Airplane Travel/Shuttle Buses with ECV

[icouldlivethere]

I will be flying with my ECV for the first time in 4 weeks. I will be flying out of Detroit with Delta and have a non stop flight. I have a couple of questions.

Do I need to contact NW and let them know ahead of time that I will be traveling with an ECV?

Also, we usually park our car in a lot and ride a shuttle to the airport entrance. Has anyone done this with an ECV before? Are you able to take your ECV apart and take it up on the shuttle with you? Also do you have any issues with taking the trams once inside the airport?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

When I travel with my ECV I will let the airline know in advance that I have an ECV and will also specifically tell them it has spill-proof batteries.

Depending on the length of the trip I will do one of two things.

If it only for a few days I will park in the parking garage at the airport.

If it more than a few days, I will use one of the off-site parking lots. I let them know in advance that I have an ECV that will not fit in their van. They will have one of their driver's go to the airport with me in my car and will drop off me and the ECV at Departure.

On the day I am returning I will call them from my departure airport to remind them and also let them know if my flight will be on time. Once I get to baggage claim and have my suitcase I will call them telling exactly where to meet me and then wait outside for them to show up with my car. I will then load my luggage and the ECV and take their driver back to the lot and pay the bill.

And, for example, for my trip last month to Disneyland, I let Super Shuttle know that I needed a van with a lift and onbe was scheduled each way.

 

[peemagg]

We will also be flying out of Detroit in January and found out that none of the shuttles are handicapped accessible. Their answer to that was to drive us to the airport in our car and drop us off, then drive our car back to the lot. We are not comfortable with that option so will just pay the cost of parking at the airport. We didn't like the thought of some stranger having access to our van for a week. Who knows what could happen.

I do call the airline and let them know that I am traveling with my ECV and what type of battery it has (gel or acid). The type of battery makes a difference in how they handle the batteries.

 

[Nanajo1]

I know my son drops my DIL and kids off at the airport. Then he parks the car in long term parking and he takes the shuttle back to join his family. Is this something you could do?

 

[icouldlivethere]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! It sounds like I need to call the airlines and let them know I'll be flying with my ECV and that it has spill proof gel batteries. Do I need to provide some kind of proof that they are gel batteries?

peemagg, I don't see my husband handing over his car keys either so it looks like we will either have to pay the extra money to park at the airport or do what Nanajo1 suggested and have my DH drop me off with the luggage and wait with it while he goes and parks the car and rides the shuttle back.

I'm assuming all the monorails inside the airports are HA. Being my first time doing this I'm sure there will be a learning curve and we will discover things we want to do differently next time.

 

[clkelley]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! It sounds like I need to call the airlines and let them know I'll be flying with my ECV and that it has spill proof gel batteries. Do I need to provide some kind of proof that they are gel batteries?

peemagg, I don't see my husband handing over his car keys either so it looks like we will either have to pay the extra money to park at the airport or do what Nanajo1 suggested and have my DH drop me off with the luggage and wait with it while he goes and parks the car and rides the shuttle back.

I'm assuming all the monorails inside the airports are HA. Being my first time doing this I'm sure there will be a learning curve and we will discover things we want to do differently next time.

I have flown solo with our ECV and with DH. When flying solo, it was out of Nashville, and their parking shuttles are accesible, so I parked in the outer lot. When DH and I travel together, we go to the dropoff zone and drop everything and one of us stays with the stuff while the other parks the truck.