First data on wheelchair damage by the different airlines released by the D.O.T.

RaySharpton

Retired and going to Disney.
Joined
Oct 28, 2000
First data on wheelchair damage by the different airlines released by the D.O.T.

wheelchair-damage-feb-2019-data-table.jpg


https://wheelchairtravel.org/first-...yZxJxWv3yEJzx84EY5PRyR235hvuEiuvtGdWTmEvhl4sw

When Congress passed the FAA Reauthorization Act last year, they included a rule that requires airlines to report the total number of wheelchairs carried and mishandled each month. The first set of data, collected between December 4, 2018 and December 31, 2018, was released by the Department of Transportation in the February 2019 Air Travel Consumer Report.

Over that time, a total of 701 wheelchairs and scooters were mishandled or damaged by the 12 largest U.S. airlines.

Despite being given more than a year to prepare for the reporting of this data, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines failed to track the total number of wheelchairs and scooters enplaned. The following footnotes were included in the ATCR:

**Southwest informed the Department that for December 2018, it reported mishandlings of all power-assisted and manual wheelchairs and scooters; however, Southwest stated that its enplaned wheelchairs and scooters number did not include any manual wheelchairs enplaned by the carrier. Southwest has disclosed to the Department that it will have the ability to reliably capture manual wheelchairs enplaned on or after January 15, 2019, in its enplaned wheelchairs and scooters number submitted to the Department.

***American informed the Department that for December 2018, it reported mishandlings of all power-assisted and manual wheelchairs and scooters; however, American stated that its process for determining the enplanement number of wheelchairs and scooters may not have consistently accounted for all wheelchairs and scooters enplaned. American has also stated that this process may have impacted American’s wholly- owned subsidiary Envoy and American’s other branded code share carriers ExpressJet and SkyWest. American has indicated to the Department that it is enhancing its process to reliably capture all reportable enplaned wheelchairs and scooters, which may take a few months.

By underreporting the total number of wheelchairs and scooters carried, American and Southwest negatively impacted their ranking, which is based on the likelihood of damage occurring.

The two carriers still accounted for the largest number of mishandled mobility devices, with Southwest at 186 and American at 151. Delta Air Lines damaged the third most wheelchairs at 101, but those accounted for less than 1 percent of total wheelchairs and scooters enplaned by the carrier.

Looking at the data set as a whole, the likelihood of damage to wheelchairs and scooters in the month of December 2018 was around 2%. Since the data is based only on damage reported by passengers, it is important for wheelchair users to file a claim each time a mobility device is mishandled, even if the damage is minor or cosmetic. The Air Carrier Access Act states that wheelchairs and scooters must be returned "in the same condition" in which they were received.
 
Wow. Southwest kinda surprises me. I mean, I know they're a crap airline but they have numbers similar to frontier and envoy!

This is why whenever I have two of every platform I develop on. So my end user, all if whom live in other states, have the working chair and I have its brother in my shop. No need to bring the whole thing along when it's time to get service or upgrades.
 
Hi, cobright. I was surprised, too. I usually use Delta out of Atlanta, Georgia, but I was looking at SouthWest airlines recently. It is amazing to me that the airline staff that load and unload the power wheelchairs are not trained to how to properly lift them. I have actually seen one or two staff try to lift and then drop a wheelchair to the conveyor belt, but that was not mine. I have seen online somewhere where one airport had a special cart to transport and lift the wheelchair mechanically
 
I saw that too.
It would be nice if they specified a little more what mishandled means and tease out the damaged from mishandled.

American and Southwest’s total counts did not include all wheelchairs/ECVs; their number mishandled was high, but without a reliable number of devices they handled, there is not a complete picture.
 
Hopefully, they will be more accountable and report more accurately or better yet, find a solution. It would help if owners would file a report for any damage no matter how slight.
 
Hi, cobright. I was surprised, too. I usually use Delta out of Atlanta, Georgia, but I was looking at SouthWest airlines recently. It is amazing to me that the airline staff that load and unload the power wheelchairs are not trained to how to properly lift them. I have actually seen one or two staff try to lift and then drop a wheelchair to the conveyor belt, but that was not mine. I have seen online somewhere where one airport had a special cart to transport and lift the wheelchair mechanically

I'm hoping that newer tech in batteries and materials will start to make these things easier to handle. I can remember when batteries and motors together were well over half the total weight of the rig. Over 150 lbs for an old Jazzy, now just over 100lbs for a Whill Ci. Get the total weight down under 75 lbs or 50 lbs with the battery removed (Lithiums have to ride in the cabin now anyway) and handlers would struggle with them much less.
 


