Hello,
About a week ago, I went on a mini-vacation with my wife and my six-month-old Quantum Q6 Edge electric wheelchair. This was the first time we traveled with the chair. During last year’s trip to NYC, we rented a chair upon arrival at our hotel.
We were both a little nervous about traveling with the wheelchair. I have to say that that the trip could not have gone better!
Of course, we gave the airline over two weeks warning that we’d be traveling with an electric wheelchair. They needed to know the chair’s length, width, height and approximate weight. Then, we were all set.
We drove our accessible van to the airport and found a van accessible handicapped parking spot. We collected our luggage and went into the airport. We were amazed at how much easier it is to get through an airport when I have my own chair. No waiting for an attendant to show up with a wheelchair. I was able to help my wife check our luggage and head to security.
Security was a breeze. The security personnel asked if I could walk through security. After I said that I couldn’t, I rolled through a gate and went to a station where they swabbed my hands and parts of my chair. The security personnel could not have been any nicer. When the checks were complete, we were off to the gate.
As we sat at the gate, the gate agent came over and talked to us. She already knew about the wheelchair. She said she’d arrange an aisle chair to get me to my seat.
We were first to board the plane. By the plane’s door, two men met me with the aisle chair. A baggage handler was there to take my wheelchair to the cargo hold. On the plane we went.
It was well into the flight when I realized that there was no safe way for me to get to the bathroom! Oops! Bad planning on my part. Fortunately, for the three-hour plus time I was on the plane I never felt an urge to go. Whew!
If there is a negative in travelling when you are mobility challenged it’s that you must wait for Everyone to get off the plane before they can bring the aisle chair on board to cart you off. Since we flew into Orlando, there were many families with lots of carry-on luggage. It must have taken almost 45 minutes before I exited the airplane strapped to one of those weird little aisle chairs.
Magically, my wheelchair was waiting for me by the planes’ door! It was unharmed and ready to go. I hopped into it and went up the ramp.
It was at Disney World where having my own wheelchair really paid off. Being able to elevate 12’ at walking speed allowed me and my wife to walk as a couple through the parks and hotels. She walked next to me, resting her hand on the armrest of the chair. We could easily chat as we took in the sights. More than that, when I am elevated to normal person height people see me coming and step out of the way. It was very much as if I were a normal person. No more having people look right over me and almost walking into my wheelchair. It was great!
Disney properties are some of the most handicapped accessible properties I’ve ever seen. Every Disney bus is wheelchair or scooter accessible and has tie downs for two chairs or scooters. . Also, there are wheelchair accessible taxis available for hire, as well. The handicapped accessible bathrooms are actually wheelchair accessible. The bathrooms were always very clean.
It was a great trip.
I should mention that as we were having dinner with some friends in Orlando, we received an interesting piece of information. Our friends had both worked for the airlines and when they heard about my bathroom concerns on the flight down, they told us that every full-sized plane is equipped with a foldable aisle chair that is available to passengers unable to walk to the bathroom.
Sure enough, as we boarded our flight home, my wife verified with the Lead Flight Attendant that there was such a chair on board. More than that, the Lead Flight Attendant said that it would be no trouble at all to roll me to and from the bathroom if it became necessary. When I requested a trip to the bathroom after the drink carts were out of the aisle, two flight attendants were happy to oblige. It took them a few minutes to find out where the chair was stored. Another few minutes passed as they tried to figure out how to unfold it. After that, however, one of the attendants brought the chair to our aisle. I slid into it (none to gracefully, to be honest). I was then wheeled to and from the bathroom with no fuss, no muss.
So, for those wheelers nervous about air travel with your wheelchairs, take heart! Plan ahead, research accessible transportation at your destination. Then, relax, pack your patience, and enjoy your travels. We now look forward to flying with my wheelchair again.
Best regards,
Jim
About a week ago, I went on a mini-vacation with my wife and my six-month-old Quantum Q6 Edge electric wheelchair. This was the first time we traveled with the chair. During last year’s trip to NYC, we rented a chair upon arrival at our hotel.
We were both a little nervous about traveling with the wheelchair. I have to say that that the trip could not have gone better!
Of course, we gave the airline over two weeks warning that we’d be traveling with an electric wheelchair. They needed to know the chair’s length, width, height and approximate weight. Then, we were all set.
We drove our accessible van to the airport and found a van accessible handicapped parking spot. We collected our luggage and went into the airport. We were amazed at how much easier it is to get through an airport when I have my own chair. No waiting for an attendant to show up with a wheelchair. I was able to help my wife check our luggage and head to security.
Security was a breeze. The security personnel asked if I could walk through security. After I said that I couldn’t, I rolled through a gate and went to a station where they swabbed my hands and parts of my chair. The security personnel could not have been any nicer. When the checks were complete, we were off to the gate.
As we sat at the gate, the gate agent came over and talked to us. She already knew about the wheelchair. She said she’d arrange an aisle chair to get me to my seat.
We were first to board the plane. By the plane’s door, two men met me with the aisle chair. A baggage handler was there to take my wheelchair to the cargo hold. On the plane we went.
It was well into the flight when I realized that there was no safe way for me to get to the bathroom! Oops! Bad planning on my part. Fortunately, for the three-hour plus time I was on the plane I never felt an urge to go. Whew!
If there is a negative in travelling when you are mobility challenged it’s that you must wait for Everyone to get off the plane before they can bring the aisle chair on board to cart you off. Since we flew into Orlando, there were many families with lots of carry-on luggage. It must have taken almost 45 minutes before I exited the airplane strapped to one of those weird little aisle chairs.
Magically, my wheelchair was waiting for me by the planes’ door! It was unharmed and ready to go. I hopped into it and went up the ramp.
It was at Disney World where having my own wheelchair really paid off. Being able to elevate 12’ at walking speed allowed me and my wife to walk as a couple through the parks and hotels. She walked next to me, resting her hand on the armrest of the chair. We could easily chat as we took in the sights. More than that, when I am elevated to normal person height people see me coming and step out of the way. It was very much as if I were a normal person. No more having people look right over me and almost walking into my wheelchair. It was great!
Disney properties are some of the most handicapped accessible properties I’ve ever seen. Every Disney bus is wheelchair or scooter accessible and has tie downs for two chairs or scooters. . Also, there are wheelchair accessible taxis available for hire, as well. The handicapped accessible bathrooms are actually wheelchair accessible. The bathrooms were always very clean.
It was a great trip.
I should mention that as we were having dinner with some friends in Orlando, we received an interesting piece of information. Our friends had both worked for the airlines and when they heard about my bathroom concerns on the flight down, they told us that every full-sized plane is equipped with a foldable aisle chair that is available to passengers unable to walk to the bathroom.
Sure enough, as we boarded our flight home, my wife verified with the Lead Flight Attendant that there was such a chair on board. More than that, the Lead Flight Attendant said that it would be no trouble at all to roll me to and from the bathroom if it became necessary. When I requested a trip to the bathroom after the drink carts were out of the aisle, two flight attendants were happy to oblige. It took them a few minutes to find out where the chair was stored. Another few minutes passed as they tried to figure out how to unfold it. After that, however, one of the attendants brought the chair to our aisle. I slid into it (none to gracefully, to be honest). I was then wheeled to and from the bathroom with no fuss, no muss.
So, for those wheelers nervous about air travel with your wheelchairs, take heart! Plan ahead, research accessible transportation at your destination. Then, relax, pack your patience, and enjoy your travels. We now look forward to flying with my wheelchair again.
Best regards,
Jim
Comment