How to successfully travel with a wheelchair or ecv by airplane

[SueM in MN]

Chris' post about her successful trip with the power wheelchair made me think we could use a thread about how to travel with a wheelchair (power or manual) or an ecv on an airplane. I know a lot of readers have taken their wheelchairs or ecvs. Post your hints (or just encouragement that it is possible to travel with a wheelchair without it getting broken).

Here's my suggestions:
We haven't taken DD's power chair yet,but we have traveled with DD's custom manual chair for almost 15 years though, so I have lots of advice.
The airlines do have a Special Needs Department that can be helpful to you. It may not be easy to find; if you can't find a link on their website, email and indicate in the subject that it is a Special Needs question.

Sometimes I dismantle DD's wheelchair a lot, sometimes not. On our last trip, I was determined it would fit in the closet on board on our way down, so I took off everything I could to make it fit. The flight attendants were looking at me pretty weird since they didn't see how I could get it in there, but once you take off the seat, seatback, footrests and wheels, it's pretty small.
We have a medium size nylon laundry bag that I can throw the pieces in and then put them into the overhead bin. You might need to take pieces out of the bag to get them to fit. On our last flight, there was actually someone seated across from us who did not like the looks of the seat and headrest ("If the bin opens and it falls on me, I'll be hurt"), so he told the flight attendant he was not sitting there if "that dangerous stuff" was allowed to be in the overhead bin. The flight attendant found a place in the closet for it. The closet is actually a good place since you should have room for everything to stay in the bag. You might be told that the closet is for 1st class passengers only (usually from the 1st class FA), but you have a legal right to keep your assistive devices there (even if they are in pieces). If that means some 1st class passengers have to check bags, tough. The gate agent will usually be your friend here. I have found them very helpful when we needed the closet.
Since I am the "wheelchair wrangler" how much I take apart all depends on how I feel that day, what the pieces are, how many "carriers" we have and how much other stuff we have to carry. I sort of live by these rules:

1)If a piece comes off and on easily, take it off and bring it on the plane.
I usually take off footrests since they are tempting (but very bad) places for someone to grab on to lift the chair.
DD's current Jay seat is clamped on and is hard to get off and a little putzy to get back on correctly. I don't usually bother to take that off since it's not going to come off accidentally. When she had a Jay seat that was less secure (it was mostly held on with velcro), I always took it off. I do worry a little about them puncturing the gel cushion, but the gel part is pretty well protected, so I try not to worry too much since I can't get the cushion off easily.

2)If a piece sticks out and is likely to be damaged, take it off.
DD's headrest is very securely fastened, but since it sticks out if it's in the "up, in use postion" and it swings if in the "folded, not in use position", we just remove it.

3)If it needs to stay on the chair, secure it.
I always fasten seat belts or other straps and pull them tight. You can sometimes put the seat belt thru things, like armrests, that you might not be able to get off. This will help secure them close to the chair so if they are loose at least they won't swing out.
DD's swing away holder for her power wheelchair controller will fit in this category. I can remove the controller, but this thing has about 8 screws to remove it, so I will probably bring a velcro strap to secure it to the wheelchair.

4)If it is hard to replace, or you can't use the chair if it is damaged, remove it.
DD needed her power controller fixed twice last year and I saw how easy it was for the tech to remove/replace. That's where I got the idea to take it off for travel, especially after hearing what happened to Chris' in Hawaii.

 

[chris1gill]

Hi Sue,

All really great suggestions!! Also, with manual chairs that fold up compactly, use something to keep it folded up... for instance my lightweight manual chair folds up one side to the other, so when we leave it on the jetway for them to take, we use bungie cords to secure it so that it doesn't just open up somewhere...

We always take the leg rests off. I don't have a cushion, so I've never had to worry about that, but other people that do have cushions take them off....

I also forgot to mention it, but the NUMBER ONE RULE of traveling with a powerchair (or even manual) DO NOT check it with your luggage, going down that conveyor belt will damage the chair for sure... check it at the gate... they'll take it down the local elevator to the ground & push it over to the plane where it will then go up a conveyor belt (with assistance from a crewman) into the belly of the plane... NEVER check it with luggage & always make it clear you want it at the jetway when you get to your destination...

That's all I can think of in addition to my posts!

 

[SueM in MN]

Here's a link to the bad experience that Chris had this Spring.
There is a lot of good information in that thread.

 

[tammyh-oregon]

Great thread

We have dealt with American Airlines before and putting the wheelchair into the closet. We ended up getting a letter from their special needs coordinator explaining the rules for the wheelchairs in the closets. we don't leave home without it if we are flying them. ( DISCON trip )

Another thing, not necessarily for wheelchairs but we are flying to Hawaii in October and called about getting the bulk head seats because my husband would be in a walking cast. On the phone they just kept saying no no no. We also asked about the wheelchair, again no no no. We finally got through to the legal dept who handles the special needs requests. Bam! bulk head seats (3 of them), notation in file about the wheelchair and we are told to politely push the issue about the closet because we are right about the wheelchair going in there over 1st class or attendants. ( I mean their luggage but sometimes I want to put them in there also so I guess it was a correct freudian slip.)

I think the trick is to remain calm and act like you know what you are talking about. My biggest fear is not being allowed on board because the flight attendant gets ticked off but I know I am right so will fight to the end.

PS: Delta has always been good with our wheelchair and so has Alaska airlines and Horizon. United Express was kind of funky.

