Flying with a powerchair... TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE UPDATE [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

chris1gill

02-28-2002, 08:55 AM

Well, I finally did it, risked it all & brought my powerchair on a plane!!!

I never brought it before because I was worried the airline would break it & I'd be up a creek paying to fix it! Then I went to the MDA website & checked out the laws on bringing wheelchairs on board... If the airline breaks your wheelchair they must pay to fix it or pay the replacement cost if it cannot be fixed...

So, I decided on this trip I would bring it... This flight was to Maui by the way, but don't worry, I'll be bringing it to Orlando in November....

Here is what I learned....

FIRST, arrive at the COUNTER 45 minute early, You'll need every one of those extra 45 minutes. The counter people HAVE NO IDEA how to check in a powerchair... They don't know what to fill out, who to notify, or anything else... Next, gate check the powerchair so the chair isn't damaged on the belt...

SECOND, when you bring the chair to the gate, count on having to show the staff how to disconnect the battery (in my case you have to take the seat & fiberglass cover off)... They have no idea how to do this....

Now, the bad news for me, is that they still broke my chair... now when you lightly brush the joystick to the right, the chair keeps going around in a circle.... Happened near the pool (along with many other places), I'm not happy about it... Also, they cracked the fiberglass cover that covers the motor/batteries & they did something to my right wheel.... I was able to use the chair in Maui, I just had to be careful about it moving on it's own!!!

The good news, is that the airline (American in this case) must pay for the repairs... and they didn't give us any problem with authorizing the work to be done....

So, I'll have a good relationship with my local dealer by the looks of it, I'm bringing it on every flight I go on!!!!

================================

Bumping for the update below.... See the update below marked 3/13... We got very bad news :(

mamajoan

02-28-2002, 01:50 PM

I am glad that you posted this. When you say gate check the chair, you mean to transfer at the gate and let the airline people take your chair down to be loaded, correct. Then when you are ready to disembark they bring it back to you correct?. Do you know what would happen if you had to change planes?
I saw a huge plastic box type cover for power chairs on a web site, the bugger was $ 5000, but if you travel alot I bet it would be worth it.
Sorry to hear American busted up your chair, it is amazing that they would not be more careful with a piece of mobility equipment. Glad to know they are going to pay to fix it. Please post if you have any problems with getting them to reimburse you for the cost
Thanks,
Joan

chris1gill

02-28-2002, 02:05 PM

Hi Joan,

We actually had a plane change... When we left Hartford I gate checked both my chairs, the manual & the power.... They actually took the power chair in the waiting area... that's where my husband showed them how to disconnect the battery.... I then transferred to my manual chair & went down the jetway with the manual chair... they took the manual chair at the entrance to the aircraft.... When we got to St. Louis (for our change of plane) my manual chair was waiting at the entrance of the aircraft (the powerchair was transferred to the new plane automatically), When we arrived in Maui both chairs were at the entrance of the aircraft.. and of course the powerchair was a "little" damaged!!

Anyways, when we left Maui, they seemed even more confused... But, pretty much the same thing happened EXCEPT they DID NOT bring the powerchair to the jetway, they INSTEAD put it on the belts in the luggage area, OMG, this is a RULE, you should NEVER, NEVER, NEVER put a powerchair on a belt... it's a sure way to RUIN a chair... Thankfully, as soon as it was spotted, the baggage person that was already dealing with us shut the belt off (screaming all the way)

We received an issue of authorization from the American baggage person... as soon as the estimate is completed (hopefully today or tomorrow, whenever they can get to it) we'll fax it over to the woman who will then enter it into the documentation & she'll call back with the authorization number... she said not to worry about it, that it would all be approved, they just needed to keep in the loop... If they'd been able to fix it in Maui, I would have been able to get a replacement while it was in the shop & American would have arranged everything & paid for it automatically... Unfortunately there aren't too many dealers in Maui!!!

