Flying with Power

Hello everyone!

I’m long overdue for getting this blog going. I guess I was waiting for just the right topic to kickoff things with. Sometimes I might write about accessibility and disability related topics, and other times I might write about business-related topics.

For this first blog I decided to write about my favorite thing to do – travel – and more specifically, flying with a power chair. I recently went on vacation (a cruise, which I’ll likely blog about soon) and received numerous questions about flying with a power chair and physical limitations.

I’ll start by addressing the first general question I tend to get asked – is it easy?

No, it’s not. Being someone who has flown numerous times, it has become easier. But that’s because I’ve been there and done that, and I know what to do. It’s my hope that this blog will encourage you to fly and have an easier experience doing so.

The second question I frequently get asked – can I stay in my power chair on the airplane

No. Airplanes are not designed for this. As nice as that would be, I don’t see that happening any time soon.

The first thing I suggest is answering these questions:

1. Will I need extra space for transferring in-and-out of the plane seat?
2. Will I be traveling with someone who can transfer me in-and-out of the plane seat?
3. What am I going to need to sit comfortably in the plane seat?
4. When it comes to my power wheelchair, what is the height, width and weight? Are the batteries dry cell?
5. What are the “breakables” on my power wheelchair and can they be removed?
6. Will I be traveling with other medical equipment? Will I need to use it during the flight?

The best way for me to help you answer these questions is to detail my flying routine, starting with booking my flights.

Yes, you can book online. I always do and book directly through the airline website instead of a third-party vendor. I never, ever book flights that are not nonstop. This usually means it will cost more, but it’s worth it. Oftentimes when you fly with connecting flights you generally don’t have a lot of time in between flights. With how long it generally takes to get-on-and-off the plane, you could find yourself in a mad dash to make your connection and missing your opportunity to board the plane early. Also, the more times your power chair has to be transferred in-and-out of the cargo bay, the greater the risk of damaging it. There’s a possibility it could not even make it on to your connecting flight, especially if there’s not much time in between flights.  Flying with connections generally also makes for a long day, so if eating and using the rest room, and soreness and fatigue can be issues for you, you should keep that in mind.

If you’re like me, and quite honestly most people who use a wheelchair, you will need extra space for transferring in-and-out of the plane seat. Regular plane rows barely have enough legroom for the average passenger. It’s either impossible or extremely uncomfortable to be transferred by someone else into that narrow space. This means that you will need ADA seating. I’ve never been able to specifically book ADA seating online because most airlines block it out in case there’s a passenger with special needs  requiring it (it’s generally blocked until 24-48 hours before the flight) or because it’s considered premium seating (Delta calls it Economy Comfort) and they charge extra for it. It’s important to know that no matter what, even if it’s considered premium seating, the airlines cannot charge you extra for ADA seating.

There are two kinds of ADA seating. The most accessible is called Bulkhead Seating. In my opinion, this is the most accessible seating. Bulkhead seating is typically the first row of the Coach or Economy section of the plane. This row will generally either have a wall in front of it or a curtain separating that row from the section in front of it (almost always the First Class section). The legroom is approximately double that of a standard row, which is what makes it the most accessible seating. This extra space allows for a more comfortable, safe and easier transfer, whether you are able to transfer yourself or someone assists you. For me, this is the only seating I can be transferred in. The extra space also allows room for a service dog or room to accommodate a prosthetic or fused leg. If you meet either of those criteria, you will for sure require Bulkhead Seating.

Bulkhead Seating is not the Exit Row. Due to FAA guidelines, any and all passengers seated in an Exit Row must be willing and able to assist with evacuating passengers in the event of an emergency. Passengers with disabilities cannot sit there.

The other ADA seating really barely is accessible, in my opinion. The only differences between this other ADA row and a standard row are 1) the armrest flips up and 2) there’s an additional 4” of legroom. Unfortunately for many of us who have to transfer either independently or with assistance, that 4” doesn’t do much good and even if you can make the transfer, passengers in the seats next to you are going to have a challenge getting out to use the facilities or to get off the plane while you’re waiting to transfer.

I strongly suggest Bulkhead Seating. Unfortunately, as airplanes are being redesigned (to cram in a few additional higher priced seats), Bulkhead Seating is being removed. Not every airplane has this anymore and is something to be aware of when booking your flights. On my recent trip I had to be switched (in advance) to a later flight because my original flight didn’t provide Bulkhead Seating.