Anybody else with experience?

 

[chris1gill]

Hi Tammy,

I'm really interested in your experience with American. Who were you on the phone with that was declining your requests? When I spoke with their Special Needs department they yes'd me to death it was when I got to the airport that the answers changed!

 

[tammyh-oregon]

Sorry

We are flying to Hawaii on Hawaiian Air. I thought I had put that down. they were the ones telling us no no no until we got through to the right people to handle this sort of thing.

We haven't flown American in over a year but our problems were on the ground. They simply refused to move the flight attendants belongings and we needed to be home so we shut up and moved on. (didn't want to get denied boarding the plane for being a pain even if we were right.) Of course, after we got home, we got on the phone and "hollered" until we got the right person. She sent a letter to carry to the airport with us explaining American's duties about the wheelchair in the closet etc. So we are forearmed this november when we fly with them. Hopefully things will go smooth and we won't have a problem.

The lady at Hawaiian air told us to stand our ground this October because we were right and anyone from the airline telling us different is wrong and to calmly but firmly push the matter noting names, etc.. I wonder what will happen if we tick off the wrong person and they deny us boarding?????? I don't even want to think about that.

 

[SueM in MN]

We have had problems with the flight attendants when we've tried to put DD's wheelchair in the closet, but it has usually been the gate agent who knows the rules and will stick up for you.
When you talk with the special needs department to get your seating, tell that person that you are interested in using the closet for your wheelchair. We've sometimes had to measure the wheelchair so they could tell us over the phone whether the airplane we are scheduled to fly in has a big enough closet for the wheelchair to fit. Not all of the closets are big enough and they might substitute a different plane, so you never know.

When you get to the airport, mention at each step along the way that you want the wheelchair in the closet. Talk to the gate agent before boarding.

The first class flight attendants (FA) are usually the ones who will give you a problem because they have their stuff in the closet and they will have to explain to their first class passengers that the closet is full. In my experience, the other flight attendants are curious, but not really helpful. We have printed out a copy of the rules, but we've never had to shopw them. The gate agents have told the FAs what the rules are.

On our last trip to Orlando (on NW), several FAs saw me taking the wheelchair apart and told me that I could gate check the wheelchair, but not in a hostile way. One moved her suitcase out and 2 moved their coats. The first class FA was kind of sniffing her nose at me, assuming the wheelchair wouldn't fit and she would get her closet back. I could see it would fit easily if I popped the wheels off. If she had moved her suitcase out, I could have left the wheels on.
One FA actually came over to help me by holding onto the chair while I popped the wheels off. She was curious about why I was taking the wheelchair apart and I explained I was legally entitled to have a wheelchair in the closet as long as it fit. She asked what would happen with the first class passengers stuff and I said if it fit in with the wheelchair it could still go in the closet (but to watch out for the greasy axel parts). I also told her that mobility devices trumped first class passengers and she actually said, "Wow. Cooooool."
When we got off, she also helped to route people away from where I was putting the wheelchair together -----so there are some good FA out there.

 

[pugdog]

just one note about checking your power chair at the gate. The airlines do not, I repeat DO NOT, have to garentee the chair will be on your flight if it would make the flight late. they will put it on the next flight. and have it meet you there. I know some of you will now think "but this violates the ADA", but it does not. If you get there early and the elevator to the tarmac is near by you might be ok but if you want to make sure it will be at your distanation check it in. your chair is always the last on and first off anyways.

 

[chris1gill]

Pugdog, this hasn't been a problem in our experience, I've traveled with my manual chair extensively. The manual chairs go down with the strollers, so there's very little chance your chair won't be there. As far as the powerchair, we've flown only twice with it now, but from our experience, they take the chair BEFORE the strollers, by about 20 or 30 minutes... they take the powerchair directly from the gate to the loading area, no stops in between. I'd suggest that if your airline doesn't follow this routine, that you'd need to stick with an airline that does. If you are personally running late, that's a different scenario, but if you arrive at least 30 minutes early with the powerchair you should be all set...

 

[SueM in MN]

We have also not had a problem with the manual chair in 15 years of travel with it. They still load strollers up until the door is shut, so a manual wheelchair should never have a problem.
I can see that someone running late with a power wheelchair might run into problems though if the elevator is not that close, etc, etc.
A manual wheelchair is not always last on and first off. We are often sitting in a place where we can see the wheelchairs and strollers being loaded. DD's manual chair is often loaded first and then a bunch of strollers after it. Because of that, it's often the last off; after they have unloaded all the strollers.

That brings up another hint: If you are traveling with a wheelchair, don't just assume the chair will be waiting for you as soon as you get to the front. If you are traveling with a companion, after landing, have them get up near the front of the plane so they can see when the wheelchair is actually at the gate. They can also go out and get the wheelchair ready (unbuckle seatbelts, reattach any parts that were removed) so the wheelchair is ready to drive.

 

[pugdog]

I was just pointing out that some people stay in their chair and transfer direct to the airline seat and then expect that the powerchair will always be there when they get off. and yes most of the time it is but the more time you give the airline the better it will be. and yes my DW manual chair has met us all 75 times with every airline we have flown.

 

[SueM in MN]

You are right pugdog. We haven't traveled with DD's power wheelchair yet, but I'm sure it's a whole new ball game. For anyone with a disability or special needs, it's always best to arrive as early as possible.