AIRLINES DAMAGED MORE THAN 2,000 WHEELCHAIRS IN 1Q 2019

https://wheelchairtravel.org/airlines-damaged-wheelchairs-1q-2019/

Airlines must now report the number of wheelchairs and mobility scooters transported and mishandled each month, with that data being released through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Reports. The May 2019 ATCR contains data from the entire first quarter of 2019 (January-March), and suggests that airlines have made little progress to improve wheelchair handling since reporting began in December.
The numbers are grim: airlines have mishandled/damaged more than 2,000 wheelchairs and scooters in the first quarter alone. The quarterly report has been reproduced below.

may-2019-atcr-airline-wheelchair-damage.jpg


2,033 mishandled wheelchairs is a massive number. Behind each damaged mobility device is a person whom one or more air carriers have burdened without compensation. Any further restriction of a disabled person's mobility can lead to lost time, wages and opportunities—as well as significant health risks—that are not reported in this data.
On average, 1.82 percent of wheelchairs carried were mishandled or damaged in the first quarter. American Airlines and its branded codeshare partners were the worst offenders, together mishandling nearly 25 percent of all wheelchairs transported by airlines in the reporting period. Southwest was close behind with 492 damaged wheelchairs, followed by Delta with 323 (but at an industry-best 0.81% frequency).
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the following chart, which includes data on more than 117 million pieces of luggage carried by airlines in the first quarter.



may-2019-atcr-airline-baggage-damage.jpg



Across all carriers for which data was reported, approximately one-half of one percent of checked luggage was mishandled in the first quarter. In the same period, the industry damaged wheelchairs and scooters more than 3 times more frequently. That airlines treat the most expensive luggage (wheelchairs costing thousands of dollars) with less care than a $50 bag seems absurd, but that's what the data shows.
The carrier that damaged the largest number of wheelchairs and at the greatest frequency in the first quarter, American Airlines, also mishandled checked luggage at a rate 36% higher than the industry average. I've never seen an actual dumpster fire, but this might be what it looks like...
In case you missed it, here's a video of my wheelchair being mishandled by American Airlinesearlier this year. When mobility devices are treated like mine was, it's no surprise they are damaging more wheelchairs and scooters than any other airline.
 
I know I am preaching to the choir here, but those numbers are horrifying.

Even the “good” numbers are horrifying. I took a work trip once where I badly sprained my ankle, lost an entire day to the E.R. and ended up with the inconvenience of crutches for the rest of the trip. Losing or breaking my kid’s chair would have a similar impact on a trip, lots of time lost, and impaired mobility until it’s replaced because I don’t think I could get a temporary replacement with the power assist feature he needs. And many many users would be far worse off. My kid could sit and wait in a standard waiting room chair, and could be carried to the car and ride in a regular booster seat if need be. Other than not being able to drive, he could sit in easily available rental chairs. In contrast, I have friends whose kids couldn’t do any of those things, and friends whose kids couldn’t eat or access their communication devices without the precise seating system they need. So it would be more like breaking 4 limbs and their jaw. And replacing those chairs would take a long time.

United flies lots of planes with about 300 seats. If 0.89% or their ambulatory passengers were impacted in this way that would mean 2 or 3 people coming off each flight with injuries ranging between a badly sprained ankle and 4 broken limbs? There is no way anyone would fly. And United is one of the “best” on the list.

FAA needs to make a rule that airplanes need a system that allows passengers to stay in their chairs on the plane. Every other form of transportation now has this. There isn’t any other option.
 
"That airlines treat the most expensive luggage (wheelchairs costing thousands of dollars) with less care than a $50 bag seems absurd, but that's what the data shows."
I believe they treat all checked items with identical degree s of care. Mobility equipment is SO differently shaped and designed from luggage that I don't feel this is a valid comparison.

This is why, though, nobody should feel guilty about taking closet space from somebody's garment bag.

FAA needs to make a rule that airplanes need a system that allows passengers to stay in their chairs on the plane.
I don't see how this could be reasonably implemented. If such a rule were put in place - and I don't think it will ever happen - it would require serious revamping of plane interiors, special training, and increased fares.
 
I don't see how this could be reasonably implemented. If such a rule were put in place - and I don't think it will ever happen - it would require serious revamping of plane interiors, special training, and increased fares.

