Airplane transfer with power wheelchair

[sueart46]

I'm flying AA from Tampa to San Diego with a 2 1/2 hour layover in Dallas. I'm using my power w/c and bringing a manual one. The special needs people at AA say it would be better if I let them transfer the power chair rather than bring it to me in Dallas and have them store it again when I leave Dallas. Any opinions? Thanks. Susan

[uppitycats]

I don't have a power chair, so this is just an uninformed opinion...but from what I've seen about what you have to do to get the airline to take your power chair in the first place (deal with the battery, sometimes having to remove it, tie-ing up the chair so it won't get damaged, etc.)..I suspect indeed it'll be easier for you AND for them to let them transfer the chair itself, and you rely on your manual chair for the 2-1/2 hours (likely less, these days, as there are airline delays everywhere!) that you'll be in the airport.

 

I just flew back from La Guardia to Milwaukee, then on a regional airline for another short hop, and just getting my manual chair together and useable was enough of a hassle with the airlines. I shudder to think about them dealing with a power chair, up and down and through the airport! At least they can carry a manual chair!

[leoandhugh]

We agree with the above; we always let the airline transfer the scooter from one flight to another and use our own manual wheelchair to get from one gate to the other. Sometimes at DFW, the change in planes can also necessitate a change from one terminal building to another. If that is necessary, AA has golf-cart like vehicles which will take you and put your folding wheelchair and carry-on on the cart. Otherwise, tell the chief steward(ess) on the first flight that you have a gate-checked wheelchair on board and would like to be met by a porter to get you from one gate to the next. By gate-checked we mean you tell them when you check in at the gate in Tampa with your manual wheelchair that you want it gate checked to DFW. They will push you to the door of the plane and then take your wheelchair down to the belly of the plane. On arrival in DFW you will probably be among the last to deplane, by which time your manual wheelchair should be waiting at the door of the plane.

With your power-chair or scooter as the case may be they will take that at the luggage check-in counter, fill out the necessary paper work and see that it gets loaded on the plane. It is a good idea to carry the manual for the power chair so they can see the type of battery - wet or dry-cell - and disconnect as required by FAA:)

[katisdale]

Last month when we travelled from Charlotte to Anchorage we checked my scooter but were required to take the battery (Lithium sealed) with us into the cabin. This was required in both directions.

[cusyl]

I'm flying AA from Tampa to San Diego with a 2 1/2 hour layover in Dallas. I'm using my power w/c and bringing a manual one. The special needs people at AA say it would be better if I let them transfer the power chair rather than bring it to me in Dallas and have them store it again when I leave Dallas. Any opinions? Thanks. Susan

You can also rent one from care vacations and have it waiting in your cabin when you arrive. I think it costs around $200 - $300 but would save having yours damaged in transit or lost. You just leave it in the cabin when you leave the cruise.

[sueart46]

Thanks for all the info.

[Shebbieal]

I guess I am unusual in that I want my power chair when on a layover, however I don't book flights with tight flight times, I hate a manual chair , for me it is a female thing, I don't want to push myself as I might break a fingernail. ahahaha

 

Sherry

[uppitycats]

I guess I am unusual in that I want my power chair when on a layover, however I don't book flights with tight flight times, I hate a manual chair , for me it is a female thing, I don't want to push myself as I might break a fingernail. ahahaha

 

Sherry

 

I don't consider it a matter of what I might "want". I consider the time and trouble it takes me ...and the airline crew .. to prepare a power chair to be transported, the cost of the power chair and the risk of damaging it getting it on the plane/off the plane/into the terminal where I might be/back out of the terminal/back on the plane and again (depending on how many transfers I need to get to my destination.

 

If indeed the layover is more than a few hours, or overnight, of course I'd want my power chair. But for anything less than 3 hours, I'll "make do" in a manual chair.

[DesrtDrmr]

Just a little heads up for you .............. based on MY experience........

As long as you have YOUR manual chair, and someone to help you, you'd be okay checking your power chair through. I usually take my scooter, and rent a manual chair to be in our cabin when we arrive at the ship. It's less expensive to rent a manual chair than a powered anything. When we have layovers at DFW, I want my own chair or scooter. You have to get from the plane to the center "aisle" of the terminal to get to the carts. There are golf type carts to get you from gate to gate, but they leave you at elevators at the end of terminals, you have to take elevator up or down, and wait for another golf cart to pick you up. If you take the train, you have to do the same thing. No one cart will take you from where you came in to your departure gate unless it is in the same terminal. My flights have NEVER been in and out of the same terminal. If you have an airport wheelchair and pusher, they just tend to dump you at the gate, and heaven help you if you have to go to the restroom or want to get something to eat or drink.

[Shebbieal]

My powerchair doesn't need to be made ready for flight, it is a Jazzy not one of those custom made jobs. I prob wouldn't gate check otherwise.

 

Sherry

[sanspike]

I guess I am unusual in that I want my power chair when on a layover, however I don't book flights with tight flight times, I hate a manual chair , for me it is a female thing, I don't want to push myself as I might break a fingernail. ahahaha

 

Sherry

 

Yes, and we how how easily that could happen!!!!!!!:D:D

[Teresa PA.]

My son is in a power wheelchair and he rode his wheelchair to the plane and they got it out when he got off the plane. I wanted to make sure it went with us. If you got gel batteries there dry cell. Take tools for tightening up the chair if they do take it apart and manual. Don't leave airport untill you check over chair. I also talked to the airlines so they new we were coming.

We had bad transfers from the airport in to the ship and when we left the ship to the airport. I hope you have a great trip.

[Gramsk]

MY DH has a power chair, we find it is best to check it in with the luggage and use his manuel or the airport chair. We have had several different experiences, we have been left at the elevator when using the airport chair and the cart or having to wait for a pusher. Now we find out before heading out to the next gate that we will have a pusher to take him all the way.

As far as the power chair, we always tell them it is a dry cell and they don't need to disconnect anything, that the chair is shut down and in free wheel. But that doesn't mean they won't disconnect, once when he got his chair back it would only go in circles, they offered to have someone from a mobility store come fix it but we didn't have the time, we needed to get to the ship. My DH figured out how to control the chair and move forward, but it was a continuous fight the whole cruise. When we got home our repair man came out and said they had plugged the wires incorrectly. So you need to understand the wire connections of the chair.

This last cruise we had a new power chair and didn't take our own advice and check out the connections. When the chair was brought to the plane, it wouldn't move, we found out they had pulled all the wires. No one knew how to connect them back. They pushed my DH up to the waiting area and promptly left and closed and locked the door to the gangway. The wing of the airport was totally deserted. I had to push him out to the front of the airport, get a porter to collect our luggage and then push my DH out to the curb where our son picked us up. Being the bright child that he is, he was able to connect the wires. The only help we got a luggage pick-up was a phone number to call in our complaint.

I complained to the airline, I was told that the chair should come back to us in the same condition as we gave it to them....Duh. For our troubles we were given a $400.00 voucher for our next flight.

It seems to always be a hassle with the power chair, but my DH is most comfortable in his own chair so we deal with it.

Good luck.