I definitely WOULD NOT spend 5 grand for a box... the airline is responsible for the chair & if they break it or ruin it, it's their responsibility to take care of it!! The one thing we are going to do, is to create a sort of packing box to go around the joystick and electronics... My husband had some ideas for doing it, so, as soon as we come up with something, I'll post it if that would be helpful... The number one problem with transporting these chairs is the joystick & electronic damage... I had read this before & forgotten about it, so now I think I WON'T forget!!!!

mamajoan

02-28-2002, 02:15 PM

Chris, thanks for all the info. I just got my power chair in Jan. The lift in the van was just completed. I am now a free range Joanie:) Anyway, you are right about Maui. I was a pta, lived in Hawaii for a while, w/c and repairs are difficult to come by. I am glan your trip was not ruined by the w/c problems. I am glad to know about the belt thing. I would have not thought that would be too much of a problem.. this info was great for our next trip. Hope your next vacation goes smoothly.

SueM in MN

02-28-2002, 10:33 PM

Thanks for the information. We have traveled a lot with our DD's manual wheelchair, but the idea of putting her power chair on th airplane really wories me (banged up as it is from her learning to drive it).
Here's a link to one of the MDA web articles (http://www.mdausa.org//publications/Quest/q72flying.htm) that I think you are talking about.
Knowing your righs can make d difference. We knew from the first ime we traveled with D's wheelchair that we had a right to put it in the onboad closet (if it fit). The last time we tried, it didn't come close to fitting, bt at least we tried. The lead flight attendant was really quite nassty about it ("That's my first class passenger's closet") and she wouldn't help us at all, but the gate agent was supportve and told her that we had a right to try, even if the flight attendant didn't want it there or didn't think it would fit.
The part about them replacing anything that gets broken is really good to know. We have had an antitipper bent about 10 years ago and we were pretty much on our own to get it fixed. I think it's only fair that if they break it, they should replace it.
Also, have you thought about removing the joystick and electronic drive for the trip and bringing it on board? My DD's come off fairly easily and that is what we would plan to do if we did bring the chair on the plane. She's broken hers twice, so I've seen the equipment tech whip it on and off several times. It looks pretty easy. Just a few screws and a plug.

chris1gill

03-01-2002, 07:13 AM

Sue, Thanks for the info on taking the joystick off. I'll have my DH look into it, I'm not handy that way..... The chair is in the shop & will be for approximately two weeks... The dealer guy is going to actually send the joystick unit back to Pride & let them send a replacement, instead of fixing it... It was in new condition before & it will be in new condition again!!! I think the MDA article said the law changed 3 or 4 years ago about what the airlines were responsible for & what they had to pay.... which was full repairs or full replacement cost... As that is the case, I'm not the least bit worried about traveling with it now... Let them fix it... I need it & they should have the proper controls in place to transport it... It was so great having the powerchair with me, being able to get around on my own.... Anyways, we're hoping to get the estimate today & I'll report back!

LindaDVC

03-01-2002, 10:09 AM

I used to work for Shriners and had kids fly home and back often.
I saw quite a few chairs that were destroyed!

We always drive to our vacation destinations!
After fighting the insurance compnay to pay for Dan's new 20,000 dollar chair I'd hate to see it put in the airlines hands.

Friends who fly often mark there chair where to lift and most importantly where not too!
I have seen bent leg rests, etc as they tried to lift the weight of the chair with a removable piece of the equipment!!

Linda

Nanajo1

03-01-2002, 11:45 AM

I'm glad your trip was not ruined by the damage to your chair. What would have been required of the airline if your chair was unusable in Maui? Do they have to find you a rental? What will you do for the two weeks the chair is in the shop? I'm still very nervous about taking my power chair on the plane.