If they've been able to implement it on Amtrak, and public transportation systems, and school buses around the country, I don't see why. They'd need to make the first row of seats more efficiently removeable (they already are removeable, they'd just need to make it quick release), and install tie downs. They could grandfather in existing aircraft, and make airlines update as they replace or refurbish, the way they do with other ADA accommodations. And the training to tie down wheelchairs is really not a big deal. School bus aides are a low paid, undervalued professionals and so the position has a lot of turn over, and they manage to teach them to tie down chairs. In comparison, flight attendants already receive training, and have lower turnover so training them would be a piece of cake.
 
Hopefully, they will be more accountable and report more accurately or better yet, find a solution. It would help if owners would file a report for any damage no matter how slight.

Reporting slight damage is just going to gum up the system, and make the real problem get lost in bad press about the frivolous claims and shuffling of paperwork, IMO. Should people complain about a scratch, for example? Or a small dent that doesn't affect the use of the equipment? A small tear in a seat that can easily be glued back together? It's called "wear and tear' for a reason - there's no way transporting something big and heavy isn't going to cause some wear and tear. If they break it, break something off that isn't easily put back on - yes, complain away. But reporting slight damage just takes away from the true issue.

FAA needs to make a rule that airplanes need a system that allows passengers to stay in their chairs on the plane. Every other form of transportation now has this. There isn’t any other option.

But no other system of public transportation goes at the speeds of a jet airplane, which would make it very dangerous to have a heavy power chair in the plane, even if it was strapped down. Considering people aren't supposed to ride on the ECV on a bus, why would it be any safer on a plane? You've got the lovely turbulence drops, and the forces in play at takeoff and landing. I certainly would not want to be in the path of a loose electric wheelchair during an emergency landing. If you put a spot in the front, it could block an emergency exit if it came loose at impact. In the back or middle, it could propel forward and knock a few people out. The carts the attendants use lock into place on the planes when they are not in use - for a reason.

Of course, if people want to pay for wider aisles, fewer seats, etc, (consider paying twice as much as you do now) then I guess they could dedicate the back 3-4 rows of space to ECV/Echairs. Load those passengers in first, have a solid partition up to prevent forward motion in a crash, but then you've compromised access to the rear exits. If they were to use the front area, then there could be an issue during a crash of the chairs blocking forward access. The front would be good for loading though - last on, first off, etc.
 
If they've been able to implement it on Amtrak, and public transportation systems, and school buses around the country, I don't see why. They'd need to make the first row of seats more efficiently removeable (they already are removeable, they'd just need to make it quick release), and install tie downs. They could grandfather in existing aircraft, and make airlines update as they replace or refurbish, the way they do with other ADA accommodations. And the training to tie down wheelchairs is really not a big deal. School bus aides are a low paid, undervalued professionals and so the position has a lot of turn over, and they manage to teach them to tie down chairs. In comparison, flight attendants already receive training, and have lower turnover so training them would be a piece of cake.

Have you ever been through an emergency evacuation of a plane? Or a bad landing? People aren't even supposed to sit on ECVs on a bus - imagine what would happen if people were strapped into spots during turbulence on a plane, or a really bad landing.
 
Have you ever been through an emergency evacuation of a plane? Or a bad landing? People aren't even supposed to sit on ECVs on a bus - imagine what would happen if people were strapped into spots during turbulence on a plane, or a really bad landing.

The reason why people aren't supposed to sit on an ECV on a Disney bus, is because there is no safe way to attach the human to the ECV. ECV's aren't built for that. They don't have head rests, or places to attach seatbelts. So no, I agree that no one can sit in an ECV on an airplane. But someone whose ECV is damaged by an airplane is in a lot better position than someone whose power chair is damaged, because someone who uses an ECV presumably can make some transfers and also sit in a regular chair, whereas there are people who use chairs, particularly power chairs, who need the specialized positioning.

Wheelchairs are already designed specifically for transportation. They have spots for tie downs, just like the food and beverage carts have spots for tie downs. And the problem of adding seatbelts and head support has already been solved for wheelchairs. So, yes, they'd have to crash test wheelchair tie downs in various circumstances, and they might even have to engineer something different than the tie downs they use now on buses. And they might need to issue different specs for FAA approval for chairs than they ones they have now that let you know whether a chair is approved for a school bus (for example). Kind of like how at one point some carseats are approved for cars but not planes, but then as manufacturers realized that people looked for the FAA approval they changed the carseat designs to bring them into compliance.
 
