Flying Delta with a disability

[Ms_Butterfly]

This! On my last two Delta flights, to get to the bulkhead row I had to pass through First Class which was about 10 rows back, so if you end up with this type of plane you'll need to use the aisle chair anyway to get to your seat, unless you're in First Class also.---Kathy

True, it definitely depends on the plane type. I've loaded from between first and coach, from before first, and from the very back of the plane. (Also have loaded at the front on planes with only coach seating.) I normally fly coach, but occassionally fly first. (The bulkhead in first is roomier than the one in coach because the seats in first are roomier, so I do like first's bulkheads better....)

 

[disneyholic family]

i flew with my sister to MD anderson in houston...
we flew first class so that she would be very close to the bathroom up front (we were in the first row in first class)..

another man with mobility issues was in the seat right behind us - he'd flown first class for the same reason...

so the door closes and the flight attendant begins her 'Hello, welcome, blah blah blah" and then proceeds to announce that the bathroom in the front is broken and everyone will have to use the bathroom in the back (of the very long plane)..

they pulled out of the gate KNOWING that the front bathroom was broken...
it didn't break in flight....it was broken already on the prior flight, but they took off anyway..

so here my sister and the man behind her had to walk all the way to the back of the plane to use the bathroom (on a 3 hour flight)...

i had to walk with my sister to help her get to the back of the plane..
let me tell you, that wasn't easy....
it's difficult enough for anyone to walk through a plane, but someone with mobility issues - forget it...

i was so angry....and my sister was terribly embarrassed....

i should mention that i hate delta...always have...always will....

i used to think northworst was bad, but now i miss them...

 

[SueM in MN]

I get that you are disabled and need to sit close to the front, but your disability isn't one that the ACAA states as qualifies for not being kicked out of the bulkhead. As you know, there are only two types of ppl who qualify for bulkhead-by-law (if the passenger wants it - they're not forced to sit there, LOL) and that is ppl with a fused/prosthetic leg that doesn't bend and ppl with a service dog.

So, yes, you have a legitimate disability, but it isn't legitimate for bulkhead-priority seating under the ACAA. If somebody who was under it in the ACAA booked your flight and needed bulkhead, you could be kicked out of bulkhead. (Thankfully, there are usually at least two bulkhead coach seats on each plane, so that ups your chance of staying in bulkhead.)

If you don't want the worry about being kicked out of bulkhead, you could always ask for the second or third row to avoid the whole bulkhead thing. I believe those rows usually have moveable armrests to help disabled ppl get into their seats, too. I have seen them often assign these seats to ppl with disabilities.

In the past, we have been bumped from the bulkhead. There are people who physically can't get into another seat. Someone with a fused leg or prosthetic leg can't bend to fit somewhere else. A long leg cast is a temporary situation that causes the same problem. A service dog will also fit better in those seats.

Many airlines don't allow bulkhead seats to be preassigned, so they don't have to deal with reassigning them. Many assign them only at the airport.
We usually prechoose seats in the 2nd or 3rd row. That way we know we won't be reassigned.
There is also a disadvantage to the bulkhead seats on many planes - often there is no space in front of you to store any carry on items. That means that during much of the flight there is no access to those items, including purses.

Our experience in loading is that most of the time, we do have to go past the first class - we usually use an aisle chair for DD unless we fund out at the gate that we will only have to go one or 2 rows in.

 

[dclfun]

i flew with my sister to MD anderson in houston...
we flew first class so that she would be very close to the bathroom up front (we were in the first row in first class)..

another man with mobility issues was in the seat right behind us - he'd flown first class for the same reason...

so the door closes and the flight attendant begins her 'Hello, welcome, blah blah blah" and then proceeds to announce that the bathroom in the front is broken and everyone will have to use the bathroom in the back (of the very long plane)..

they pulled out of the gate KNOWING that the front bathroom was broken...
it didn't break in flight....it was broken already on the prior flight, but they took off anyway..

so here my sister and the man behind her had to walk all the way to the back of the plane to use the bathroom (on a 3 hour flight)...

i had to walk with my sister to help her get to the back of the plane..
let me tell you, that wasn't easy....
it's difficult enough for anyone to walk through a plane, but someone with mobility issues - forget it...

i was so angry....and my sister was terribly embarrassed....

i should mention that i hate delta...always have...always will....

i used to think northworst was bad, but now i miss them...

