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How do you board an airplane in a wheelchair? - Pat

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your question.  Traveling by airplane with a physical disability is not easy, but it can be done and this is how I do it.  I leave for the airport 2 -3 hours before my departure.  Most people I know do this too because of the long lines.  I head for my departure gate and notify the staff regarding my wheelchair.  They tag my wheelchair and usually tell me that they want to pre-board me before the other passengers.  The airlines do this because people with physical limitations need time and space to load the plane.

Before I load the plane, I have my aide and my husband take me to the "family rest room" so that I can empty my bladder.  The bummer part is that I need to lie down to do this.  The family bathrooms are great because there is a lot of space but they only have a changing table that can hold a small child.  So consequently my aide and husband transfer me to the floor to do my personal care.  Let me tell you, those floors are pretty discussing but we put down a pad for me to lie on.  I can go up to five hours before I need to empty again so I can only take 3 hour flights at the most.  I could put a tube in me that would stay in all the time but I really don't want to. Everyone should do what's right for them.

OK, I have an empty bladder and I'm ready to be loaded onto the plane.  I drive my electric wheelchair down to the open door on the plane.  Then I'm transferred and strapped onto a skinny chair that will take me down the plain's aisle to my seat.  Then my aide and my husband lift me and put me in my seat and I am belted in and ready to go.

My wheelchair is then brought down by an elevator or lift and loaded into the bottom of the plane with the luggage.  In the old days, when wheelchairs had batteries with acid in them, the batteries had to be removed and boxed up separately.  But now most chairs are powered by gel batteries or batteries that are sealed and safe for traveling.  But as a precaution I
tape signs to my wheelchair that states "This chair has gel batteries- do not remove them." 

At the end of my flight, I have to wait for the rest of the passengers to depart before I'm again loaded on the aisle chair and then transferred back into my electric chair.  One time my electric chair came back in different pieces because the airline staff mistakenly removed my batteries.  Previous to the flight, I had told the staff at the check in gate that my batteries did not need to be removed but I guess they didn't communicate that with the baggage handlers.  Thus the reason I now tape signs to my chair when flying.

I've been treated poorly by some airline staff.  I see them roll their eyes in frustration as I roll towards the cockpit.  They look at me and see a hassle.  Something extra they have to do.  It was so bad on one flight I wrote a letter documenting my poor service and got a letter of apology and free airline tickets!  But most often I've been treated with respect.  On one flight I got bumped up to first class.  That was fun!

Overall, traveling by plane is a real hassle.  I can do it but it's not convenient.  Also if I fly some place I need a wheelchair accessible van to get around.  Wheelchair Getaways and other businesses like them, rent vans with wheelchair lifts all over the US and other places as well.  With proper planning, I've been able to go where I want to.