...FAA needs to make a rule that airplanes need a system that allows passengers to stay in their chairs on the plane. Every other form of transportation now has this. There isn’t any other option.

...I don't see how this could be reasonably implemented. If such a rule were put in place - and I don't think it will ever happen - it would require serious revamping of plane interiors, special training, and increased fares.

First of all - a gentle reminder that not everyone who uses an ECV is still able to self ambulate. I now use my personal mobility device full time, and choose it over a chair for many reasons. The time will come, probably sooner than I want, when I will have to have a chair, but until then I prefer my ECV.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Regular readers here know that my hubs works for a major airline (and sadly they are represented in that list above) as a trained, FAA licensed Airframe & Powerplant mechanic. Just the engineering that goes into the standard seats on an aircraft is intense, not to mention the systems - the mechanical underpinning - that holds those seats in place, and prevents them from breaking free during turbulence, rough landings, etc. When those seats *are* removed, or replaced, it is a Big Deal, with capital letters. And lots of paperwork for the FAA, including the name/license number of every person who touched those seats.

Engineering that same level of safety into a tie down system that could actually accommodate chairs and/or users of all sizes - not to mention where tie down points are in different places is not impossible, but highly improbable. There would be a hugely prohibitive cost per aircraft: Who is supposed to absorb that cost? The airline? The airline is going to say that it already offers a solution - it isn't the one you *want* (an aisle chair to your assigned seat, with storage in the hold below for your personal device) but it is the solution that treats every passenger the closest to the same, which is the point of the ADA. So, I promise you, the airline will pass that cost on to *every* traveler, and that is going to be a VERY unpopular decision with every person who walks past those tie-downs, regardless of whether they are empty or full.

Current passenger aircraft aren't "modular" in that you could take seats in and out at the airport; most airlines these days have minimal (if any) ground crew who are certified by the FAA to do that, except at major hubs.

Some of the smaller passenger jets (think "regional carriers" who fly out of big cities to smaller airports) would not be able to be retrofitted because the chairs would by their very size protrude into the aisle, which is against FAA regs for a carrier - aisles have to remain clear for emergency egress.

And, lets talk about that for a moment. One of my hubby's "specialties" is those aircraft doors that have to open, and seal shut, and instantly deploy a slide in the event of an emergency. There is no way in the world to safely get a person in any kind of wheelchair down a slide. Period. Best case scenario the chair will tip forward, and the person will slide down on their face. If the chair happens to dig into the slide, and flip the person over, they may, or may not break their neck, and/or tumble uncontrollably to the bottom.

And there is so much more to consider. What happens if you dedicate space for 3 wheelchairs, but 4 show up for the flight? What happens if ZERO chairs show up for the flight, and now there is unsold space on that plane? Space that will sit empty, and I assure you, just p*ss off the able bodied to no end. There would be at least a half a dozen Insta posts about how there's all this space for people who don't even show up to use it. You can't just "pop" a standard passenger seat in there.

Training the crew to tie down a wheelchair could - eventually - be incorporated into FA (flight attendant) training, but it won't happen until it is incorporated into their contract - and the FA unions will have a LOT to say about it, and again, the FAA will have to sign off on it.

And NONE of that can't happen until the FAA signs off on a number of other things, from engineering the tie downs to making sure that the "majority" of devices will be able to be carried in a such a fashion, which requires testing, which costs money and time. Then and only then could airlines even begin to consider if they wanted to do such a thing.

BUT before a single wheelchair user could even consider rolling on board, the FAA would have to "certify" the chair for flying as well. So, even if magically it all happened tomorrow, until the chair you use is certified - by the FAA - as safe for air travel, you still couldn't board an aircraft in it. Once upon a time, this wouldn't have been near the problem it is now, but with so many different kinds of power wheelchairs being sold - I just counted more than a dozen brands on Amazon alone - getting each manufacturer to procure FAA certification for their chair(s) that they sell could be done as new chairs are introduced... but the thousands (if not millions) of "old" chairs that are still perfectly fine and usable on the ground would not be allowed to fly.

And the nightmare that is certification will also, BTW, result in some of the shadier Amazon & eBay sellers forging FAA certificates, because they won't want to come under FAA scrutiny. What happens the first time one of those cheap-o knock off chairs has a mount that fails during takeoff/landing/turbulance? Someone will get hurt - most likely more than one person.

