5 Tips to Consider When Travelling with Wheelchair in a Plane

Traveling in a wheelchair for a person with disabilities could be a difficult task especially when things come to travel via air. There are lots of travelers who flying with wheelchairs to their preferred route and often find difficulties before or even during the travel. But there are lots of simple tips that can make the process easier when flying with a wheelchair and you can simply read this article to know about these tips.

Tips for Flying with a Wheelchair

Always Arrive Early

It is recommended every traveler arrive at the airport two to three hours for their domestic or international flights and if any traveler is traveling in a wheelchair, then it is always the best thing to arrive earlier at the airport that can help you to save your time in check-in because a metal chair takes more time when check-in.

Take a Protection Bag

Take care of your wheelchair is one of the most important things and you should protect your wheelchair against any kind of damage during travel. You can carry an extra bag and pack any kind of related accessories such as footrests, side guards, and others to your wheelchair so that you can change it if somewhere it got damaged.

Label Your Wheelchair

You should always label your wheelchair to provide protection against any theft activities or loss because it will help you to find the wheelchair if you forget it somewhere inside the cabin or at the airport. You should label your wheelchair with the proper tag by entering the proper contact and other required information so that anyone can find your wheelchair if someone found it.

Remove the Side Guards

If there are side guards in your chair, then you should remove them and take them along with you in a bag when traveling on a plane. The reason behind the removal of these side guards is that sometimes they got damage during the travel or lost anywhere. It may also detect any connected things too when traveling along with it. So, you should remove the side guards from a wheelchair when flying.

Double Check for any Fault

You should check your wheelchair against any kind of fault and prepare it for your flight in order to prevent any kind of inconvenience that delays your flight or make any problem during the check-in at the security point. You can pack a repair kit along with your bag if sometimes require any kind of maintenance work during the travel.

How Does Wheelchair Assistance Work at Airport?

Most of the travelers who flying with wheelchair especially travel for the first time don’t have any idea that how wheelchair assistance work at the airport. If you want to get flying with wheelchair assistance and about its working process, then you can follow the below instructions for that:

• After booking your flight ticket, you will have to visit the airport for check-in and security checks.  You should arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure of your booked flight in order to prevent any inconvenience.
• When you arrive at the airport and contact your preferred airlines for wheelchair assistance, then it immediately comes and drops you at the terminal.
• Wheelchair assistance will provide you the facility of drop and pick up from your flight upon arrival and it is also requested for picking up the connecting flight.
• Wheelchair assistance at the airport also helps with baggage to the passengers as per the requirements.

Can I take my wheelchair on a plane?

Yes, you can also take your wheelchair on a plane as there are lots of larger airplanes that have enough space for a wheelchair. You can discuss the onboard wheelchair carrying with your airlines and also book it during the reservations to your preferred destination whether it’s domestic or international.

Where do wheelchair users sit on planes?

You will be provided your seat on a plane in a special aisle chair so that you can easily sit on your cushion inside the plane seat or any kind of thin foam pad. It also depends on the type of airline because every airline has different kinds of sitting arrangements for wheelchair users.

Do you have to pay for a wheelchair on a plane?

No, you will not have to pay any kind of fee for a wheelchair on a plane because airlines always respect passenger’s rights and especially passengers with disabilities. But you will have to inform your airlines in advance about the wheelchair before traveling to your preferred destination.

How do wheelchair users go to the toilet on a plane?

If any wheelchair user needs to go to the toilet, then they should ring a bell and ask an available flight attendant for getting assistance. These flight attendants will help you to sit on your chair from the aisle seat and then push you to the onboard lavatory.