We have travelled with our son Braeden both domestically and internationally. His wheelchair goes everywhere with us, and we won’t be the first family with a wheelchair to tell you we feel nervous every time we hand his chair over to baggage handling. The wheelchair is Braeden’s independence and means to enjoy his travels when he gets to our destination so there is always immense relief when we see his wheelchair arrive in one piece.
Over the years we’ve learned a thing or two about travelling with a wheelchair and have decided to put together a list of our top tips for air travel with a wheelchair.
Tips for air travel with a wheelchair
Most of my tips for travelling with a disability start with the same sentence, research, plan, communicate and double-check everything. I also can’t state it enough that communication is key.
Know your dimensions
The first thing you need to do is measure your wheelchair. Know the width, height, length and weight of the chair. If you are travelling with a power wheelchair, make sure you know the battery type. I advise saving these on your phone or in a travel preparation notebook with other travel related lists. It will be something every airline needs to know.
Check the aircraft’s cargo limitations
Not all planes are created equal and some wheelchairs will simply be too tall to fit in the aircraft’s cargo door. Don’t let your plans come unstuck by not doing your research.
Speak to the airline
Communication at every point of your travels is important. Speak to the airlines special handling department about your wheelchair and your needs from check in to disembarkation. We contact the airline with Braeden’s wheelchair dimensions, we chat through seating options as we always need to be sitting together so we can assist him, we also advise staff that we will be using Braeden’s wheelchair to the aircraft’s door.
This is also a good time to discuss any additional needs you may have during the flight. Airlines offer upper body torso harnesses and some allow other seating assistance to be used such as the CARES Harness. Sometimes these additional supports require a passenger to sit in specific seating so the airline needs to know in advance.
Let the airline know you have a wheelchair
It is surprising how many people book travel independently and rock up to the airport without letting the airline know they have a wheelchair to check in. As I’ve already mentioned, some aircraft have height limitations and many airlines can only accommodate a specific number of wheelchairs due to space.
Arrive early
It always seems to take forever for us to check in as we travel with copious pieces of luggage, we need Braeden’s wheelchair to be gate checked (this means we keep it until we get to the aircraft door) and we double-check our seating arrangements.
Take a photo
Take a photo of your wheelchair before handing it over to baggage handling. Don’t wait until the very last minute and hold up proceedings, do it while you are waiting at the gate. Perhaps even pop your boarding pass in the shot. This way you have a record of the state of your chair before it goes into the cargo hold. A quick little video would also be great.
First on, last off
Travelling with a wheelchair is an exercise in great patience as you’ll be asked to board the aircraft first and you’ll be asked to wait until all other passengers have exited the aircraft before you can disembark. Braeden loves travel but he finds this difficult to do. The wheelchair needs to get to the cargo hold once you have transferred to the plane seat and this takes time and similarly on landing, the wheelchair needs to make its way up to the plane door.
Make a request
Sometimes, despite a gate check tag on Braeden’s wheelchair, we have found that his wheelchair has been delivered to the baggage carousel area instead of to the plane’s door. For this reason, we check with the flight attendants during the flight to see if the Captain can radio ahead and communicate the need for Braeden’s chair to come to the aircraft door.
Tag it
Apple AirTags or the Android equivalent are a great way of tracking where your wheelchair is. We pop one in the pocket under Braeden’s wheelchair so we know as soon as we land if his wheelchair made the flight. It’s peace of mind for us.
Check it out
On arrival at your destination BEFORE leaving the terminal, check your wheelchair over for any damage. If you spot any, head to the baggage handling services desk and report the damage. If the wheelchair is still useable, you’ll receive a ticket acknowledging you’ve reported the damage and on return home you will be able to follow up with a quote for repairs to the airline.
If, the chair cannot be used, then the airline is responsible for sorting out an alternative and getting your wheelchair repaired.
Touch wood, we’ve only ever had minor damage to Braeden’s wheel guards. Nothing that affected our travels and the airline paid in full to have them replaced.
We all hope this won’t happen but it is good to know what to do if it does.
Pack a basic repair kit
We asked Braeden’s wheelchair manufacturer for a basic repair kit and we travel with that just in case we need to do repairs on the go.
Questions we are often asked
Can wheelchair users stay in their wheelchairs on the plane?
At the moment wheelchair users need to transfer to an airline seat. There are designs being tested for the future but I think it is safe to say we are still years away from seeing wheelchairs inside the cabin of planes. You can read about the concept design currently being shared in this news story.
How do I transfer to the airline seat?
Airlines have their preferred methods. Many continue to use slide boards which require a person to be manually lifted from their wheelchair and others use the Eagle Passenger Lifter (a hoist that transfers a passenger to their seat). This is another reason to speak with the airline so you know what they offer.
What is an aisle chair?
Aircraft have a narrow aisle which standard wheelchairs do not fit down. An aisle chair is an airline provided narrow wheelchair which fits down the aisle to assist with getting to the seat. The aisle chair does not offer much support, usually just a lap belt.
How do I get to the toilet on the plane?
This is another reason to check with the airline before booking if you need to access the bathroom mid-flight. It’s important to check the plane will have an aisle chair on board to access the bathroom.
What are the toilets like on the plane?
Airline bathrooms are tight on space for the best of us so it is little wonder that people with a disability feel anxious about what it will be like. It varies from airline to airline so it’s difficult to provide specific information.
Thankfully on long haul flights we are finding more airlines have larger bathrooms that can accommodate a person and an aisle chair to sit alongside it for transferring.
On some international flights there is an accessible bathroom on the plane which has a10cm (approximately 4 inches) wider doorway for entry. The doorway also opens out rather than pushing in. Within the accessible bathroom there is a grab bar, and if needed the flight attendants are able to open up the space further. The partition on the right side of the photo below can be opened to make the space larger within the cubicle.
Domestic aircraft unfortunately still only have the regular bathroom size cubicle.
Can flight attendants assist me?
Flight attendants cannot assist you with eating, accessing the bathroom or personal care. It is for this reason Qantas and Virgin Australia offer concession fares for travellers who are unable to travel without assistance. I’ll share links to the information on these discounted fares at the end of this tip list.
Am I able to sit in the exit row for extra room?
People sitting in the exit row of the aircraft must be able to assist in case of an emergency and for this reason people living with a disability are not allocated these seats. If you require additional space it is worth considering Economy X or extra legroom seating (these do attract an additional charge but one our family finds worth it).
We know that air travel can be daunting for someone new to travelling with a wheelchair so it’s been a topic we have covered in various ways over the years. If you are keen to learn more, the following blogs may be of assistance.
Tips on travelling with a power wheelchair
Tips for making air travel more comfortable
Air travel for wheelchair users explained
Travelling with Air New Zealand