SueM in MN

03-01-2002, 12:00 PM

Actually, DD's power chair has a replacement joystick/electronic controller right now while hers is being fixed. The tech came the day after I called to say it was broken and brought a replacement to use while hers goes back to the company for 1-2 weeks for fixing.
We call her the "wheelchair tester" since she often breaks things that even the company who makes them has never seen broken before. That's one of the reasons we followed our equipment tech when he changed companies. We really need him.

chris1gill

03-01-2002, 01:07 PM

Hi Nanajo1,

The airline is fully responsible for paying for the rental of a replacement chair if yours is damaged. If there had been a place on the island that could take & fix my chair, they would have fully paid for the chair & replacement, I wouldn't have had to submit any paperwork, but now we get to take it to our desired shop here locally & I'm okay with that... I don't need a replacement for the two weeks now, since I don't go out much (okay, never) & I'm hoping to be okay enough to walk around the house on my own... I'm optimistic if nothing else!! But if I wanted a replacement rental, the airline would be responsible!!!

Nanajo1

03-01-2002, 07:39 PM

Chris,
I have had those days when well positioned chairs around the house have allowed me to move about without a wheelchair. I just "hop" from chair to chair. Of course it is a little crowded for everyone else!

chris1gill

03-06-2002, 06:58 PM

Well, it's been almost a week since my Husband brought the chair in & we finally got the estimate....

OH MY.... 1510.00, I can't believe it's that much!!! Now my husband has to fax the airline with the estimate tomorrow, so hopefully we'll hear from them tomorrow or the next day... I'm sort of feeling quite sick over this... Apparently, they don't repair the joystick unit (controller) they just replace it, and the controller for the Jazzy is 1100.00 & the cover for the batter is 100.00 & then I guess labor or whatever must be the remainder.....

Ugh... I really hope they don't give us any trouble like saying the controller was broke BEFORE the trip... how could I prove otherwise? Double Ugh....

mamajoan

03-07-2002, 12:50 AM

Chris, I don't think they will challenge you on the fact that the joystick was broken en route. However, maybe you have a picture of the powerchair prior to leaving on vacation??

Nanajo and Chris, I use to call patients like you, "furniture walkers", then I would scold and tell my story of how many pts. I had who broke their hips while "furniture walking".
WELL, now somedays I am a "furniture walker" myself . OOOO Karma........;) who would have thought......

mamajoan

03-07-2002, 12:51 AM

Nanajo1

03-07-2002, 06:28 AM

Mamajoan,
Doesn't life play some funny tricks on us? I would instruct pts on cane walking and stress proper technique now I realize that sometimes technique is relative!
Chris,
The joystick should be replaced and it should have the full warranty. I would not sign off on anything unless it is covered in writing. What if the repair failed? Who would you follow up with? Who would be responsible? I think the airline would rather replace it and be done with it. I would be happier with the replacement. JMO.

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 07:48 AM

Hi MamaJoan & Nanajo,

Well the problem was that the joystick itself wasn't broken off (that would be too easy), but that the chair would rotate to the right by itself if the joystick was even brushed to the right... So, although I have pictures of the chair before, it doesn't show that the chair actually worked, know what I mean?

I think in the future, I'll have DH bring it in to our local guy for a clean bill of health just prior to flying with it, at least for peace of mind if something does go wrong... Meanwhile, right now, I'm really sitting on pins & needles... I mean I know they should pay for it, but what if they don't? I shouldn't think they way til they say the word "no"!!!

As for furniture walking, it's been a horrible week for me, much worse than usual & everyday I just wish I had my chair!! That's what I get for hoping I'd be okay for the week or two the chair is gone!!!

Anyways, hopefully I'll have an update later today regarding the Airline.... keep your fingers crossed...

SueM in MN

03-07-2002, 01:56 PM

Here's some Pixie Dust for a good outcome. I think that you won't have a problem with that airline. It sounds like the probelm was pretty noticeable when you got the chair back and you reported it right away. The cahir wasn't really useable the way it was. It's not like 3 weeks later you reported a problem.
And, those controllers are expensive. That part of my DD's wheelchair has a list preice of about $4000.

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 02:04 PM

OKAY, everybody give a sigh of relief I hope!!!

