Trip with MIL in wheelchair -airport to CS to DCL and back - can she be met at gate?

[magyar2]

We will be cruising with my MIL in a few months. My MIL will be needing a wheelchair, although she is not happy about it. However, she is unable to walk straight, is weak and unsteady, and can not even walk from her front door to the end of her driveway to get her mail without tripping. Put her in an airport, where your gate is always the furthest from the baggage claim, and she will only be able to get around in a wheelchair.

Here is our dilemma - we are driving to the cruise, and will be unable to meet her at the airport. We are all meeting at the Coronado Springs the night before the cruise, so we will be able to get her from the CS to the port, but we can't get her from the port back to the airport. We had planned on using DCL transportation from the port to the airport (she will actually be spending one night at the Hyatt at the airport to relax), and I think DCL would be the easiest way for her to get back to the airport.

However, I am not sure who to use for when she arrives at the airport, and then to get to the resort. Is there any limo or other transportation agency that will meet her at the gate when she arrives, and then help her to get her luggage and get her to the hotel? She will be flying ATA, and I have heard that ATA is not reliable with requests for assistance, is this true?

Does anyone here have some recommendations?

 

[teri]

ATA is not my favorite airline.... but they are the ones who should arrange the skycap service from arrival to the baggage claim area. From there, you could have one of the Limo services pick her up. that would be the easiest. She is able to transfer to a regular car seat. The skycap should be tipped for service.

If she doesn't already have a wheelchair, I recommend that you rent a wheelchair from one of the offsite services. There are links to the rental companies on the Disabilities FAQ. They will also have more ideas for you. They deliver the wheelchair to the resort, so when the limo arrives, the Bell Services folks can get it for her.

I assume you have asked for an accessible room... it will have more space for a wheelchair, and grab bars for her to hold onto in the bathroom.

I hope you have a smooth, calm, comfortable, relaxing trip.

 

[SueM in MN]

As teri mentioned, the skycaps and wheelchairs are arranged thru the airline. I had checked this out once before for another poster and found that the Orlando Airport web site indicates you need to contact the individual airline.

Try contacting ATA and ask for the Special Needs Department. A lot of airlines that didn't have one before are setting them up because some of the airlines have been sued by people who had bad experiences where their disability was not accomidated.

DH and I spent one night at the airport Hyatt last July when our flight was cancelled. It was quite a hike from the gate to the airport and back. If I understand correctly, she is arriving from cruise to the Hyatt?? I wonder if the the I wonder if the DCl transportation would deliver her right to the door of the Hyatt, where the Hyatt would probably be able to provide a complimentary wheelchair and porters. It's possible that Hyatt has ability to help out with getting her to the gate (or at least to the ATA check in area, where the ATA people would be responsible for getting her and her stuff to the gate).

Good luck and let us know how this worked out.