Your own wheelchair at the airport

[xipetotec]

Hi all,

My wife has had reduced mobility for a few years now. She can walk short distances. Our Disney trips have so far relied on airport wheelchairs and hotel-borrowed wheelchairs. Our last trip however was a nightmare at the airport with their "contract, cannot push yourself" arrangement so she decided to just buy her own wheelchair.

That being said, this will be our first trip bringing our own. Is there anything we need to know? She is able to transfer to her seat on her own no problem. So is it just a question of rolling down the terminal and letting the airline folks store the wheelchair for us? Is there any "gotchas" I am not thinking about or aware of?

Thanks

 

[mamabunny]

Nope. You (mostly) have it right!

I travel with my own personal ECV. Here's what I expect to experience when I fly with my ECV:

- between a week and 10 days prior to flying, I contact the airline to let them know I will be traveling with my own device. Some airlines don't care; others will have a special department reach out to you to discuss your needs prior to the flight.

- I arrive early for the flight. I personally prefer to be at the Airport about 2-½ hours early. This is to allow for the bit of extra "work" you will do with the personal mobility device.

- When I check my luggage with the airline, I let them know that I will be gate-checking my device, and that I DO NOT need an aisle chair.

- Next is TSA. Here, it is fastest if you can stand and walk through the machine, and then allow them to manually "clear" your device. Since my ECV has a battery bag + charger, that adds time to the process, as that must be x-rayed separately by the TSA (at least at our home airport and when departing MCO) Most TSA checkpoints have a wooden cane handy to help with balance if you need some extra help.

- TSA will typically do a visual inspection of the chair, and may swab it as well.

- Unless you are TSA "Pre-Check" be prepared to remove shoes, etc.

- Once through TSA, I go directly to my departure gate. As soon as an airline employee appears to work that flight, I let them know that I will be gate checking my ECV and that I do not need an aisle chair. (I also have to discuss removal/storage of the battery for my ECV with them). Sometimes, they will put the gate-check tags on right then, other times they will do it just before you board the plane. Be alert to boarding times, as you will typically board in the first group.

- When it's time to board, you will typically be called in the first group. Carefully proceed down the Jetway ramp (don't try to make your first Disney ride a runaway ramp spectacular!) and when you get to the door of the plane, move to the side, and then hand the device off to a member of the ground crew (or a "host"). It will be either stored inside the plane, or more likely will be stowed under the plane in a cargo hold reserved for gate-checked equipment.

- Enjoy your flight!

- Towards the end of your flight, ask a flight attendant to let you know when your wheelchair is ready after you land. Just like at WDW, you load first, but get off last, so be prepared to wait a bit. Typically the plane is 50% or greater "unloaded" by the time I get my ECV back outside the door of the plane.

- DME (Disney's Magical Express) will store the device under the coach if you can make the stairs - if not, then you can ride on the device after it is placed on the lift, and then transfer to a seat on the bus.

Just some extra info: Please take along a pair of bicycle gloves for either the rider or the (potential) "pusher" of the chair. It is very easy to cover in excess of 10 miles per day at WDW, and hands will quickly get blistered and sore. Also, sitting for many hours at time in a standard wheelchair can become uncomfortable; you may want to consider bringing a gel cushion, or padding out the chair with towels from the Resort while at WDW.

Hope this is helpful! Have a Magical trip!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Depending on the airline/plane, a folding wheelchair may be able to be stored in a closet in the cabin. Whether it's stored in the cabin r cargo, you probably want to remove things like leg rests, the aforementioned gel cushion... and store them in the overhead compartment. These do not count toward carry on luggage limits.

 

[Mommee]

When we flew southwest we needed to have my chair inspected and tagged for condition at luggage check-in (this was in addition to the gate-check tag). My husband was not allowed to push me down the ramp- an airline employee was required to. At MCO the pilot pushed me
I was unaware that they wouldn't get the chair out very quickly at our layover location and ended up standing at the platform for several minutes. Having gate-checked strollers many times back in my mobile days we thought nothing of getting off like usual. The pilot (what was it with those awesome pilots that trip?) actually went down and got it for me. I was miserable trying to stand that long. On the way home we knew better and waited until the end to get off.

