Advice For Two Special-Needs Young Adults Who Are Flying Together Without Assistance

[DisneyWheeler]

Dan and I are getting excited about our cruise to Mexico. We're going on Carnival Cruise Lines. The cruise ship we'll be going on is the Splendor. However, we'll be flying by ourselves for the first time without my mom around, and will have to change planes in San Francisco from Portland to get to Los Angeles because my father-in-law is having trouble getting us tickets for a direct flight from Portland to L.A.

Can the flight attendants/gate agents help us to our next gate since we'll have to change planes? Dan will be pushing me in my manual wheelchair, and has no sense, or understanding of where he is going even after I tell him about a dozen times. I'm a fairly well seasoned traveler, and know my way around some fairly big airports like San Francisco and Portland pretty well. But, it's hard for him.

I know our other option will be to have an electric cart waiting for us at the gate, but I wonder if there is a way that we can just lift my manual wheelchair on without having to take all of the parts (cushion, stroller handle extension, and footrests) off to fold it. I know with some electric carts at airports you can do that since I've seen a couple of them with ramps that fold down to the ground. But, I can't remember if the airport in San Francisco did that.

Also, has anyone done a Carnival Cruise with a wheelchair? What was your experience like? I am able to walk for short distances, so we'll have my wheelchair folded up in the cabin when we're in it at night. But, during the day we'll be running around with it.

Samantha

 

[Tiggerish]

Do not know about the accessible electric cart but the airline can arrange to have a sky cap meet your plane and push you. Then your brother just has to walk with you with his carry on. The sky cap will know the quickest way betwwen your planes.

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I think Tiggerish has the right idea in terms of booking assistance for someone to push you and having your husband walk along side if he can (I can't remember what his exact impairments are and if there's a reason why this wouldn't work). That way you've got someone guiding you both with less hassle. I know airlines don't like providing assistance with guiding people (this comes up a lot when I've heard from blind/visually impaired people talk about trying to just get someone to guide them and being told they had to sit in an airport wheelchair).

 

[bookwormde]

While your situation seems relatively straight forward here are 2 links, which will help you, understand your rights as a disabled persons traveling in the US on an airline. Of course the airlines are free to provide additional services but these are the minimum.

http://www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/airacc.asp

http://www.disabilitytravel.com/airlines/air_carrier_act.htm

bookwormde