A passenger may need help through the airport, a suitable vehicle boarding arrangement, and support at a Davos property. These are three different parts of the journey. Describing them separately allows the right provider to confirm each one. An ordinary chauffeur booking should never be treated as proof that a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, lifting assistance or medical transport has been arranged.
Book airport assistance through the appropriate channel
Zurich Airport asks passengers needing reduced-mobility assistance to notify their airline or travel agency in advance; its published guidance specifies at least 48 hours. Check the airline’s current process for your own flight. This airport assistance request is separate from the road transfer. Give dispatch enough information about the expected handover to coordinate the pickup, without assuming it can create the airline’s assistance booking.
Describe boarding needs in practical language
Tell the transfer team whether the passenger can transfer into a standard vehicle seat, whether assistance is needed for steps, and whether an accompanying person will help. State any need to remain seated in a wheelchair during transport. Ask the company to confirm suitability before booking. Do not rely on a vehicle photograph or a broad label such as spacious van to establish that a required access feature exists.
Measure the mobility equipment
Provide the folded and unfolded dimensions of a wheelchair or walking aid, whether it folds, and its weight if relevant to handling. For powered equipment, explain its size and any necessary handling restrictions. Include the other passengers and luggage in the same request. A vehicle may carry a folding aid but still be unsuitable for transporting a passenger seated in it; these are different requirements.
Agree the physical meeting and handover
Ask where airport assistance ends and where the chauffeur meeting begins. Coordinate a manageable walking or rolling distance, and identify who stays with the passenger while luggage is collected. On departure from Davos, check the property entrance, steps and road access as well as the airport drop-off. The transfer team needs specific information about those locations rather than a general statement that help may be needed.
Keep contingency decisions with the passenger
If the expected vehicle or access arrangement differs from the confirmation, pause and contact dispatch before boarding. Do not improvise lifting or transport that the passenger considers unsafe. The passenger or their representative should understand what assistance has and has not been confirmed. For medical or specialised transport needs, arrange the appropriate service separately rather than expecting a standard airport transfer to provide clinical care.
An accompanying helper should have the same confirmed handover instructions as the passenger. If that person is arriving on another flight or leaving earlier, explain the gap to dispatch. Support that exists for one part of the journey may not be present for the next.
Questions about this journey
Does airport assistance include my trip to Davos?
No. Airport assistance and the road vehicle are separate arrangements that must each be confirmed with the relevant provider.
Can a standard van carry someone in their wheelchair?
Do not assume so. Request a specifically suitable arrangement and obtain written confirmation before relying on it.
What details help assess a folding wheelchair?
Its folded dimensions, weight, boarding needs and the complete passenger-and-luggage load help the team assess suitability.