Electric wheelchair on a plane

[sophie81]

My sister will be flying by herself to Orlando by herself on Delta. She will be using an electric wheelchair. Has anyone done this and what was your experience? I have heard they take the chair apart from the battery? Do they put it back together??? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[clkelley]

We have traveled with an ECV on Delta before.

We always gate check the scooter. Hubby drives it through the airport to security. He can walk some, so he walks through security himself and the security personal take the scooter around and inspect it manually.

He then drives the scooter to the gate. We usually fly on the 50 seater regional jets to Orlando, (no jetway) so he goes with the airline personnel down the elevator to the tarmac and gives them the scooter at the plane.

They take the seat off, lower the tiller, and (sometimes) disconnect the batteries and load the scooter in the cargo hold. He then boards the plane normally.

When we arrive in Orlando, we wait planeside for the scooter. They bring it out and then help us put the seat back on, raise the tiller back up and reconnect the batteries.

He then drives the scooter through Orlando airport to luggage claim, and of course lately to Magical Express.

One time we flew Southwest with the scooter and they did have jetways. Hubby drove the scooter to the end of the jetway and boarded the plane on his own power. The Southwest personnel then took the scooter to the cargo hold and brought us the key back.

When we arrived in Orlando, they asked us to remain on board and they brought the scooter to the end of the jetway and we picked it up there.

Delta has a website with the details for traveling with an electric wheelchair/scooter:

http://www.delta.com/planning_reser...rs_disabilities/wheelchair_services/index.jsp

Hope this helps,

Carol

 

[pugdog]

It depends on the chair and the plane.
First make sure she has gel cell batteries, that way they don't need to take them out and package them different.
Second have a diagram of how the batteries are connected placed inside the battery box if the have to take them out and that way they should put it back together.
If the chair will fit in the cargo door rightside up then they don't taKe it apart. But if they have to tip it on it's side then they will take the batteries out. DW chair just had group 24 batteries put on and each one is in it's own case and just slide in and out. So if we didn't fold the chair some it would make it easy to take the batteries out and back in with out any undoing of any wires. ug:

 

[SueM in MN]

An ECV is a bit different than a power wheelchair since most ECVs are designed to be taken apart for transport in a car trunk. Most are relatively easy to take apart and put back together. Most power wheelchairs are not meant to be taken apart and don't have easily removable pieces.

We have not flown with DD's power wheelchair, but when we were thinking of doing it, the wheelchair tech who we knew well suggested taking off the controller and carrying it on with us in a box (which in the case of her wheelchair meant removing a few screws and plugging a wire). The reason he suggested that is the joystick/controller is the most delicate and easily damaged part of the wheelchair. The joystick can be snapped in 2 if something heavy falls against it. If we did not want to remove it, he suggested boxing it on the wheelchair to protect it.

So, my suggestion would be to contact a wheelchair tech at the place she got it to see if they have any additional suggestions.

 

[GroovyWheeler]

I haven't done it yet, but I would love to. We hardly travel with my HUGE, 300lbs. power chair, just because of the difficulties of finding transportation for it, having to rent a wheelchair van (when my mom feels more comfortable renting a car, and due to the cost of rental wheelchair vans being so expensive), and the chances of it being "damaged" from the airline, to where it wouldn't work anymore, or something similar.

However, I'm hoping that the next time we go to Disney World, I'd be able to experience the chance of driving a power chair around the Disney parks, by renting a folding one from my DME dealer, here at home. Since I need special seating in my power chair, going through them would work for me, because having one of the employees who knows me really well, and knows my seating needs really well, he would be able to find the right folding power chair for me, that my seat back (Jay 2 Deep Contour, with attached chest posture belt and headrest) that I use on my power chair now, can easily fit onto.

I've heard that having gel-cell batteries, is a must-have for a power chair, when traveling on an airplane, and from traveling with my manual wheelchair, gate-checking the wheelchair, is the definite way to go.

Samantha

 

[MidgeD79]

We had a bad experience traveling with michael's powerchair. They took the batteries off even though they were gel and it was all downhill from there. We left from Detroit and by the time we got to Phoenix the chair was in pieces! The baggage people that brought the chair to us said that was how they got the chair. It was 10 pm so my Dad put the pieces in the van and put it together the next day. that's when we found out I forgot to pack the battery charger but that's another story!

 

[dclfun]

We flew in May from LAX to MCO on Delta Song without a glitch. I have a Permobil power chair with headrest, tilt, recline, elevating footrests, attached ventilator and battery for the vent, and attached feeding pump. I had a spare, fully charged vent that I used during the flight and was allowed to drive my chair to the entrance of the plane where I was put on a transport chair and "delivered" to my seat. My chair was the last thing in the cargo area and the first thing out. Nothing had even so much as a scratch! I did notify the airline in advance and did need a physician's form filled out that I was fit to travel. I'd do it again in a heartbeat and feel like my horizons are now expanded- I had been afraid to fly due to worries about my chair/equipment. ---Kathy

 

[blizzard]

We have flown once with my MIL who has a power chair. (Next week will be the second trip in her wheelchair - first trip to WDW!)

Anyway, when we went the airline transferred her to a push chair at check in. They packaged the batteries seperately (even though they are gel cel). At the other end, they were perfectly willing to assist putting it back together. (only takes about 2 minutes to put the batteries back)

I would strongly suggest that the controller be removed before "checking" the chair. We did not do this on the last trip and after that the chair would suddenly stop working due to a loose connection. My FIL fixed the problem (loose solder) so it doesn't do that anymore, but will always remove the controller and carry it on now. It will add a few extra minutes at the other end, but is much much easier than having to have your wheelchair fixed.

We will also be using Magical Express (don't tag the wheelchair! ) so we'll see how it goes. This is my first trip to WDW with someone with special needs, so I intend to post a short writeup here with my impressions of how it went. I expect that the trip will be excellent.

 

[BCV23]

We have had several trips now with our daughter's "portable" power Quickie. We have always been able to gate check it and it has been returned quickly to us after the flight but not quite as fast as strollers or manual wheelchairs as the airline employee has to use an elevator to get the chair back to gate level. There are elevators near the gates however so it has never been too long.

We've never had to remove the batteries. I know on our last trip my husband put the chair in manual for the employees. I think at least once in the past an employee moved it with the power on but my memory could be wrong there. But my DH talks with whomever is moving it to make sure all is well.

We did Magical Express once shortly after the service began and the driver had a lot of trouble with the lift. We were going to try it again this trip but ended up going in a rental car for various reasons. I was assured though that the drivers now know how to operate the lifts.

 

[pugdog]

Ok here we go.

First off use your medical repair company to help make sure your chair is ready for travel. Have them make sure you have gel cell batteries and that nothing is loose.

Some of the things that we do are:
1. Take the joystick off and wrap it inside the chair to prevent damage.
2. We also fold the back down so that the chair will fit through any cargo door without having to be tipped on its side.
3. Use cargo straps to keep the back folded down and prevent damage.
4. Put the chair in manual so they can just push the chair to and fro.
5. disconnect the power so the tilt will not be accidently moved.
6. remove headrest and take on plane.

Some of this we have learned from not doing it and getting minor damage. The biggest one was by leaving the headrest on and something shifted down below hit the headrest and bent the back. We were able to fix it so it did not interfere with the trip but was a headache to get it fixed and paid for when we got home.

DW's chair is an Invacare Arrow with tilt and a Freedom deep contour back with headrest.

If you take some time before you go you should be able to package your chair well and limit if not eliminate damage to your chair.

And most important, don't forget your charger. ug:

 

[BCV23]

And most important, don't forget your charger. ug:

Great advice!!!