On magical express I just used the stairs while it was stored underneath. The first row was reserved for those with mobility issues.

 

[dismom57]

As stated above, you are generally first on and last off. We have noticed that you cannot push chair on the sky ramps. Gate staff always push down to plane (and almost always up lol). We cannot walk on or through security, so that adds a bit of time. But our WC is gate checked and then brought back, usually after strollers etc.

 

[tinka-belle]

If you get a folding transport chair instead of a full size wheelchair get a few bungee cords to wrap it in the folded position before the airport crew takes the chair to store it. Carry a couple of spares since bungees do sometimes snap off or get lost. Prevents some of the damage and scratches you might get from handling.

I second the bike gloves, they can make a big difference! Instead of a bike store I've seen them for less than $15 at WalMart if there is one near you.

Definitely get some type of seat cushion, sitting for long periods can get uncomfortable.

 

[Coloradomom]

We have been taking our own (transport) wheelchair for the last 8 years, and average 2 trips per year to Dianey with it in tow. We fly Southwest and at luggage check in they do their check and tag it, and we take it to the gate. Once in a while they do. It do that and then we have it done at the gate. For security take your cue at the airport, some aiorts mainstream the wheelchair owners, others have a separate line. At some point they will take it from you and wand it and/ or wipe it. After you go through then you get it back. At the gate, I go,let them know we have the chair for gate check and they finish the process and give me my claim tag and pre boarding pass. When you pre board you can sit in any row except the exit row. We usually sit up front, and since I have no issue standing, we disembark with everyone else and wait for it to be brought up with the strollers. We have rarely had to wait very long. Only issue we had once was someone grabbed it and thought it was the airport chair they had orders for their mother! Another reason it is good to get off quickly if you can. On ME it goes under the bus and we of course tip appropriately for the extra handling. Never had an issue.

 

[xipetotec]

Great, thanks everyone!

 

[SueM in MN]

Besides the answers people gave here, post 15 if the disABILITIES FAQs thread has a lot of information about air travel and security.
You can find that thread near the top of this board or follow the link in my signature.

 

[thumpie's mom]

One other helpful hint we have found with traveling with our daughter who cannot stand or walk, if you have a layover, in particular a short one, check the personal chair to the final destination and use the airport chair for the layover. We have almost missed our connecting flight waiting for her wheelchair to come up. In Atlanta we also had a wonderful pilot who had to go and find her chair for us. They had sent it to baggage claim rather than the gate. We literally had to run (not fun with carry on and a wheelchair!) to our next gate and barely made the flight. If the layover is a longer one, than we use her chair.

 

[china mom]

If you cannot transfer, notify DME that you will need a wheelchair lift when you make your reservation. The Mears buses do not have lifts, only the DME ones. Of course, we ended up on a different flight so out lift bus was not there for either of our two trips. For one trip, we had a little wait and went on the regular bus. For this most recent trip, we had a special van style bus all to ourselves.

 

[Carriemel]

As an FYI, TSA now offers a "Passenger Support Specialist" who you can contact ahead of your flights. This person will assist you through the entire TSA process, start to finish.

Check:

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support

I work for TSA

 

[rjthkids]

we just flew a month ago to Miami. My daughter isn't mobile so they processed her security check with her in her chair. I was also allowed to push her down the ramp to the airplane door and then on the aisle wheelchair--- I don't know if it was because she is a child?

I second/third/fourth getting there extra early....it takes so much stress off, especially when you are first to board the plane.

 

[SueM in MN]

we just flew a month ago to Miami. My daughter isn't mobile so they processed her security check with her in her chair. I was also allowed to push her down the ramp to the airplane door and then on the aisle wheelchair--- I don't know if it was because she is a child?

I second/third/fourth getting there extra early....it takes so much stress off, especially when you are first to board the plane.

we travel by air at least two trips a year with our daughter. She uses a wheelchair and is not able to stand or walk. Occasionally, we are asked if she can get out, but once we explain she can't stand by herself, the check her in her chair.

Whether you are allowed to push the wheelchair up or down the ramp varies. Sometimes, it's by airport, but may also be by airline at the same airline. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the deciding factor might be how steep the ramp is. Some of them are quite steep and we've noticed the ones we were allowed to push her on were the less steep ones.