Wow Monty! Good for you, you are incredibly prepared. I'm assuming it is from lesson's learned. Bobbie
Smile Everyday > On Oct 28, 2013, at 9:57 AM, Monty <[email protected]> wrote: > > I have traveled many times through Chicago O'Hare and contacting special > needs services for that particular airlines is your first step. My experience > has been only with American Airlines and a wide variety of end results! When > you book your ticket it should have a place to indicate that you are disabled > and answered a few questions. Usually the airlines call me about a week > before my trip and will not accept my call before that time. Getting to the > airport as early as possible and no less than two hours before your flight. I > have had transportation issues in the past but luckily never miss a flight. > They will board you first and this is very important lesson at this point! I > have a large gym bag full of a week of clothing and necessary medical > supplies. Normally this bag would be a check-in but to save yourself the > baggage fee this is what you do. Depending upon how busy they are I either > have them transfer me to the aisle chair or a manual chair if the other ones > not available for some reason. Removing the seat cushion placement to the > side and I put it in my seat once I board the aircraft. Removing the leg > rest, head rest and the one arm rest that does not have my control panel on > it. Placing these items were the seat cushion was and placing the gym bag on > top of those to hold everything in place and to give some extra protection > for the chair. Now taking two ratchet straps in a crisscross pattern down to > my tiedown points on my chair or your lowest part of the mainframe. I have > some some commercial grade saran wrap to wrap up the chair allowing it to > still manually be pushed. You can also buy this saran wrap at your local home > improvement store or somewhere that has moving supplies. I got mine from work > many years ago and still using my original roll. Instructing the baggage > handlers how to disengage your motors and telling them which side is best to > lay down on because it will not fit otherwise in the cargo hold of any > domestic airliner. Have your cell phone ready to take some photos of your > chair before the flight and after it's all bundled up. I've had to file a few > damage claims with them over broken items found on the chair upon arrival. > Any other questions or concerns feel free to ask. Also get an estimate on the > approximate weight of your chair they also want to know this. Take care and > enjoy your trip > > > On Saturday, October 26, 2013 12:52 PM, Don Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > If you have a reclining chair or one that the back can be layed down\back > make sure you take any pins that have to be removed out and keep them with > you, small things tend to get lost when you least want them to. > > Don > > > From: Lissette Whitehead <[email protected]> > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 5:09 PM > Subject: [QUAD-L] 1st Time Traveling > > Hi everyone, > I will be traveling for the first time as a quad in the end of November, > (after 8 years post injury). And to make it even more exciting, I'm going to > Cabo San Lucas. I know!!! Pretty brave huh? Well not really because I live in > Mexico and I'm used to the inaccessibility. Of course I already know my way > around here where I live. Cabo is pretty much new to me, even though I've > been there before but not in a power wheelchair. I have my concerns but I > think I'll be able to manage. > What I am wondering right now is about the flying situation. I know they have > those special isle wheelchairs and that the staff at the airport help you > transfer and all that. But what about my power chair? I know they put it with > the luggage, but do they need to disassemble it? I sent a message to the > airline but I know they take a while to reply and I'm a bit anxious. > Any other traveling tips would be very much appreciated. > > Lissette Whitehead > www.lwgripgloves.com > > > > >