It's not as easy as it seems.

So, no. It's not going to happen.

In the interim, there *are* things you can do to help mitigate the possibility of damage. Be sure and remove anything and everything that could possibly come off in the hold. If you want something to stay in place, use Velcro straps (Velcro OneWrap is great for this). You can bring an empty bag to put these things in, they will fly free with you in the cabin, as part of the chair.

Some understanding of where mobility devices are stored may help as well. Every plane has a "hold" which is a good-sized cargo compartment that is designed for things like mobility devices and strollers and car seats that aren't being used, and folks who need to "gate check" a bag after all the other cargo and luggage has been loaded and balanced. This hold is typically on the left side of the plane as you are seated facing forward, and is usually under either First Class, or the first few rows of Coach seating. Items are loaded in the order they are presented to the gate crew - so if you want your chair to be first in - so that there is less chance of it being placed on top of other items where it could tumble around and shift during flight - make sure you are at the airport early. Get through TSA, and as soon as there is a Gate Agent, approach them, and let them know that you are there, and ready to board as soon as possible. If they offer you an airport wheelchair to transfer into, so that your chair can go down to the hold, take them up on it - the sooner it gets down there, the better. This is the time to start removing anything, from cupholders to removable joysticks, when they are offering to take the chair.

I have seen people with laminated tags that they place on their personal device with instructions for ground crew. It's a great idea, but most ground crew members don't have the time to stop and read a two-sided document about the care and handling of your device.

It's not a perfect system, by any stretch. Could it be made better? Possibly. The first place to start is by asking all airlines to provide greater training to ground crew members - the actual folks who will load and unload your device. Aircraft manufacturers can also help by creating appropriate storage that can be utilized first for mobility devices, but still easily repurposed for general storage. Those are changes that are possible - and I hope probable.
 
Thanks for this information, Ray.
I too am shocked by the statistics for Southwest. They've always been so helpful to their mobility challenged guests-I recently made a trip where I was in intense pain from a newly fractured pelvis and I can't say enough about how well they treated me. And everyone I've seen was treated well also. I just had the impression their employees were more considerate than the statistics show.
 
One thing to remember when reading that report is that “damage” may or may not be significant. A quote from the report: “it is important for wheelchair users to file a claim each time a mobility device is mishandled, even if the damage is minor or cosmetic.” It would be more useful if the damages were categorized in some way, but at least this is a start on the reporting.

And unrelated to damages, but an important distinction to make is that airlines do not follow ADA, they are governed by the ACA (Air Carriers Act).
 
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First of all - a gentle reminder that not everyone who uses an ECV is still able to self ambulate. I now use my personal mobility device full time, and choose it over a chair for many reasons. The time will come, probably sooner than I want, when I will have to have a chair, but until then I prefer my ECV.

°o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o° °o°

Regular readers here know that my hubs works for a major airline (and sadly they are represented in that list above) as a trained, FAA licensed Airframe & Powerplant mechanic. Just the engineering that goes into the standard seats on an aircraft is intense, not to mention the systems - the mechanical underpinning - that holds those seats in place, and prevents them from breaking free during turbulence, rough landings, etc. When those seats *are* removed, or replaced, it is a Big Deal, with capital letters. And lots of paperwork for the FAA, including the name/license number of every person who touched those seats.

Engineering that same level of safety into a tie down system that could actually accommodate chairs and/or users of all sizes - not to mention where tie down points are in different places is not impossible, but highly improbable. There would be a hugely prohibitive cost per aircraft: Who is supposed to absorb that cost? The airline? The airline is going to say that it already offers a solution - it isn't the one you *want* (an aisle chair to your assigned seat, with storage in the hold below for your personal device) but it is the solution that treats every passenger the closest to the same, which is the point of the ADA. So, I promise you, the airline will pass that cost on to *every* traveler, and that is going to be a VERY unpopular decision with every person who walks past those tie-downs, regardless of whether they are empty or full.

Current passenger aircraft aren't "modular" in that you could take seats in and out at the airport; most airlines these days have minimal (if any) ground crew who are certified by the FAA to do that, except at major hubs.

Some of the smaller passenger jets (think "regional carriers" who fly out of big cities to smaller airports) would not be able to be retrofitted because the chairs would by their very size protrude into the aisle, which is against FAA regs for a carrier - aisles have to remain clear for emergency egress.

