Travel
- Gillian Lacey-Solymar
- 13 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Travelling with Parkinson's shouldn't be a nightmare – but often it is. From long lines at the airport to the constant battle for a seat on the Tube, how can people with Parkinson's navigate the frenetic world of travel? On this episode, the Movers and Shakers gather at the pub to consider their experiences – good and bad – and whether there's the chance to reinvent the way that companies and the public think about disabled people travelling. We also speak to a top travel expert, and a former Home Secretary, about the changes needed to make the world of travel a more accommodating place.
Each week Rory Cellan-Jones guides us between the laughs and moans in the pub. To read Rory's summary of this week's episode click here.
To listen to the whole interview with Lord Blunkett please click on the below.
The High Price of Boarding a Plane: Travelling with Parkinson’s
By Gillian Lacey-Solymar
We’ve been meaning to do a piece on travel for a long time. Many of us used to travel often — some still try to. But it’s getting harder, especially when you live with Parkinson’s. We wanted to write about the quiet challenges: the airport layouts, the fatigue, the logistics that turn a short flight into a long ordeal.
And then, life handed me a case study — journalistically useful, personally harrowing.
It began with a simple flight to Palma. My husband Mike and I were flying with easyJet. As we approached the gate, I needed the loo. Mike went ahead — we’d paid for speedy boarding, and he had all the documents. I shuffled along behind, slower than usual. By the time I arrived, the queue had built up. That’s when it started.
An official at the gate asked for my boarding pass. I explained that my husband, ahead in line, had it. She asked again. I repeated myself. The third time, her voice rose. People turned to look. My tremor kicked in.
I was caught in a situation I couldn’t control — a Kafkaesque standoff at the edge of a plane. I physically couldn’t reach Mike. The woman either didn’t understand or didn’t care. “Go get your boarding pass from your husband!” she shouted. I couldn’t. That was the whole point. And yet she kept insisting, louder each time.
It was humiliating. I’m usually not self-conscious about Parkinson’s — it’s part of who I am — but this time, in front of a crowd, being treated like I was somehow lazy or difficult, I felt deeply exposed. My body wouldn’t do what I needed it to, and the person in charge showed no empathy, only impatience.
Strangers around me offered to fetch Mike. She refused. I don’t remember how it ended — how I got on the plane, how the paperwork was resolved — but I remember the tremor. It was worse than it had been in years.
Later, I wrote to easyJet. Their chief executive passed it to someone else. They said the right things. They even offered compensation, which seemed fair. But despite months of follow-ups and phone calls, it took nine months — yes, nine — to receive it. A baby could have been conceived and born in the time it took to resolve a basic customer complaint.
So what do we take away from this experience?
First, I’d love to say, “Don’t fly easyJet,” but honestly, I doubt they’re any worse than other airlines. At least they responded, eventually.
Second, I wholeheartedly agree with the UK Parliament’s Transport Committee, whose report Access Denied describes how dire things are for disabled travellers. They’ve given the government a year to fix it. I truly hope they do.
Third, and most importantly — if you’re travelling with Parkinson’s, prepare yourself. Expect roadblocks. Expect delays. But also: go anyway.
I know how tempting it is to stay home. After an experience like mine, it’s natural to feel like the world isn’t made for you. But that’s exactly why we need to be out in it. Because the world won’t get better if we quietly retreat. Even with the hassle, travel is so worthwhile. Feeling the sun from a new angle, seeing the light with fresh eyes and experiencing foreign smells, sounds and sights, is one of the joys of being alive.
You are more than your diagnosis. There is so much out there, please, don’t hide yourself away. Be bold. Push back. Take up space.
It may not be easy — but it will be worth it.
Lord Blunkett interview – 14 April 2025
Lord Blunkett:
The problem, as anyone who's experienced it knows, is that the system is fragmented. There are different responsibilities between the airlines, the airports, the assistance providers—and that’s just for air travel. The rest of the transport system is pretty dire.
It has improved a bit. On Network Rail, you can now book assistance in advance, and sometimes—just sometimes—you actually get the help you've asked for. But the Underground is a nightmare. I had an accident on the Underground at the end of October. I’m only just recovering—my leg is nearly healed, Nearly healed after almost six months. I slipped between the platform and the train.
I’ve been negotiating with TfL to try to improve their systems. I won’t go into that now—it could take the whole podcast—but it really is a nightmare for many people. And I’ve come to realise just how many accidents like mine happen on the Underground.
So there’s a whole range of issues that need addressing.
On airlines, I’m now chairing the advisory group for EasyJet, trying to bring about some improvements. The whole purpose is to make the journey better—not just for those who need assistance, but for everyone. Because if you get it right for people who need help, you end up improving it for everyone. That’s the challenge. There are commercial pressures, of course, and historic ways of doing things—like always wanting to put me in a wheelchair.
Now, that’s quite difficult if you’ve got a guide dog with you. I mean, you could harness him up to the front and treat it like a sledge, if you really wanted! But really, it’s about asking people: What works for you?
We’ve all experienced this—on a good day, you manage; on a bad day, you need more help. Getting people to ask, to tailor their approach to the individual, is crucial.
I’ve been put in an ambulift before. I don’t actually need one at the moment—I can manage stairs. But some people really value the ambulift that gets you up to the aircraft.
Tammy Grey-Thompson has obviously had major problems with the railways. You’d think, wouldn’t you, that people would be on the ball with this. But you keep hearing stories of disabled passengers being left in carriages at the end of journeys. She’s chairing a task and finish group on how to improve transport in general.
Interviewer:
The parliamentary committee says one central problem is that travel is treated as a privilege for disabled people, rather than a right. Do you think that’s true?
Lord Blunkett:
I think it has been true. I do think it’s improving. But I think the committee was right to be harsh about it—sometimes you need a jolt to get people to act.
Transport organisations often pay lip service to these issues, but don’t always back it up in practice. It's about training. Whether it's rail, airlines, or even ferries—it all comes down to how well people are trained. And retrained. And kept up to date.
You see it all the time—someone has clearly had the training, then the next time you travel through the same airport, it’s all gone to pot again.
Click on the document below to see some extracts from the transport select committee report ‘Access denied’ .
You can read the full report here.
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