PurpleDove said:
I am flying for the first time next week with a wheelchair and this is only my 3rd time flying ever. I don't know what I have to do. My wheelchair has quick release wheels. Is that going to be a problem with them falling off? Anyone that can give me some help on what to do and expect would be really helpful. Thanks.
My DD's wheelchairs thru the years have always had quick release wheels. They don't come off easily and are not a problem for the plane. To activate the quick release on my DD's whelchair tires, you need to push in a button and while pushing it in, sort of "shimmy" the wheel off. Hers require some effort and several steps to remove, so they won't just fall off (if they did, it would make for some exciting wheelchair rides).
What you want to do is gate check your wheelchair. That allows you to keep and use it until you board the plane. The wheelchair will be delivered to the gate at your destination (if you have a connecting flight, you may have a choice of having it delivered to the gate at the connecting city or at your final destination or at baggage claim).
Ask about gate checking when you check in for your flight. Sometimes they will give you a gate check tag right then; sometimes they will tell you to get one at the gate. Don't wait until boarding - that is a busy time and the chance of the gate check tag being incorrectly marked increases. We saw someone on our last flight who
expected their DD's wheelchair to be delivered to the gate, but my DD and I saw it loaded into the baggage handling cart for delivery to baggage claim (we had an anxious few minutes thinking it might be my other DD's wheelchair).
Be sure to tell them that you need/want to preboard so that you can get on before the other passengers. They used to automatically do this if you had a wheelchair, but in the last few years, we have found that if we don't ask, they don't preboard.
If you can walk a short distance, you can bring the wheelchair right up to the door of the plane (sometimes you can even drive it in to the sort of "lobby" area of the plane). At that point, you would get out and walk to your seat and someone else in your party could get your wheelchair ready to stow. If you can't walk, you can transfer to a skinny wheelchair called an aisle chair. It can be wheeled right down the aisle of the plane and you transfer out when you get to your seat.
If your wheelchair has pieces that DO come off easily, those pieces should be removed before the wheelchair is given to the baggage handlers for stowing (things like armrests that pull off, headrest, seat cushions that are fastened by velcro, or footrests with easily activated swing away features). If the chair can be folded and will stay folded, that may be the best. Make sure to fasten anything like footstraps or seatbelts that could become caught in the wheels if they are hanging down. If the wheelchair will fit in the closet, you do have a right to put it there (although there is no guarantee that a plane will have a closet, that the closet will be big enough or that it will be empty enough for the wheelchair).
I hope this helped. Post more questions if you still need some answers.