Just wanted to say that I'm so sorry this happened to your sister. I'd imagine that Delta had no idea why you chose those seats as most people choose First Class for the extra space vs. proximity to a bathroom. I'd be afraid that by the time you made the trek back there to the back bathroom that there would be a line...and then she'd have to stand for awhile. It seems like they should have offered the courtesy of explaining about the malfunctioning bathroom before takeoff!---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

Just wanted to say that I'm so sorry this happened to your sister. I'd imagine that Delta had no idea why you chose those seats as most people choose First Class for the extra space vs. proximity to a bathroom. I'd be afraid that by the time you made the trek back there to the back bathroom that there would be a line...and then she'd have to stand for awhile. It seems like they should have offered the courtesy of explaining about the malfunctioning bathroom before takeoff!---Kathy

I agree!
Sorry this happened and it would have been nice in this situation for them to offer information before takeoff.

Apparently, they are allowed to fly with some restrooms not functioning because we have been on several flights that had a restroom not working.

 

[jmartinez1895]

The last time we flew with Delta it was out of Orlando to Birmingham. It was a late night flight ( about 10PM) and the plane was tiny. Our son uses a special needs stroller, but they told us we would need to carry him if we could or else we would have to wait and fly out the next morning ( we chose to carry him). The reason for this was that the plane was so small that it would not fit at the ramp and we had to walk onto the runway and then climb up the steps of the plane. The seat were two on each side so me, my husband and our son could not even sit together. The only restroom on the plane was in the back and we where in the front. This was not the plane that we where told that we would be one, when we got home and i called to complain I was told that because so few people where booked on the flight that they chose to use a smaller plane. I know that this was something that is probably rare, but it does happen. We now fly with SW and to the best of my knowledge they do not have small planes like that so I don;t have to worry.

 

[disneyholic family]

when we complained to delta about taking off with a broken toilet (from one of their maintenance hubs, where presumably it could have been fixed), they responded that as long as they have one functioning toilet on the plane they will take off...

 

[davidemeador]

My daughter has a service dog and we have traveled on Delta often with no problems. We have always had the bulkhead seats for her, the dog and me or my spouse. Based on the info above I was concerned and read the US DOT rules and other regulations. I was concerned that some of the posts above were incorrect.

I called Delta's Disability Assistance line 1-404-209-3434. Some of the posts above are not correct. We always get our seat assignments in the bulkhead in advance and I just confirmed that we can't be bumped.

If you have questions, please call the # above.

 

[SueM in MN]

My daughter has a service dog and we have traveled on Delta often with no problems. We have always had the bulkhead seats for her, the dog and me or my spouse. Based on the info above I was concerned and read the US DOT rules and other regulations. I was concerned that some of the posts above were incorrect.

I called Delta's Disability Assistance line 1-404-209-3434. Some of the posts above are not correct. We always get our seat assignments in the bulkhead in advance and I just confirmed that we can't be bumped.

If you have questions, please call the # above.

The posts that talked about reassignment were correct and yours is correct too.
Airlines do pre-assign seats under the Air Carrier Access Act for guests with disabilities. Those seats are blocked and can only be unblocked according to whatever policies that airline has that comply with the ACAA.

Some airlines choose not to pre-assign the bulkhead seats to the general public or to everyone with a disability and only assign them at the gate, except in certain situations.
The situations where an airline will pre-assign the bulkhead seats include someone traveling with a service dog, or someone who needs the extra space because of a fused leg that can't bend. If those seats are assigned ahead of time for those reasons, they will be blocked and can't be reassigned. That is what your situation is.

We don't have any of those covered disabilities, so we have had situations where we were allowed to pre-reserve those seats, but were told when we arrived at the airport that they needed to reassign our seats because someone needed them who could not use any other seats. So, I guess, bumped may not be the correct word. The agents worked with us to find other seats that would meet our needs so the bulkhead seats could be reassigned to someone else who needed them more.
We were not just bumped and had to take whatever was available, they moved single passengers around to give us at least 2 seats together and we have also had between 2 and 4 members of our party upgraded to First Class.

