Disability Travel - broken leg

I am travelling(economy class) to South Africa with SAA in the middle of JAN 2011. Just had an operation on a broken leg in South Korea and the cast goes from my ankle to above my knee.Is there some way I can get SAA to give me a seat with more legroom. I have booked online.

I am travelling(economy class) to South Africa with SAA in the middle of JAN 2011. Just had an operation on a broken leg in South Korea and the cast goes from my ankle to above my knee.Is there some way I can get SAA to give me a seat with more legroom. I have booked online.

You should check with the airline to see whether you'll be allowed on the plane at all! A friend of mine with a broken foot was not allowed to fly on KLM unless she got a doctor to cut the cast open beforehand - the airline was worried about swelling.

I am travelling(economy class) to South Africa with SAA in the middle of JAN 2011. Just had an operation on a broken leg in South Korea and the cast goes from my ankle to above my knee.Is there some way I can get SAA to give me a seat with more legroom. I have booked online.

Best thing to do is call. Maybe a bulkhead row or if the flight load is light they may give try to give you an expty seat beside. You may even need to provide a doctors letter stating you are ok to travel. You will definitely not have an exit row.

Call and ask. As others mentioned, you might need approval from your doctor. Best to find out, now, what's required.

They should give you a bulkhead seat.

I had knee surgery some years back, and always requested an aisle seat so my "bad" leg could occasionally stretch out into the aisle. The phone reps were always happy to help.

work&playink, welcome to FlyerTalk. For more discussion, I'll move this to our Disability Travel forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

If this is a long distance flight check with your doc for additional blood thining. Since you still have another 3 weeks to your flight is it possible that you can have your now solid cast replaced with an aircast for the trip. Those aircasts are far more comfortable since you can remove air if it becomes too tight.-

I've flown long haul with a broken leg so maybe my experience might help. I did an 8-9 hour flight then a 2 hour internal flight 6 days after my accident then the reverse 3 weeks later.

First off I had to get permission from my orthopaedic surgeon to fly at all - the airline needed it and my travel medical insurance would have been invalid otherwise. The DVT risk is greatly heightened for you, so do make sure you honestly discuss all of the risks factors with your doctor and that the risk assessment shows it's sensible for you to fly. If allowed to fly, fixed casts seem to be generally frowned on for air travel. A cast split down the sides, one of these boots (http://www.cardinal.com/us/en/distributedproducts/images/D/DSL4001-10.jpg) or external fixators seem to be preferred. Again your orthopedic guy should advise. I had the boot and later as my leg was healing it had the bonus that I could take it off in bed and in the shower - that was bliss!

You are travelling with someone else right? If not forget it! No one can juggle luggage and crutches. Moving around the airports will be uncomfortable and you will get jostled and pushed by other passengers. They don't care that you're on crutches, they just want to get to their gate or wherever in the minimum time. Do allow yourself a lot of extra time. You know you are moving slower than you normally do; then stress from the injury plus the normal stress of travel have to be dealt with. Time helps you stay in control.

During the flight I was extremely uncomfortable and the pain was horrible - and that was in business class. One more thing on the plane, think carefully about how you will use the bathroom. This is no joke! Plan ahead! Of course alcohol is a definite no for a couple of reasons: alcohol and pain meds don't mix; and alcohol impairs judgment and balance and you need both of those to be at their best for the arrival.

Seriously the best advice I can give you is that you should upgrade your ticket to business class if you can possible afford it. Travelling with a broken leg is no joke!

Good luck.

Welcome to FlyerTalk, work&playink, and I'm sorry to hear about your leg.

Capricorn's advice is sound. I'd add that you should request wheelchair assistance from the carrier at both ends of your trip. Even if you are an experienced crutch user, letting someone push you through the airport will save wear and tear on you, and may speed your passage through security.

I have broken my tibia 16 weeks ago and have an external fixator, I am due to fly for 4.5 hours in 14 weeks and my surgeon is non-committal on whether the fixator will be removed by then, I am able to bend my knee and ankle and walk fine but unsure as to if I can fly or not.
Any advice please?

2 years ago while in Korea I broke my leg in 2 spots. I didnt want to have the surgery in Korea so I called the airlines and they said I would need a release from a doc. The doc said he would only give the release if I were to fly in a seat where I could elevate my foot above my heart for most of the trip. That means international first upgrade. It was expensive to upgrade at the last minute but Im certainly glad I did. That was one painful trip back ICN- SFO-IAD. As others mentioned, give yourself plenty of extra time.

Thank you

I have broken my tibia 16 weeks ago and have an external fixator, I am due to fly for 4.5 hours in 14 weeks and my surgeon is non-committal on whether the fixator will be removed by then, I am able to bend my knee and ankle and walk fine but unsure as to if I can fly or not.
Any advice please?

Are you asking if it will be medically advisable for you to fly, or if your airline will permit you to fly?

If the former, I'm guessing your surgeon is non-committal because 14 weeks is a long ways away, healing-wise, and he or she probably wants to wait and see.

If the latter, it would be a good idea to check with the airline. Some airlines, especially non-US carriers, have some very weird medical restrictions.

If you are able to fly with an external fixator is really my question. I know that most airlines let you fly with a cast on but cannot find any information re the fixator as to whether it is safe or not.
Thank you very much for your help.

If you are able to fly with an external fixator is really my question. I know that most airlines let you fly with a cast on but cannot find any information re the fixator as to whether it is safe or not.
Thank you very much for your help.
You are asking two entirely separate questions: 1) whether most airlines will allow pax to fly with your device; and 2) whether it is safe. As to #1 - the answer may well vary by carrier. Call the specific carrier and ask. As to #2 - that is a medical question for your doc. He he's not giving you solid info now that may be because he can't predict.

In any event, make certain that you have a fully refundable/changeable ticket and that you also make certain that the specific aircraft you would be on can acommodate your needs. (tall person who can't bend their knee will have a problem on a CRJ-200, but not on a 777 in new F, and lots inbetween).