After booking my airfare I contact the airlines. The sooner, the better. How depends on the airline. Delta doesn’t accept Customer Service requests in writing. Believe me, I’ve tried just to ensure there is a paper record of my request and information. With Delta I always call the Special Needs Desk. I make sure I have my reservation number ready and am prepared to provide information about whichever wheelchair(s) I will be flying with, such as height, width and weight, and whether my batteries are wet cell or dry cell (gel batteries are dry cell).

I identify myself to the agent on the phone as a passenger with a physical disability who will be flying with a power wheelchair, who will be flying with me and that I need my seating assignment changed to the Bulkhead Seating. Generally you are allowed to have just one caregiver / companion relocated to that row with you, although on occasion you can get away with two – usually if you ask when you’re at the gate or onboard if there’s a seat open.

The agent on the phone will reassign your seats and tell you what your new seating assignment is. If you absolutely have to have Bulkhead Seating, verify that your new seating assignment is for sure in the Bulkhead Seating. I usually have the flight with seating map pulled up on my computer while on the phone with them, just to see for myself.

While this has never happened to me, I suppose it’s possible that the Bulkhead Seating has already been reserved for other passengers with Special Needs. In that case, you will likely have to switch flights. This is why the sooner you contact the airline, the better. Airplanes can only have so many power chairs in cargo, so if there are already multiple passengers with power chairs booked on that flight, you will likely have to switch flights. Again, this has never happened to me, but I have heard of it happening.

The agent on the phone will also ask if you will need assistance boarding and de-boarding the airplane. Even if you don’t, just say yes. This will keep them from asking questions that might confuse them with your answers. You can always decline the assistance at the gate.

They will then take information about your wheelchair and that should be it. These phone calls can sometimes be long, just to give you a heads up.

Now, if I’m contacting an airline in writing, as I do with Sun Country, I always actually mail a letter to the Customer Service department. I never email. Emails can get lost. Letters can be sent certified mail.

In this letter, I state that I am a passenger with a physical disability who will be flying with a power chair, who will be flying with me, my flight dates with times, departure locations and arrival destinations and flight numbers.

Next I state that I need my seating assignment changed to the Bulkhead Seating. If I know which row and seats are Bulkhead Seating, I specifically give which seat numbers I want. With Sun Country I do this because I know which seats are Bulkhead Seating.

I then indicate that my caregiver will transfer me on-and-off the airplane, and will not require assistance or an Aisle Chair. I’m light enough to just be carried and the Aisle Chair doesn’t provide the support I need to go even a short distance. I state that this is not a fast process and ask that they allow me to begin boarding as early as possible and before they board other passengers.

Next I provide information about my chair and proceed to go into details about the handling of it. I state that my caregiver will remove parts of it and they will go in an additional small carry-on suitcase, and will then collapse my chair so they won’t need to potentially tip it on its’ side, before they can bring it to cargo. Fortunately for me, my power chair is very travel-friendly.

I then strongly emphasize that it must go in an elevator and that they absolutely cannot carry it down or up any stairs. They always have to lift it to get it in to cargo, so I state that they will need at least four people to lift it and that when they lift it, they must only lift it from the (red) frame.

To help them be prepared and to try to speed up the process, I ask that they have crews ready and waiting at my flight times.

I then ask them to call me to verify that they have received my information and have changed my seating assignments.

This is what works for me. If you have other needs, it’s a good idea to let them know. For instance, if you need oxygen or BiPap onboard, there are requirements for your equipment. I don’t need these onboard, so unfortunately I can’t tell you more about it. Sorry!

As I said previously, the sooner you contact the airline, the better. Under the Air Carrier Act, if you don’t identify yourself as a passenger with a disability at least 24 hours prior to your flight and don’t check-in at least one hour to your flight, the airline is not required to make certain accommodations.

Now let’s fast-forward to the day of my flight…

Because I disassemble parts of my chair before it goes into cargo, I prepare a small carry-on suitcase. In this I include everything I might need for my chair. I typically include a small basic toolset, a set of allan wrenches, zip ties, duct tape, electrical tape, scissor, a couple of straps that are 1” wide, my laminated sign with lifting instructions for my chair, and a shoe box to put  my feet on on the plane (my feet don’t reach the floor). Also typically included are my attachable headrest parts for use on the shower chair I’ll be renting, the programmer for my power chair, my owner’s manual for my power chair and my battery charger. Yes, it all fits. These are all items that need to be kept with me in the event something goes wrong with my chair from flying and in case my actual suitcase gets lost.

I always strive to be at the airport at least two hours before my flight, but usually earlier. Checking in and going through security with two wheelchairs (my power and my manual), tools and some other medical items will usually take longer. You will need to check-in at the ticketing counter. Online, curbside and the kiosks aren’t options when traveling with wheelchairs and medical items.

