Airline Travel For Adult With Little Head and Trunk Control

[MM100MOM]

Since our 27 year old son's anoxic brain injury almost 4 years ago we haven't done any airline travel. What is the reaction of the crew to a passenger without good head and trunk control?

Cameron is working hard in this area but we would like to be able to make a trip with him and wonder about the logistics. I know we have to transfer him to an airline chair and then to the seat in the plane. Will we be dealing with a flight crew that is upset about his lack of control? If we can bring along one of his extra chair vests with velcro to attach around the chair he should be comfortable but is that allowed?

I would be interested to hear from others who have done this. Cameron is over 6 feet tall.

Linda

 

[Jillpie]

Hi Linda and welcome to the Dis . We have a wonderful forum here on the Dis, called the Disability forum with very knowledgable folks there that I know will be able to help you immensely. Take a look over there, you'll get lots and lots of tips! I'm sure you will have no problem with the airlines. My biggest advice is to check in nice and early, and talk to them up at the desk prior to boarding and explain everything, I'm sure they'll alleave any fears of yours.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Also, if you have a particular airline (or two) in mind, check their websites, or if you're not satsified with the information there, give them a call. They don't charge for providing telephone information, just for booking tickets via phone

 

[crashbb]

I second the idea of calling the airlines and checking the DISabilities forum. I know that I've seen fellow travelers who appeared to have poor trunk and/or head control, but I'm not sure if they'd have been considered mild vs. severe (not an area I'm trained in, and though I noticed them, I didn't spend time watching them).

I'd ask about the vest. My one thought is that the airline might be concerned about the ease of removing it in an emergency (I have no idea how easy these vests are to remove).

 

[kaytieeldr]

Will we be dealing with a flight crew that is upset about his lack of control?

Ah, yes, about this... you may or may not have read the thread here about the US Airways crash landing January 15. One of the posters there points out that maybe now people will stop looking at Flight Attendants as "flying waitresses". They are actually on the planes primarily for the safety of the passengers. They are well-trained, and, one would hope, reasonably compassionate (some more than others, just as in the general population, of course).

While the flight crew should not be expected to attend solely or primarily to one passenger, even one with special needs, I do not believe they will be upset about his lack of control. I think - and this is my opinion only - that a reasonable person would instead be impressed with whatever efforts he, or any person in a similar situation, is able to make. I hope I said that right. It's meant to be complimentary to everyone involved.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I had a situation where I was flying without my hubby and while waiting at the gate I had a medical issue I passed out. The gate agents came to my rescue and took care of me.

When the plane arrived the gate agents informed the flight attendants about what had happened to me. They insisted that I board the plane first and the attendants were so nice. At no point during the flight did Ii feel like I was an inconvenience to them or a bother. The back of the plane was empty so the crew told me to move to the back and stretch out. They in even brought me a pillow and blanket without me asking. Then asked me what else they could do for me to make me feel better.

So I would not be to overly concerned. People with medical issues fly all the time. It would probably be a good idea to call the airline and let them know about your sons condition that way they can note that on his reservation so the crew will be prepared for him to be on the flight. And they will make sure to assign him a seat that accommodate his needs.

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

I'm sending this thread over to DISabilities...

 

[dolphingirl47]

I work for a big international airline and for us one of the questions that we ask to establish whether a customer is just a customer that happens to have a disability or is a potential medical case is if the customer is able to sit upright in the chair unaided. If this is not the case, the customer will still be able to travel unless there is a medical condition that could be aggravated by flying. However, the custmer will in most cases require an escort and a full medical report is required. I would strongly recommend that you contact the medical department of your chosen airline at the planning stage. They can give your their full policies and advise you what kind of paperwork, if any, is required. They might not be able to give you an answer straight away. Many medical queries that are directed at our office can be answered straight away by our medical department, but more complex queries are forwarded to our doctors at head office and then it can take up to 48 hours to get a response. If this happens, you are in your perfect rights to request a call back once the answer has been received rather than you having to repeatedly call back to see if an answer has been received.


dolphingirl47

 

[SueM in MN]

If we can bring along one of his extra chair vests with velcro to attach around the chair he should be comfortable but is that allowed?

Linda

Are you talking about the seat in the plane or the aisle chair that they use to get someone from their wheelchair into the airplane?

 

[dclfun]

The airlines don't discourage you from bringing your own physical supports such as wedges or head supports. I'm thinking that if you put a wedge or pillow on each side of his trunk that would help plus they have the u-shaped neck supports that are pretty comfortable. Does he normally wear a head support? I have a neck/head support that I wear called a Headmaster Collar that is quite comfortable w/in a plane seat. I also travel with other medical equipment and the flight attendants are always helpful. I agree with the PP to contact your airline to see what kind of documentation is required from a physician. Preboarding will help alot so that he can be arranged comfortably in the seat. If he needs to be tilted back, then except for take off and landing the seats go back into a pretty good recline. You'd maybe want to have someone in your party sit behind him or tell the person who chooses that seat that it will likely remain reclined throughout the flight.---Kathy

 

[DisneyWheeler]

My best friend has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. When she and her family travel by commercial airline, they always bring her seating system from her manual wheelchair which is a cushion with a molded backrest. She's fairly small for being 27 years old at a little over 4ft., 1inch. tall. But, after her mom explains to the flight attendants that my best friend has no head or trunk control. They allow her to use her wheelchair seating system for support.

Samantha

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I know there is a seat harness restraint for children that is FAA-approved to be used on flights (it is called CARES), so I wonder if you would not be allowed to use any such thing that isn't FAA-approved. I don't know if there are FAA-approved seat harnesses for adults, but you might want to search around online to find out.

Like somebody else said, pillows are a good choice if they would work. Even non-disabled ppl use pillows on planes. There are stuffed pillows and there are inflatable pillows, the latter of which obviously would take up less space in a bag if carrying an extra bag/heavier bag is an issue - but, of course, then you'd have to spend time inflating them and deflating them.

The best thing to do, as others said, is to call the airline(s) you're looking into flying and trying to find out their policies/what FAA policies are. Joe Schmoe answering the phones might not know the correct answer, but hopefully you can be transferred to a disabilities desk/coordinator or something.