I just spoke with the rep. at American Airlines & she told me that her boss took the total pretty well & it looks like we are on track... Just get the chair fixed she says! Also, she said it would be better if the Medical Supply house would bill them directly, that way they wouldn't have to worry about reimbursing me or whatnot... Also, she just asked that if the figure does climb (once they figure out what is making the wheel squeal) that they just be updated with the new amount....

So, it looks like they are taking care of things for us, but still, I'm a little nervous..... I was thinking about it, and I'm thinking that from now on, before flying, I will bring the chair in for a quick check-up, so that if something is broken I have documentation that the chair was okay before we left... Shouldn't be that difficult & it covers me in case of trouble....

I spoke with DH & the joystick unit is actually a bit difficult to get off, so we'll have to figure a way to transport it safely, we'll be working on a solution over the next few months... I've often heard this is the piece that gets damaged with these units, so we'll come up with an ingenius way to take care of it I'm sure!!!

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 03:16 PM

Sue,

I almost forgot to ask, you said your DD's controller had been replaced before & other stuff too, can I ask, does insurance cover when parts of the chair get broken? I've wondered this for a while now... if something wears out or whatever, does it come out of your pocket or is there some sort of insurance?

Thanks!

mamajoan

03-07-2002, 05:42 PM

Chris, HURRAY!!!! American Airlines gets a pat on the back for "doing the right thing":D
Hope you are feeling 'less wobbily" soon!

Nanajo, Funny you should mention cane walking... I use my cane on the "wrong" side because both legs were damaged severly.. but the right one still has a huge brace on it.. I use the cane on the right side most of the time.. when I see old pts at the grocery they Always tell me I am being naughty not obeying my own previous instructions... :D

Sue, does your dd have the joystick that has a computer programmed controlled setup?

Nanajo1

03-07-2002, 06:09 PM

Chris,
I hope every thing is resolved and you are back rolling around when I check back on this site in 10 days! I leave tomorrow. 7am flight to BWV until the 16th. I can't wait. I'll be thinking of all of you. And I will have a lime green ribbon!

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 06:11 PM

Oh LUCKY YOU Nanajo1!!! Enjoy the BWV's for me, we have our reservation for Thanksgiving time... I am so looking forward to it! Are you bringing your powerchair with you? Or will you be renting one down there?

Nanajo1

03-07-2002, 06:17 PM

I'm renting an ECV from Walker's again. I'm still afraid to risk taking my power chair.
Have a great week, I know I will! LOL

Nanajo1

03-07-2002, 06:19 PM

I'm having trouble posting so I don't know if this is a repeat. I'm renting from Walker's again. I'm still chicken to take my power chair. Have a great week, I know I will! LOL

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 06:19 PM

I know you'll have an awesome time! I can't use an ECV because my arm muscles can't tolerate being stretched as if driving a car (my right arm hardly likes the joystick!) Anyways, I rented a powerchair from Walkers last time we down in December, it went well, but it was EXPENSIVE (45.00/day), my Husband joked that the powerchair cost more than our premium size car :( like make a girl feel bad!!! It was good though :D

Hey, I just noticed you're from Acton, about 30 minutes from us in Pepperell!!!! Small world!

SueM in MN

03-07-2002, 06:29 PM

My DD's controller is computerized and can be set with all sorts of different arrangements of the speed, how quickly it speeds up, responsiveness, etc.
The first time it broke, school paid for it because they didn't make sure it was stowed back in position before she drove away from a table.
We're still waiting on the bill (and the controller) from the next repair. We don't know what happened; we just went to drive it and the joystick was limp. THe tech had never seen one broken in that spot before. So far, though, insurance has paid for stuff she broke. For example, she's on her 3rd seat belt since September and she broke her footrests, at least the part that holds them on. So far, we've just had to pay a co-pay.

chris1gill

03-07-2002, 06:37 PM

Hey Sue, Thanks for the info, is that just a regular insurance plan you have? I wonder if I should call mine & find out what if anything we have for a benefit as far as repairing the chair... the thing is with our insurance, confirmation of coverage of benefits does not guarantee payment, so you never know til the bill gets denied... how about that??? It's happened more than a couple of times & it's not pretty... It kind of leaves us between a rock & a hard stone.... our last insurance was the insurance that paid for the chair.... sounds like I'll need to at least make one phone call on this....