 

[KPeveler]

When I get on a plane, if there is a First Class section, I tell them I need to be able to use the closest bathroom. I really do not care what the "rules" say - I am not having my wife half-carry me down the length of a 757 so that I can use the "proper" bathroom. My medical condition gives me bathroom issues, and while I do my best to plan ahead, sometimes I just don't have a lot of advance notice.

I do tell the Flight attendants as soon as I get on the plane, even before most other passengers get on. I figure that way if there is an issue, we can handle it right then and not at 30,000 feet!

 

[mrspopeye]

We will be taking my mom to Disney for the first time, and we plan to rent an ECV once we arrive. My mom, along with my 16 and 12 year old daughters will be flying Delta from Nashville to Atlanta (switch planes) then Atlanta to Orlando, while my husband and I drive our vehicle with the luggage down a day ahead of time and pick them up at the airport. My father will drop them off at the airport and pick them up while we drive back home.

The plan is to have the 16yr old push grandma in one of the airport wheelchairs all the way to the gates and to the door of the plane. She can then transfer on her own and walk on/off the plane. My mom has 2 rods that hold her spine in place and 2 total knee replacements. She can walk and stand independantly for short distances and short amounts of time. I want to make this as easy as possible for my daughter to maneuver.



Questions:

How can we set them up to pre-board?

Once they get to Atlanta, then Orlando, will there be another airport WC at the arrival gates, or do you have to request this?


This site has been full of great information. Thank you so much!

 

[clhcpaca]

We will be taking my mom to Disney for the first time, and we plan to rent an ECV once we arrive. My mom, along with my 16 and 12 year old daughters will be flying Delta from Nashville to Atlanta (switch planes) then Atlanta to Orlando, while my husband and I drive our vehicle with the luggage down a day ahead of time and pick them up at the airport. My father will drop them off at the airport and pick them up while we drive back home.

The plan is to have the 16yr old push grandma in one of the airport wheelchairs all the way to the gates and to the door of the plane. She can then transfer on her own and walk on/off the plane. My mom has 2 rods that hold her spine in place and 2 total knee replacements. She can walk and stand independantly for short distances and short amounts of time. I want to make this as easy as possible for my daughter to maneuver.



Questions:

How can we set them up to pre-board?

Once they get to Atlanta, then Orlando, will there be another airport WC at the arrival gates, or do you have to request this?


This site has been full of great information. Thank you so much!

I have used the airport wheelchairs at Atlanta. Someone will push her and let them. The know where the elevators are and will get you though the airport faster. Last December, I was with four family members and we had 45 minutes from one terminal to another. The man pushed me all the way, made sure my family was following and did not stop until I was at the bottom of the walkway. The plan was starting to load when we arrived and he said "Wheelchair coming though" and then looked back and said "Come on family, keep up". We were laughing so much when we were boarding the plane.

 

[mrspopeye]

Great! Thank you so much!

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

The plan is to have the 16yr old push grandma in one of the airport wheelchairs all the way to the gates and to the door of the plane. She can then transfer on her own and walk on/off the plane. My mom has 2 rods that hold her spine in place and 2 total knee replacements. She can walk and stand independantly for short distances and short amounts of time. I want to make this as easy as possible for my daughter to maneuver.

The wheelchair comes with a wheelchair-pusher; nobody in your party will have to do the pushing. There is no fee for this service, but tips are appreciated.

I do recommend that you check out the TSA site for how best to take her through security with all the metal in her (she'll set off the metal detector). Do let her know ahead of time about how the TSA will pat her down everywhere, including private areas, so she is prepared.

Questions:

How can we set them up to pre-board?

There's no list of pre-boarders. The gate agents will usually call pre-boarding just before they start boarding first class passengers, but you may want to quickly check in with them to let them know your mother needs more time to get on the plane.

Once they get to Atlanta, then Orlando, will there be another airport WC at the arrival gates, or do you have to request this?

When you log into your Delta acc't online, you will see on your itinerary where you can request wheelchair service for each airport for your mother. It is on the bottom of the trip's page where it lists all the passengers. Click on the part that says something like "Request Special Services". Alternatively, you can call Delta and request the wheelchair service. If you don't request this, there won't be a wheelchair waiting at the gate in Atlanta - and she will definitely need one there, as it is a huge airport and you often have to take a train from one part of the terminal to another!

Have a great trip!!