When at the ticketing counter, it’s important that a few things happen…

• They will verify that your chair batteries are dry cell. If your batteries are not, they cannot be in your chair on the plane. I believe they will remove them from your chair and put them in a special box.
• I tell the agent that both my power chair and my manual chair will be checked-in at the gate, and will go down the jetway with me.
• I tell the agent that I have an additional carry-on for my chair parts and necessary medical supplies.
• I tell the agent that when weighing the suitcase that I’m checking-in there will be overweight because of medical equipment and supplies. They should know that if it’s overweight for medical needs, the overweight fee is not charged. If they try charging you an overweight fee, remind them of this and ask for a supervisor, if necessary. In instances that at least half of the suitcase is medical, they usually even wave the baggage fee.
• On occasion I will check two suitcases, where one is entirely medical. Additional baggage for medical needs is free. They cannot charge you for it. When this is the case, I make sure the agent knows my second checked suitcase is all medical. Again, they should know there’s not a charge for it. If they try charging you for it, remind them of this and ask for a supervisor, if necessary.

From there we move on to the TSA and security screenings. So much fun. Just kidding, it’s usually not bad for me. Most airports will either have a line for passengers with disabilities or will just bring you to the front of the line.

My caregiver removes my purse, backpack, camera bag, wheelchair tray, and phone holder from my chair and places them on the screening belt and in bins as necessary. I usually travel with my portable suction, so that goes there, too. My small carry-on for my chair parts also goes through there. From here on, my caregiver is responsible for these items because we will likely get separated and she’s responsible for letting the TSA know about the tools I travel with and what they are for.

Note: If you’re traveling by yourself they will help you with this and retrieve your belongings for you.

A TSA agent will take my manual chair and begin checking in. They will wipe it with pads that are run through a machine to check for chemicals. They will then inspect it for explosives, hazardous materials and prohibited materials.

Passengers who use wheelchairs undergo a manual screening and also have their wheelchair inspected.

Because I’m a female, only a female TSA agent can screen me. I usually end up waiting a few minutes for a “female assist.” The TSA agent will bring me near their testing equipment. They should offer you the option of a private screening area, if you’re interested. I never use one. She explains that she’s basically going to slide the backside of her hands all over me and then will ask a series of questions, such as are there any parts of my body that are painful to touch, are there any parts of my body that are sensitive to touch, can I lift my arms, can I move my arms and is it OK for her to move them for me. Then she proceeds. Sometimes I get a really thorough pat down (usually at the Orlando airport) and sometimes I barely get touched.

After that she will test my shoes. Passengers with disabilities don’t have to remove their shoes if it’s difficult to do so and to put them back on. I always decline removing my shoes. They will simply wipe it with the pads that are run through a machine to check for chemicals. If your shoes test positive, you will likely have to remove your shoes for screening. It happened to me once and it was pretty funny.

Then she will test my power chair the same way as my manual chair, with one additional step. Because power chairs have equipment underneath, they also go around my chair with a mirror that allows them to see under my chair.

We are usually good to go after that, but sometimes my carry-ons are still being inspected for various reasons. This last trip they went through my disposable flexible straws one-by-one.

From there we go straight to the gate. If they are ready to check-in for my flight, I’ll go ahead and do that and begin discussing with the gate agent how things are going to go. Here’s what needs to happen at the gate with the gate agent:

• I explain that both of my wheelchairs will go down the jetway with me.
• The gate agent needs to tag both wheelchairs with jetway tags, so that they know at our destination that these need to be brought to the jetway. Make sure they give you the tear-off portion with a number on it from both in case either gets lost. Yes, it occasionally happens. My power chair was left in Nashville once.
• I tell the gate agent that my small carry-on suitcase is for my wheelchair and that it needs to go onboard with me. Most of the time it will fit in the overhead bins or the flight crew closet. In the event that it doesn’t fit, they will also tag this with a jetway tag and will go with my power chair to cargo.
• I explain to the gate agent that I don’t need assistance transferring and that I don’t need the Aisle Chair. I tell them that my caregiver will carry me from the jetway to my seat. No matter how many times you tell them you don’t need assistance or the Aisle Chair, the workers who do transfers will still show up, and with the Aisle Chair, and they will ask you probably five times if you’re sure you don’t need them.
• I then explain to the gate agent that I need as much time as possible to board the airplane before they board other passengers, at least 20-minutes, because it’s going to take time and space to not only transfer me but to also disassemble my power chair before they can take it to cargo. I don’t care if they are still cleaning the airplane; it’s in their favor to let me begin my boarding process.

