Hi
Have plenty of time for planning but wondering about renting a powerchair when we do go .
Cant fly with mine as it is to big and heavy.so will have my lightweight manual but dont fancy self propelling for 2 weeks
First up; did you know that you are allowed to bring upto 2 mobility aids onboard free of charge since you will be departing your flight from probably London but at least the UK? (the EU has legislation about this, no airline can deny you this or charge you on any flight departing from, connecting in or arriving within the EU). Unless you are using a chair with a wetcell batery, it is no biggie at all to arrange this. Sure powerchairs are heavy and big, but that isn't something that unables you from flying with them if you want to. This does not count towards your luggage allowance.
Also you are flying to the USA, so besides the EU legislation, the ACAA (USA regulations) also applies. Under this you are also protected and allowed to bring them along with you free of charge and does not count towards your luggage. The ACAA goes even further (a lot!) then our EU stuff. So any questions about what can be arranged or not; go for it, find out, but many things are possible if need be.
Prefer powerchair as people tend to see
Scooter and think I cna hop of and Im used to a powerchair
Worst possible decisions are those made based upon how others might react or think. That's their problem, don't make it yours. If a scooter doesn't best fit your needs, that's something else. But don't ever limit yourself from one if it is an option because of others.
As far as renting a powerchair goes; Sue has posted stickies on top of this disABILITIES part. The info includes info about both renting an
ECV and a powerchair. Do keep in mind that rentals come with one huge limitation; they are geared towards a "general user public". If you rely on specific types of seating, specific adjustments and what not, it can become difficult if not totally impossible to ever get that in a rental chair.
An extra factor for those of us not from the US is having to deal with a different market. Each country has their own preferred brands, types and shapes of aids. Powerchairs are no exception. You might find that rental options are options that aren't something you are familiar with because of for instance not being used on the UK-market. In which case it can be impossible to know if something might work or not or to give a rental company the exact right sizes (some can depend per chair, depending on your individual needs).
If renting a powerchair is a good option; make sure you have all the info in writing about proper sizes and what not. Preferably confirm that through mail or fax so there can be no misunderstanding of saying one thing and the other hearing something else. Keep in mind that sometimes English words differ from the American ones that can cause miscommunication. If need be, draw the picture. (been there done that when needing a repair
).
I'm Dutch myself and have always flown with my powerchair. Why? Too many downsides to renting. Not only can't I rent a chair even miles near what I need, the type of chair I've got isn't even available -yet- on the US market. The brand is, but the type isn't. So I simply make my powerchair travel ready, have special insurance for the chair (covers both damage in flight as while in the US), say a little prayer, have back up plans and contactinfo with me and go for it. Can be a bit stresfull at times of damage but in the end facts are that I've never lost more than 1,5 day of a vacation dealing with that. Damage is a given unfortunately with how sensitive my chair is -lot more than normal- and how rude they handle chairs at Schiphol. But in the end having my own chair there means I can do A LOT more, with a lot less pain and even permanent damage.