Her controls sound really neat by the way!! I think at some point I might have to look into other controls for myself (like head controls or ??) because in December I suffered left arm paralysis for a while then it was just left weak for a while & the other arm just gets tired sometimes... so I never know. The right arms been good for a month though LOL... but if you know anything about other controls I could use, that info would be greatly appreciated!

SueM in MN

03-08-2002, 08:12 AM

We just have sort of "plain vanilla" health insurance. And, the "just because we approved it doesn't mean it will be paid" is always one of those things hanging over your head. Sometimes it's a coding problem. If just the right words aren't use to describe something, it gets counted as something else.
My DD did try a head control. They take a lot of skill to use and since she has good functional use of her hands, we finally settled on a joy stick with a goal post (looks just like a little football goal post). The ball that was on the top of her joystick screws off and the goal post went on in its place. Her biggest problems were that she has variations in tone and when she gets excited, her tone increases, which meant she ran into some walls because her still arm kept pushing the joystick.
The nice thing about the goal post is that you can use it with just gross motor (large muscle) control of your arm. By sitting her hand in the middle space of the goal post, she can drive the wheelchair without using her hand at all, just using the arm muscles. Or she can grab the flat part of the goal post with her fingers and drive it with her hand or even with a limp hand, without grasping. I don't kow if this makes sense, but it's the best I can do.
Her goalpost came as just a bare piece of metal, which I adapted by covering with foam and a little fleece cover. She would have said it was too cold otherwise.
There are lots of things that they can try besides just the joystick. Some of the girls in her dance class have tennis balls in place of the regular joystick balls, some have sticks. etc.

chris1gill

03-13-2002, 02:03 PM

Well, I got very bad news today... The medical supply place fixing my chair called today... They got the new controller in & then went to work trying to find the cause of the squealing in the right wheel... Well after much thought, they figured it out.

The Airline bent the frame of the chair... Now, we're waiting for Pride Mobility to give a price for the frame... Meanwhile the supply place called American Airlines & is waiting for them to call back.... It appears at this point that the chair might be a total write off... I'll need a new chair... I'm completely distraught... I also need a rental in the worst way, so we're waiting on that as well....

Apparently in my case no news WASN'T good news :confused: I have to seriously debate bringing any powerchair I have on another airplane even though I desparately need it.....

I'll let you all know what happens..

SueM in MN

03-13-2002, 02:26 PM

Oh, no. That is really terrible news. I wonder what they did to it to bend the frame. A long time ago, the frame got bent on my DD's manual wheelchair, but they were taking it apart to "grow" it as she got bigger. It seems like a power chair would be much harder to bend.
:( :confused: :mad: Hope this teaches them to handle the wheelchairs (manual or power) with care.

Here's some pixie dust for a quick and complete resolution to the problem (like quick delivery of a new chair with no money out of your pocket).

teri

03-13-2002, 02:43 PM

Oh, Man......
:(

I am sorry that you are going through this.

mamajoan

03-13-2002, 03:47 PM

Oh Chris I am soo very sorry to hear this bad news... I am trying to think of what the airline could possibly have done to bend the frame... goodness... The only thing I can think of is if they parked it weird then something VERY heavy fell on top of it. HOLY COW! I hope the airline get the notion to TEACH their employees how to handle mobility equipment..

