
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