It used to be that only the vacation months and holidays were crazy times for airline travel. Now it seems to be crazy year round, no matter where you’re going or what month you’re leaving. For a wheelchair user, such as me, the trip can be so stressful that you’re not sure if you really want to take it. But I say, go for it! Here are some tips that should take some of the stress off your travels.
Direct Flight
Whenever possible, try to take only one flight to your destination. Even if it costs a little more, the money spent is worth avoiding the hassle of boarding and re-boarding. It also gives you a better chance of everything arriving in one piece.
Reserve Your Seat Ahead of Time
Reserve your seats right after you book your travel. Airplanes reserve the front row in coach, right in back of the bulkhead, for people who need help getting in and out of planes. Most people don’t know that you can reserve these seats ahead of time, free of charge, if you’re a wheelchair user. No matter what site you book your plane on – the airline site, Expedia, etc. – as soon as you book and pay for your trip, you will be given a confirmation code. Call the customer service department for that airline, tell them that you are a wheelchair user and need to reserve handicap seats. They’ll ask for your confirmation code and once everything is verified, they should reserve seats for you and your companion. Many times these seats are part of the premium section, which means they’re larger and there’s more legroom. That alone should make your trip more comfortable.
Try Tipping
When you get to the airport, arm yourself with a pocket full of five dollar bills. And tip anyone who does something for you – the person who checks your luggage, the person who gets you on the plane, etc. You might not see the fruits of your generosity on this trip, but consider it a “pay it forward” for people in wheelchairs who travel after you.
Fast Track
Make sure you use the express line especially reserved for wheelchairs and airline personnel. Many times they will “fast track” you, which means that you and your companion won’t have to take off your shoes, take your laptop out of the carrying case, etc. They will also just do a general pat down, so the whole process should take under five minutes. It helps if you are pleasant to the ticket agent as he or she is the one who determines whether or not you’ll be fast tracked. If you aren’t fast track, getting through security can run anywhere from five minutes to 25 minutes, depending on the thoroughness of the TSA agent and whether a supervisor is watching.
Be Prepared
When boarding the plane, remove anything that can be removed from your wheelchair prior to checking it. That includes foot rests, seat cushions, back cushions and armrests if they can come off easily. Store these in the overhead bin above your seats. Because you’re the first people on the plane, there will be plenty of room. Once you’ve stripped the chair, they can check it down below. Ask if they will put the chair on last so it won’t be crushed by other luggage or miscellaneous items. This is the best way to ensure that you get to your destination with your wheelchair in one complete piece.
Aisle Seat is Best
Even though you’d love to sit by the window, it’s best to get an aisle seat. This is especially true if the arm rest doesn’t lift up. People will have to crawl over you to get in and out, which may be a hassle, but it’s better than trying to have airline personnel lift you over a number seats.
Sit Back and Relax
When you arrive at your destination, you will be the last people off the plane and you probably wonder where all those people came from! There’s nothing to do but to sit back and relax until the crowd has left. This is another reason why it’s best to book a direct flight because you won’t get nervous about missing your connection. After the crew transfers and straps you into the aisle chair, they will take you off the plane. Your chair should be waiting for you outside the cabin door all in one piece and ready to go.
Complete a Passenger Profile
If you fly one airline regularly, it’s best to complete a passenger profile expressing your needs. If they follow it – and there’s no guarantee they will – many of the steps should go a lot smoother and quicker.
Obviously, these tips won’t help you with weather delays, cancelled flights, and the regular glitches that happen with airline travel. But they should help make a stressful situation somewhat easier. Safe journeys!
Be sure to share this post to help make air travel a little easier for others!
Thanks to Virginia Hoefler Schwarzkopf for these wheelchair travel tips. Learn more abut Virginia by visiting her blog One Girl’s Journey With a Spinal Cord Injury.