If you’re going to have their workers transfer you, be very clear about how they can and cannot transfer you. They usually only have very basic training on a basic transferring technique, which doesn’t work for everyone. I know people who have been seriously hurt from these transfers.

Once they are ready to have me board the airplane I drive my power chair all the way down the jetway and park it on a reasonably level portion of it (I have never encountered a completely level jetway). Usually the cargo worker responsible for taking my power chair will be waiting there. I take a minute to talk with him, letting him know that once my caregiver gets me on the airplane she will come back and disassemble my chair, and that she will tell him when it’s OK for him to take it. If I’m traveling with an additional person I have them stand guard over my power chair to make sure they don’t touch or take it. They are usually eager to take the chair and are notorious for wanting to drive your chair. Never let them drive your chair. Do whatever you can so that they can’t drive your chair.  My controller easily comes off, so we just unplug it and remove it. They also think they know a lot about chairs and will tell you they do “this” all the time. Yes, they may frequently handle power chairs but that doesn’t make them experts, especially when they are known to mishandle them (one airline admitted to me that they frequently break the  controllers… yes, they did).  My power chair is a customized $24,000 extension of me. They don’t touch it until they are showed how to and are given permission to.

My manual chair has a removable seat fitted for me with a neckrest and torso support straps. Basically it’s a custom car seat. My caregiver will put that on my airplane seat and secure it around the back of the airplane seat with one of my 1” wide straps from my small carry-on suitcase. If the seats have the trays on the back, she will open the tray to run the strap through it so the person behind me can still use the tray if they want to. She will also put my shoebox on the floor where my feet will be. Usually while she’s doing this a flight attend asks what they can do to help. Usually we don’t need help (the less people involved and in the way, the better), but occasionally we have one standby in case we need an extra hand to support my torso while getting my strap on. After she has removed the seat from the manual chair, the worker will bring to cargo.

She comes back to the jetway and we start partially disassembling my power chair. We unplug and remove the controller and set it aside. Then my armrests are removed and are placed in the small carry-on suitcase. Next my hip/thigh supports come off and go in that suitcase. Then the foam blocks from my footrests. We are then ready to get me out and carry me to my seat on the airplane.

Once I’m relatively comfortable on the airplane my caregiver will go finish disassembling my power chair. She will remove the neckrest and set it aside. Then she unclamps the backrest and will lay it on top the seat cushion. My seatbelt and torso strap will be tucked in so they don’t get ripped off. Next she pulls a release cord on the back of the chair and this releases the handlebars/backrest canes to fold forward over the seat. She will take the power cord that came out of my controller and tuck it somewhere safe in the chair so it doesn’t get ripped off. Then she will use at least one of my 1” straps (this one will have an actual buckle on it) and run it underneath and around my chair the short way to secure everything down. Next she will use one or two zip ties to attach my laminated sign to my chair where it’s clearly visible. After that she puts my chair into freewheel mode so it can be pushed, shows the cargo guy where they can grab the chair to lift it, gives him permission to take the chair and asks that someone come onboard to let us know the chair made it on the airplane. This is a really good idea because I’ve had my chair get left behind before and have heard stories of chairs getting put on the wrong airplanes before.

On my old power chair I would also remove my footrests, but the ones on my current chair are too big and clunky to fit in a small carry-on suitcase. I used to zip tie them to the chair but haven’t on my last couple of flights because I know they won’t have to tip my chair on its’ side and because my laminated sign is very clear about only lifting the chair from the red frame.

She then carefully arranges everything in the small carry-on suitcase, making sure the joystick portion of the controller doesn’t have pressure on it so that the gimble (the little pin inside the controller at the bottom of the joystick) doesn’t break. My neckrest does not go in the suitcase. Reason being is that the neckrest is the most important piece of my chair because I cannot sit without it; and the angles of the pads are absolutely precise. So I don’t take any chances with it. The neckrest will go onboard in an overhead bin. The small carry-on suitcase will go in an overhead bin or the flight crew closet. My backpack, camera bag, tray and portable suction will also go in an overhead bin. Yes, I use a lot of overhead space.

From there we can only hope my chair is OK. We have done everything we can to ensure its safety.

We finish getting me comfortable in my seat. Sometimes I’ll want a couple of pillows for extra support and even though I am not sitting in First Class, I am entitled to them and without charge, being a passenger with a disability.  I’ve learned that a number of rules, regulations and policies don’t necessarily apply when you have medical needs. As a gate manager very firmly told an uncooperative flight attendant once, when it comes to medical needs you do whatever is needed to make the passenger comfortable.

