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- Aug 23, 1999
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Any of the airlines may try to fold your wheelchair - which may mean it is folded correctly or incorrectly.hey gang-
i was checking in to say hi and see if anyone had any helpful info on flying with a wheelchair on southwest (i know tracy might)
in our sunshine foundation itenerary, it said that they had told them we needed wheelchair assistance, but i am not exactly sure what that means. my understanding is that evan can stay in his own chair till gate time, when they can gate check his chair. his chair is a foldable zippie zone. super lightweight and takes about the same space as a medium sized stroller. in the packet was a worksheet about his chair and dimensions, and whether we wil take it apart and keep pieces of it with us??? i am so cinfused. i figured they would just take it, fold it, store it, and give it back?!?!?!
Or, they may not fold it at all and carry it into the baggage compartment without folding it. That could lead to damage.
So, I agree with billwendy (see below) - remove anything that can be easily removed and carry it with you on the plane.
That skinny wheelchair is called an ‘Aisle chair’ and all airlines are required to have them available at each airport according to the Air Carriers Access Act.i did notice when i flew last month on southwest that they had a special skinny chair to get someone onto the plane, but i figured i would just carry ev. anyone have any advice? should i just call southwest?
if it helps, we are flying out of PGH.
thanks in advance guys!!
This is a picture of an aisle chair:
Post 15 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread has more information (and another picture of an aisle chair), about gate checking a wheelchair, air travel with disabilities, the Orlando airport, TSA screening and lots of other things about air travel.
You can find that thread near the top of the disABILITIES Board or follow the link in my signature directly to the disABILITIES FAQs thread.
If the person is small enough to carry and/or the distance to your seats is small, you may choose to carry the person. We just traveled yesterday and my DH did elect to carry DD. She is about 85 pounds, but we were in row 5, so he felt he could manage it. On other flights, we have used an aisle chair.
There is more information about screening for people with disabilities and screening in post 15 of the disABILITIES FAQS thread.
The short answer is if the person can walk through the screener/metal detector, they can get out of their wheelchair, walk thru the detector for screening and then sit down on the opposite side of the screening area until their mobility device has been screened. A mobility device that is small enough to fit thru the X-ray machine can be sent thru on the conveyor belt just like all the carry on baggage.
If the person can’t walk, they will bypass the metal detector/screener and be screened by the TSA agents on the other side of the screening area. This screening will be done by an agent of the same sex as the passenger and will involve some patdown touching, possibly removing shoes and some swabs of areas of the wheelchair and possibly the shoes. Parents can be nearby during the screening, but are typically not allowed to touch the child. If you want a private room for the screening, this can be arranged for.
We have never asked for a private room - we did not want to be slowed down and IMHO, being patted down in a private room would be more disruptive to my DD than doing it out there in the screening area and getting it over with.
I agree with billwendyFrom my experiences with WC's on airplanes is that if it is removeable, keep it with you on the plane. Even a simple wheelchair that we used for Daniel came back to us missing 1 leg rest!!!
He will be able to stay in it right up to the door of the airplane, then you may carry him or help him walk to his seat. They should let you on the plane like first!! Take your time and dont feel rushed at all.
His chair should be waiting for you right at the door as you get off of the plane. you can step to the side and put it back together. then off you go!!!! Does he have swing away footrests, or is it a 1 piece front end. Does he have a separate cushion? are the arm rests removable?
We remove everything that is not bolted to DD’s wheelchair. I have a medium sized laundry bag that I drop all the pieces into as DH takes DD aboard the plane.
on her current wheelchair, I remove the seat, the seat back, armrests, headrest and anti tip bars. The footrests are not removable, so the only thing I do to them is fasten the velcro on the footsteps together so they don’t get caught on anything. Then, I fold the wheelchair and fasten the 2 parts of the seatbelt together.
This makes the wheelchair much less likely to get damaged or to have any pieces fall off or get lost. It also makes the wheelchair lighter, which is very popular with the baggage handlers - I think they take more care with it because they appreciate it not being as heavy or awkward to lift.
. but on this long weekend i plan to do some serious planning/preparing. including loose touring plans, packing lists and maybe a little shopping for evan. i am sure i will have some ?'s about rides and such. have a great evening gang!
i think i am going to start gathering stuff this weekend. i usually stock up on things like sunscreen and stuff, it is just a matter of putting it all together...
so, we were told to just keep it up and we would do another weight check in 3 months! i was so relieved! 4 pounds is a bunch when you only weigh 35! although i must say, it does make carrying him tougher! oh well, you win some, you lose some!
i am sure ev will consume his fair share of mickey ice cream!!! and cookies, and fudge, and anything else he can talk me into...not mentioning the dessert/fireworks party! and andrea, if he starts taking weight donations, i will let youknow...as soon as i give him about 40 pounds myself
looked and point to his mouth and say "boo boo ow"! funny!
so sad about the teeth that makes them big kids then 