And, lets talk about that for a moment. One of my hubby's "specialties" is those aircraft doors that have to open, and seal shut, and instantly deploy a slide in the event of an emergency. There is no way in the world to safely get a person in any kind of wheelchair down a slide. Period. Best case scenario the chair will tip forward, and the person will slide down on their face. If the chair happens to dig into the slide, and flip the person over, they may, or may not break their neck, and/or tumble uncontrollably to the bottom.

And there is so much more to consider. What happens if you dedicate space for 3 wheelchairs, but 4 show up for the flight? What happens if ZERO chairs show up for the flight, and now there is unsold space on that plane? Space that will sit empty, and I assure you, just p*ss off the able bodied to no end. There would be at least a half a dozen Insta posts about how there's all this space for people who don't even show up to use it. You can't just "pop" a standard passenger seat in there.

Training the crew to tie down a wheelchair could - eventually - be incorporated into FA (flight attendant) training, but it won't happen until it is incorporated into their contract - and the FA unions will have a LOT to say about it, and again, the FAA will have to sign off on it.

And NONE of that can't happen until the FAA signs off on a number of other things, from engineering the tie downs to making sure that the "majority" of devices will be able to be carried in a such a fashion, which requires testing, which costs money and time. Then and only then could airlines even begin to consider if they wanted to do such a thing.

BUT before a single wheelchair user could even consider rolling on board, the FAA would have to "certify" the chair for flying as well. So, even if magically it all happened tomorrow, until the chair you use is certified - by the FAA - as safe for air travel, you still couldn't board an aircraft in it. Once upon a time, this wouldn't have been near the problem it is now, but with so many different kinds of power wheelchairs being sold - I just counted more than a dozen brands on Amazon alone - getting each manufacturer to procure FAA certification for their chair(s) that they sell could be done as new chairs are introduced... but the thousands (if not millions) of "old" chairs that are still perfectly fine and usable on the ground would not be allowed to fly.

And the nightmare that is certification will also, BTW, result in some of the shadier Amazon & eBay sellers forging FAA certificates, because they won't want to come under FAA scrutiny. What happens the first time one of those cheap-o knock off chairs has a mount that fails during takeoff/landing/turbulance? Someone will get hurt - most likely more than one person.

It's not as easy as it seems.

So, no. It's not going to happen.

In the interim, there *are* things you can do to help mitigate the possibility of damage. Be sure and remove anything and everything that could possibly come off in the hold. If you want something to stay in place, use Velcro straps (Velcro OneWrap is great for this). You can bring an empty bag to put these things in, they will fly free with you in the cabin, as part of the chair.

Some understanding of where mobility devices are stored may help as well. Every plane has a "hold" which is a good-sized cargo compartment that is designed for things like mobility devices and strollers and car seats that aren't being used, and folks who need to "gate check" a bag after all the other cargo and luggage has been loaded and balanced. This hold is typically on the left side of the plane as you are seated facing forward, and is usually under either First Class, or the first few rows of Coach seating. Items are loaded in the order they are presented to the gate crew - so if you want your chair to be first in - so that there is less chance of it being placed on top of other items where it could tumble around and shift during flight - make sure you are at the airport early. Get through TSA, and as soon as there is a Gate Agent, approach them, and let them know that you are there, and ready to board as soon as possible. If they offer you an airport wheelchair to transfer into, so that your chair can go down to the hold, take them up on it - the sooner it gets down there, the better. This is the time to start removing anything, from cupholders to removable joysticks, when they are offering to take the chair.

I have seen people with laminated tags that they place on their personal device with instructions for ground crew. It's a great idea, but most ground crew members don't have the time to stop and read a two-sided document about the care and handling of your device.

It's not a perfect system, by any stretch. Could it be made better? Possibly. The first place to start is by asking all airlines to provide greater training to ground crew members - the actual folks who will load and unload your device. Aircraft manufacturers can also help by creating appropriate storage that can be utilized first for mobility devices, but still easily repurposed for general storage. Those are changes that are possible - and I hope probable.
As an employee of a MAJOR aerospace company working in their commercial airplane portion, out in the factory, everything @mamabunny said is spot on! It's never going to happen! There is way too much inspection, engineering and FAA approvals that would have to happen. There is way too much safety-wise that could go wrong. If a tie-down came loose mid-flight(or on take off or landing) and that caused the wheelchair to get loose, it could be like a projectile, with someone unfortunately sitting in it. I can't even imagine the damage to the interior/fuselage it could cause and possible injuries to passengers.
 

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