OK, we’re almost done… hang in there!

Fast-forward to arriving at our destination…

If you’ve never flown before, be aware that when the airplane touches down, the pilot will put on the breaks very hard. If you don’t have a good amount of torso strength or control, you’ll want to do what I do. I have my caregiver put their hand on my chest firmly and keep it there until the airplane has slowed to its normal taxing speed.

I’m always the last one off the airplane. That’s because it does take awhile to bring my chair up from cargo, especially if the elevator is on another concourse. The other passengers are generally long off the airplane before I am. That’s fine with me, but the ground crew and flight crew are usually more eager for me to de-board because they want to get the next flight boarded and off on-time. Absolutely don’t worry about that and don’t let them make you feel rushed or give in to them getting you in an Aisle Chair and waiting in that if you’re not comfortable with it. Your needs come first.

Note, if you’re arranging for transportation at the airport, schedule it for 45-60 minutes after your scheduled arrival time because of how long it takes to get off the airplane and in case there’s issues with your chair.

And, yes, the transfer workers will automatically come onboard with the Aisle Chair wanting to transfer me. I, of course, send them away. On my last trip they came onboard three times. I sent them away three times.

My manual chair is always the first to arrive in the jetway, because it can be carried up the stairs. The crew gets excited that I can get off the airplane, until I tell them that I cannot until my power chair arrives. If I’m sitting in the seat for my manual chair, I can’t exactly put the seat back in it for me to use that chair. And there’s no point in transferring me twice if we don’t have to.

When my power chair finally arrives, my caregiver will go out to the jetway and reassemble it. A little but big detail is that she will have the front of the chair facing towards the top of the jetway so when she puts me back in it, my torso doesn’t fall forward.

Once I’m settled in my power chair I will test all of my power seating functions to make sure they are working and properly, while my caregiver gets the seat back in the manual chair and gathers our belongings. And then once we are out of the jetway, I’ll have my caregiver inspect both of my chairs to make sure nothing is bent or out of place. If everything looks OK and is working properly, we have had a successful flying experience and are off to get our baggage and proceed with our trip or returning home. Yay!

Now, if you have damage to your chair, you’re not free yet.

You will need to claim the damage with the airline before you leave the airport. Once you leave the airport, they can say they aren’t liable because the damage could have happened after you left. I had an instance where I knew something was wrong but wasn’t sure what and was about to miss the shuttle to my cruise ship, so I couldn’t claim it. We ended up in a legal battle over it. I did ultimately win, for a number of reasons./

In the Baggage Claim area there is a baggage office where you will need to go. They will need your Boarding Pass, that jetway tag receipt with a number on it and your ID.  You will then need to not only tell them what was damaged, but also sometimes actually explain that part of your chair to them. They should ask you if you have a vendor you would like to use for the repair. You do not have to use their preferred vendor and I suggest that you use your own if you’re not in your home state and it’s not an urgent repair. A preferred vendor once completely lied about my chair to the airline so the airline would have a cheaper bill. They will then issue you a claim number to give to your vendor so they can bill the airline and not your insurance or you personally. In most cases you will have 24-48 hours to have the damage inspected and estimated by your vendor.

Note that airlines aren’t responsible for cosmetic damage such as scratches. In general, they are only responsible for damage that affects the function of your chair.

Experiences with claiming damage are really hit-and-miss. Sometimes they are really great and understanding, and sometimes not so much. Ultimately the goal is to do everything you can to prevent damage so that you don’t have to deal with this.

All of these steps and measures that I take are what make me pretty successful flying. But, it’s also in your approach and when I say that I mean how you approach the workers at the airline and airport. They deal with angry and crabby passengers more often than they should. You don’t want to be one of them and you certainly won’t get anywhere with your needs being one of them. Approach them calmly, politely and with a pleasant attitude throughout the process. I’ve witnessed other passengers with disabilities approach them aggressively and in a demanding manner, which made the workers immediately be defensive and not very friendly.

Also, familiarize yourself with the Air Carrier Access Act. This will help you know your rights in case you encounter issues.

I know this was long but my hope is that by sharing my experience and routine, you can formulate plans that will work for you. I know we are all different and have different needs, and that what works for one person may not work for another. I also know that I’m lucky to have a power chair that is incredibly flying-friendly with relatively easy to remove parts and the ability to fold. My biggest and most important suggestion is to remove as many breakable parts as you can from your chair; sometimes it’s as easy as a couple turns of an allan wrench.

Happy flying!