Naple’s Airport Easy Escort Service

Not that kind of easy escort – get your mind on travel please. I want to share my recent experience with an escort at Naples Capodichino International AirPort . On my way to Amsterdam to see the first international production of my play, “E-mail: 9/12,” I was nervous as hell. So nervous I was barely coherent. There was no need, I was in good hands. My escort was a dapper middle aged Italian man who handled every aspect of my navigating the airport.

He was assigned to me in the Sala Amica, a dedicated special assistance waiting room and service point for passengers with reduced mobility (PRM) and disabilities.  ( I hate to admit that I use a cane now – aging is not for the faint of heart.) This charming man pushed my woman of substance sized body from Sala Amica to my seat on the plane.

Location & Access

• Terminal Location: Ground floor of Terminal 1, in the departures area near Entrance 1.

In Naples if you have a problem walking, they make it incredibly easy for you. You pull up with your car outside Terminal 1 near Entrance 1. What looks like a separate little yellow building next to the airport is actually attached to the airport. When my driver pulled up to the entrance drive, it was blocked and two police officers stared at us. We smiled, we chatted, they smiled and raised the gate. There was a special parking spot right outside the door. Easy peasy.

Dragging my suitcase and cane I entered one of the most entertaining places to wait in the entire airport. The people who work here having incredibly large personalities. Actors and singers waiting for that gig? One could simply say, “who is waiting for the Birmingham flight” or scamper around the room going up to each person pointing and singing as only a basso can “Birmingham? Birmingham?” The room was packed with folks going to various parts of Great Britain and one woman sang back – Manchester! We all smiled, chatted and didn’t mind waiting for our escorts.

Sala Amica has all the amenities – vending machines, fairly comfortable chairs and smiles. Once here, there’s a wheelchair accessible bathroom just for your use. REMEMBER TISSUES! I always have a pack of tissues in my purse to compensate for the lack of toilet paper.

The first time we used this Sala Amica no one even asked to see our passport or tickets or anything. It was just lots of games like where are you going? OK, get in this wheelchair yeah. Hmm, I could start a third act career as a CIA mule.

Suddenly, I hear choo-choo choo-choo. The sound of trains being made by a very loud tenor, choo-choo choo-choo and in the door came about 15 wheelchairs all attached to each other being pushed by one person at the back end. And if it was hard work, you didn’t know it because he just kept on laughing and smiling.

This place is a jewel box of great stories. How about the one about an older man with his daughter going to Dublin clutching one cardboard box tied with twine and one of those styrofoam cooler boxes also tied with twine.

There escort looks at them and says: “what are you taking? You can’t take those. Is it liquid? Water? Wine?”

The old guy looks up at heaven and says, “No, formaggio di latte vaccino stagionato.”

Every Italian in the rooms smiles in understanding. Nothing beats aged Italian cow’s milk cheese. Of course they can carry it on the plane.

I can’t imagine taking those on the plane and finding a place to stick them above. Oh yeah, they also had two carry-ons. How do people get away with that? I am telling you this is a smuggler’s dream.

Speaking of cheese now they’re chanting “Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia.” As a stream of four women and their walking husbands are pushed out the door, a cacophony of “Ciao Philadelphia,” rings out. This place is not only comfortable but fun.

Lots of trekking sticks in the hands of Brits instead of canes. 

If you have flown in or out of Naples or any really small airport you may have experienced the horrible and steep stairway that takes you up to the plane. The stairway is your prize for surviving the cramped one or two buses necessary to get wherever your plane is parked.

Registering in advance with your airline and specifying you can’t do stairs will entitle you to ride in the Star Wars looking device that whirrrrrrs, beeps and bumps itself to a portal on the plane. ThunderLift! Imagine a box truck that is also an elevator. The first time I rode one, I totally freaked out crossing the incredibly large gap – at least 2 inches- between the cab and the plane. One is incredibly high in the sky and it is only a stainless steel railing that keeps you in the right spot. Oh yeah, and your escort! They sense I am a nervous nellie and always hold on to me while we cross into the plane.

Some airline hosts have taken my carry on and purse and led me to my seat. Others – oh I am not denigrating Easy Jet here – looked at me like I had leprosy. The escort person shot them the evilest of mal’ochio and helped me.

My self labeled – old man- husband, Jack have used the wheelchair services for a few years. Naples wins the award as having the best system in place. Yes, they absolutely beat out major city giant airports – Newark could take a lesson. Applause to Sala Amica! Bravo Capodichino Aeroporto!

Ci vediamo!

Midge

Visit my website.