Assistance with transfers at Schiphol

After landing at Schiphol the aircraft taxis to the gate. Remain in your seat as the other passengers get off the aircraft. An assistant will enter the plane to guide you out in peace and safety. This is easier when most of the other passengers have already disembarked. And your assistant may not be able to find you if you leave together with all the other passengers.

Do you need a wheelchair to move through the aisle? We use a special wheelchair that fits in the aisle of a plane. Once you’ve gotten off the aircraft, you can get into a regular wheelchair or into your own. Your airline makes sure your wheelchair is waiting for you at the plane door. You enter the terminal via the passenger bridge. It is possible that your plane does not park next to a passenger bridge. In that case, you’ll get off the plane using a staircase. Your assistant will help you with this. If you are not able to walk down stairs, we’ll help you down in an ambulift. We will then drive you to the terminal in our wheelchair bus.

Once you’re in the terminal, you’ll meet your assistant who will bring you to your next flight. You can receive guidance in your own wheelchair, or on foot. You can also ride in a caddy, an electric cart used by assistants to drive travellers around the airport. You’ll often have to share the caddy with others. Your assistant always goes with you and helps you get in and out. If you have a travel companion, they can go with you in the caddy if there’s enough space. In case there isn’t any space, your assistant will arrange a place to meet your travel companion later, such as at the security check.

Depending on your flight, you may need to go through security again. If you and your hand baggage are checked again, let the security officer know what you are and aren’t capable of doing during this process. Travelling from outside the Schengen Zone to a Schengen country or vice versa? Then the next step will be passport control, where the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee checks your passport or ID card.

If there’s plenty of time before your next flight, our assistant will take you to the Assistance Lounge. In this lounge you can wait in peace and relax. This can also be another pick-up point in consultation with your assistant. Make sure you make clear agreements with your assistant about where and when you want to be picked up again.

After the checks, or from the Assistance Lounge, you head to the gate where your plane is departing from. You can walk to the gate, get there in your (own) wheelchair or make use of our caddy. Want to do some shopping or grab something to eat or drink? You can do that independently. Make sure to leave enough time for a visit the bathroom before boarding. There are disabled toilets at the gates – your assistant can accompany you to the door. You’ll say goodbye to your assistant at the gate, unless you need help getting on the plane. In that case, your assistant will stay with you or other help will arrive.

Your assistant will strive to get you on board first, so that you have the space to get to your seat. That’s why it’s important to be at your gate on time. At some locations it isn’t possible to board using a passenger bridge. In that case, a bus takes you to the aircraft. If you can climb stairs, you can go in the bus together with your assistant. If climbing stairs is difficult or impossible, we’ll take you to the plane in our own wheelchair bus or ambulift and help you to board.

If you need to use your own wheelchair, we use a mobile lift to get you into the plane. Your wheelchair can go in the hold of the plane.

Once on board, we will help you into your seat and store your hand baggage for you. Then we will say goodbye and the cabin crew will take care of you and all other passengers. Your airline will inform the destination airport of your arrival.

Your airline will be happy to tell you more about what you can expect on board.