If you have to order a new powerchair... maybe the medical supply company would give you a loaner.. . Some of the companies I used to work with would do that for pts. Of course it might notbe the same model but it would be nice just for you to get around with it..
BTW: are you still furniture hopping this week?

best wishes, Joan

chris1gill

03-13-2002, 07:21 PM

Thanks everyone... I can think of so many scenarios that would bust the frame of the chair... I'm sure whatever broke the frame also broke the electronics, that I'm sure of... But, if they dropped the chair down the stairs, down the gate, down anywhere ? That would surely do it... If they put the chair in & something really heavy landed on it, that would do it... Gosh, I can think of so many things :-( I suspect it was dropped....

MamaJoan, I went from furniture walking to not walking at all, so I need that rental... My legs are in a very bad way right now... too bad my legs chose now to have a bad spell!!!!

I'll let ya all know what American says, I know I am really sick over this now...

SueM in MN

03-13-2002, 09:49 PM

i would bet it was dropped and fell onto the electronic part. The saddest thing about this is that SOMEONE had to have known that something major happened to your chair and they chose to do nothing and say nothing. What if a part was just cracked and then broke loose later, causing you to go out of control. Or even if no one was hurt, what if it was cracked, didn't totally break until later and the damage was then "not their fault" because it happened months later. :(

chris1gill

03-14-2002, 06:25 AM

Sue,

You raise an excellent point about anything breaking in the future & it not being their fault. I think the chair is totalled, but if they do decide to fix it, I'll insist they go through it with a fine tooth comb looking for anything that looks suspicious...

Now, I have to wait until later & hope for a speedy decision... meanwhile I need a rental whatever they decide....

I tend to think the chair was dropped as well, live & learn I suppose :confused:

Nanajo1

03-16-2002, 05:52 PM

Hi everyone I just got back a couple of hours ago and had to see how things were going.
Chris,
I am so sorry about your chair. I think the airlines should be paying for a rental for you. Have you checked that out? It might be worth it to speak to a lawyer.
On a happier note.... We had a great time. Weather was perfect. All the busses I rode were the lift type. I didn't see any with the ramp. I met a delightful CM at World of Disney at DD. She was a greeter. She has a "Quickie" brand power chair and said she had flown all over the country with it. She is some sort of spokesperson but I didn't quite catch it. I told her some of what has happened to Chris and she kept saying don't take any baloney from the airlines they must make it right.
Here's some PD coming your way Chris.

chris1gill

03-16-2002, 08:13 PM

Welcome back Nanajo!!! How was the Boardwalk?? By the way, I think they should automate the door down by the pool/fitness area... It's very difficult trying to get the door open & get through on your own....

Anyways, I have some additional information... I do have a rental right now... It's a Quickie, same type I rented down in Florida... I can see where these might travel a bit better than a Jazzy... The Quickie is straightforward in design & would be hard to screw up I imagine... I just love my Jazzy though... The airport we flew into locally will be reimbursing us for the cost of the rental....

The chair's estimate is up to 3600.00 & could grow, depending what they find further... The airline is replacing both the frame & electronics at this point... There's been no question of liability or anything like that... Sad thing is, you could buy the Jazzy online with the same options for 4400.00, with the rental, they're looking at 4 grand... unbelievable.... But, they've been pleasant to deal with... no problems at all actually...

We're thinking of maybe even purchasing a quickie on our own just to use for travelling... we haven't decided on that yet...

So that's the story so far.... Welcome back again Nanajo!!!

Nanajo1

03-17-2002, 08:04 AM

Chris,
I know what you mean about those doors. If I'm alone and my arms are tired I go the "long" way. I use the door by the back of FF. It has an HP button to open a door. The elevator there takes you to just outside the Belle Vue Room. If you are staying in the Inn I think you can access it from that elevator. I get off at the 2nd floor go throught the lobby and get to the Villa elevators. It may seem a bit out of the way but I can do it "all by myself"! Now getting the ECV into the rom without make a lot of noise is something else. I seem to bang the door open no matter how hard I try.
I had no mobility issues at BWV other than at the Community Quiet pool. There doesn't seem to be any tables that aren't elevated on a platform. I can walk short distances and with help make it up the one step to get to the umbrella tables but I don't think a w/c can get there.