How to plan travel for a wheelchair user
by Brian Denger, Community Engagement Coordinator, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
Flying with a power wheelchair can be tricky so it helps to thoughtfully plan your travels in advance. A wheelchair travel check list will help ensure you’re well prepared and ready to go. Before getting to the airport, you should know that TSA will provide assistance to air travelers with disabilities as they navigate airport security and get to the gate. You’ll want to call (855-787-2227) 72 hours in advance of travel. You’ll also want to get prepared by reading the disability bill of rights and reviewing the FAA Traveling with a Disability website.
When reviewing travel options, you’ll want to consider cargo door height and width limits. Remember-if it’s too tall, you can’t fly. When making a reservation, you can find this information by reviewing aircraft details. A subsequent Google search can provide the relevant information for the aircraft you might be flying.
On travel day, you’ll want to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Ask a check in agent for wheelchair tags and have them alert gate agents. When completing the airline tag accompanying your chair, be sure to note chair brand, color, weight, battery type (non-spillable is most common), and visible damage.
Once you go through security, check in with an agent at your gate and ask to speak with the ramp coordinator. Be sure to let them know your chair should be rolled, not lifted. You'll want to plan for the unexpected so consider attaching a small bag to your chair containing wrenches and other small tools. Be aware this bag may have to be temporarily separated from your chair to go through security. If you're able to meet with the ramp coordinator personally, tell them how to disengage motors (hint: label free wheel lever/switch) and then push the chair. Explain to them that a functional wheelchair is like the legs of a chair user so all caution should be taken. Before turning your power chair over to the crew, be sure to take a picture. You'll want to plan in advance for what to do with the joystick, cushion, and head rest prior to being transferred from your power chair. Consider storing them in a duffel bag. Remember, all loose parts need to be removed and bagged. They do not count as a carry-on. Now, the name of the game is to make your chair as compact as possible so be sure to fold down or remove the seat back.
Labeling is important. Download laminated directions in English and Spanish that you can hang from your chair and tape your cell number and name to your chair for assistance with handling.
For maximum comfort, you'll want to remove your chair cushion and sit on it mid-flight. Once you've deplaned and your power chair is delivered to you, fully inspect it for damage. Take pictures of any damage and compare it to pre-flight photos. If you have any problems, be prepared to speak with a complaint resolution officer.
Air travel can be complicated. Travelers with wheelchairs are often asked to use a mix of their own familiar, personal equipment and airport wheelchairs. Further complicating matters, different airport personnel have different roles and responsibilities. For example, airline staff do not provide transfer assistance themselves. Instead, they subcontract with third party companies to manage transfers.
These subcontractors support travelers with a wide range of mobility impairments. Often, they are not especially well versed in the involved mobility impairments familiar to the DMD community. With this in mind, consider letting ticket counter and gate staff know at the time of arrival at the airport about your mobility needs and be mindful that your guidance and physical assistance will often be necessary. If you need assistance with a transfer to an airport-provided manual wheelchair, ask an employee at the ticket counter or gate to call support staff to help.
Sometimes, passengers will need to transfer several times during their travel. For example, at boarding and when getting off the plane. You’ll want to arrive early and check in at the ticketing desk so staff can tag your personal wheelchair. Though uncomfortable, it’s often more efficient to rely on manual wheelchairs at connecting airports as you’ll often have little time to access your personal chair, put it back together, and catch your next flight.
When you get to security, you are allowed to remain in your personal chair and be patted down and checked by TSA. Once you arrive at the gate, you’ll transfer to a manual wheelchair or a narrow aisle wheelchair. This is when you need to remove loose components and protect the controls and joystick (back removal, if that's part of your plan). Support staff may assist with the transfer from your wheelchair to a manual chair at the gate and then to an aisle chair at the bottom of the jet bridge. Be sure to speak to the gate agent as soon as possible to inform them of your needs and to let them know how you will help. Let them know how many people you require to assist with transfers to and from your seat. You will board with the first preboard group, so be prepared with your bags and boarding passes. This is also when your guidance and assistance are most necessary. If you have a personal canvas lift like a Perfect Lift, be sure that is under the traveler at each transfer. At each destination, you will get off last with the process done in reverse.
Do not arrive at the airport late. You'll need time to get this accomplished.
Traveler rights are protected by the Air Carriers Access Act, which is a version of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Airlines must abide by those regulations and must provide assistance when requested. Passengers also have requirements including being at the airport an hour earlier than the normal check in time. To learn more, visit: https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/wheelchair-and-guided-assistance
The procedure for compacting a power chair as well as the tools needed will vary from chair to chair. Here are a few videos that demonstrate how to compact, protect, and label chairs for handling.