if you take an ECV on a plane can it be a carry-on?

[bethclayton]

or in some other way stay in the cabin?

My parents are coming to Disney with us for their fist trip, in March. Mom uses an ECV for anything more than just, say, 30 steps. In other words, she can get around her apartment, and out to the car a few feet away, but that's about it.

ideally, i am hoping we can bring her ECV from home, use it throughout the airport, break it down, and keep it in the cabin so we have it as soon as we get off the plane, as well. but the more i'm reading, i think i might be dreaming!

does it have to go as checked luggage? if so, then the only way we can get around the airport is renting a wheelchair, no? and then that also means if we use DME when we land, that we have to wait for our luggage first or we will be without the ECV even longer? that sounds so difficult. plus, it takes an extra adult out of the equation for being able to help carry luggage because they will have to push the wheelchair.

please tell me what the real deal is before i get myself too worked up.

 

[nobodies36]

No, but you can take it right to the gate and then get it back as you exit the plane. Did this on a multi part flight with two ECVs in August and doing it again next month (only each way is three flights).

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The ECV can be driven all the way to the aircraft door. They will then take it and put it in the luggage compartment.

You have two choices for on arrival. One is you can stay seated in the aircraft and they will bring it to the aircraft door. The option I have used several times in the past is to go out of the aircraft and up the ramp and take a seat right in the boarding area. They will then bring the ECV.

Here is a recent post with more detail.

 

[Nanajo1]

I stay on my ECV through the security check as I cannot walk through the detector. I'm taken aside and a female TSA agent does a manual (not intrusive) pat down. The ECV is checked by a hand held wand and swiped for explosives. I drive the ECV right on the plane transferring just inside. The ECV is then gate checked like a stroller. I get it back very quickly after landing.
If your mother can walk through the detector the ECV will be taken aside for the security check.

 

[peemagg]

Another thing is any extra equipment (arm rests, baskets, rain covers, chargers, etc) can go in a extra bag and can be carried on plus your allotted carry-ons. You are allowed to bring one carry on and a personal item, but medical equipment does not count towards this. Medical equipment travels for free.

To maybe explain better, our last trip was 2 adults, one using an ECV. So we had 2 carry on items and 2 personal items plus another duffle bag that had parts for the ECV and it was all allowed due to being medical equipment.

 

[bethclayton]

thank you, this was extremely helpful info, as was the link posted. i feel much better now! just her having the scooter throughout the airport will make this so much less stressful for her and for us.

can we take it apart ourselves and put it into some sort of big bag to give to them? i know she is soooo worried that it will be damaged by them if it's checked. i don't know if the idea of them taking it apart will make her even more worried.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A standard ECV weighs a little under 200 pounds including batteries. It is much easier to just let them handle it.

I will remove the basket, which is the only easily detachable part, toss the charger in the basket, and put both in a tote bag. I will also remove the key.

They will take it, put it in freewheel, push it up the ramp to an elevator, take it down to the aircraft and put it on the conveyor to get it into the baggage compartment. At the destination they will reverse this process. This is why you have the option of claiming at the top of the ramp or at the aircraft door.

I did make a two sided sheet, covered in plastic, from copies of parts of the manual. This shows how to lower the tiller, lock the tiller, put it in freewheel and where tie-down points are if needed. I attach this with a twist-tie to the ECV before I turn it over to them.

This is part of their job and they do this routinely. Generally they know what they are doing.

 

[jmartinez1895]

Our son uses a special needs stroller and they let him stay in it a security check point and we take it all the way to the door of the plane. If you have trouble getting to your seat on the plane they have special wheelchairs that fit through the isle on the plane to help you to and from your seat. When we get off the plane they have it at the door waiting on us.

 

[peemagg]

Don't worry about taking it apart (them or you). It will travel in one piece. Just remove things like armrests, baskets, and other removeable parts off the scooter, place the tiller in a down position and put it into freewheel mode.

I also suggest that you take pictures of your scooter before you board the plane to document the condition of the scooter when you handed it over. Just take the pictures while waiting at the gate. When you get on the other end, check the scooter over for any damage right away and report it right away to the airline if there is any. I took mine and there was no problem at all. The airline was very careful with it.

Just as an FYI that if the airline does damage your scooter, they have to pay to have it repaired and if you need a replacement while being fixed that is their responsibility too. If the scooter gets so badly damaged that it unoperable and can't be fixed the airline has to pay for the replacement of the same scooter, not some el cheapo of their choice. If it costs $2000.00 to replace with a like scooter that is what they have to pay. As you can imagine with scooters and power wheelchairs they don't like having to pay for those things so they tend to be extra careful with them (I understand that some of the power wheelchairs can go $30,000 and up. That is a bit of a hit in the pocketbook).

 

[SueM in MN]

This is a picture of an aisle chair (although, if she can walk down the aisle, it is easier not to use one).
[IMG="http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/P4041260.JPG"]http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/medium/P4041260.JPG[/IMG]

There is a link in my signature to the disABILITIES FAQs thread; in post #15 of that thread, you will find a lot of helpful information about air travel with someone who is disabled. There are also several pictures of my DD sitting on an aisle chair and a description of how that process works.

There is information in that post about gate checking a wheelchair (but the information is very similar with an ECV - and the information Cheshire Figment posted was very complete).

 

[toocherie]

My Mom also rides her scooter to the gate, where it is gate checked, then takes her walker onto the plane (usually there is a closet for it--a couple of times had to go in the overhead bin). she needs the walker to go to the bathroom (it's a long flight from Calif.) --the problem she has is that her walker won't fit down the economy aisle. We usually try to get the bulkhead and her walker fits through first class and the airline is usually good about letting her use the first class bathroom because she can get to it and it's not as far as the back of the plane.