Disability Travel - Most stress-free way to fly MFE to New York area?

We have some family coming to visit us from McAllen, TX. Their daughter is in a wheelchair and traveling is very difficult for her. Can anyone suggest the most stress-free way for them to get to lower Connecticut?

I want to make sure I haven't missed any options. I think that American and Continental are the only airlines that fly out of MFE. What I've found so far on American is:

MFE-DFW-BDL (but flight gets in at 12:30 a.m.)
MFE-DFW-ORD-HPN (very close to where we live but have to change planes twice)
MFE-DFW-EWR
MFE-DFW-JFK (perhaps EWR is less stressful and makes up for the extra 15 minutes they are away from us?)

Thanks for any help!

Is driving to a bigger airport an option? San Antonio has non-stop flights to NYC.

FWIW, Delta also has flights from MFE.

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What about flying into LGA? Isn't it closer than BDL to "lower" Connecticut?

FWIW, Delta also has flights from MFE.

Might be your best option. Delta MFE-ATL-HPN gets you a one-stop to the airport most convenient to you. Connection times in ATL both ways are about 90 minutes, which is pretty reasonable for that sized airport. Morning and afternoon departures both ways as well.

White Plains requires steps to get on and off the plane, not sure if that would be an issue or not with the relative in the wheelchair.

Thank you!

I think they had a bad experience at LGA last time and so the daughter (in the wheelchair) will not fly to LGA.

I'm going to check out that Delta option now. The daughter absolutely cannot leave the wheelchair though, so I'm wondering what they do in a situation with steps....

Cordelli, do you have power yet? We just got ours back today! I'm a little "west" of you!

Checked with the family...they said that they can't fly Delta because all of the planes that leave McAllen are too small to accommodate the "aisle chair" which is a special wheelchair the airlines use to get handicapped people to their seats if they can't walk. Wow, this seems like some kind of breach of disability law!!

Please continue to follow this thread in the Disability travelers Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Checked with the family...they said that they can't fly Delta because all of the planes that leave McAllen are too small to accommodate the "aisle chair" which is a special wheelchair the airlines use to get handicapped people to their seats if they can't walk. Wow, this seems like some kind of breach of disability law!!

I'm not sure that that is a breach of the law. Not all aircraft are large enough for this need. I wouldn't fly on one of those smaller aircraft with a disability anyways. There just is not enough room on board. The law usually requires reasonable accommodations. Forcing them to buy a new aircraft is not reasonable. Getting carried up and down steps on a plane is very dangerous! I nearly got killed that way (I use a wheelchair too). She's better off making the trip to a larger airport with jetways, and larger aircraft. I really think the LGA is the best option and she's going to have to realize that one bad experience does not mean all future experiences will be bad too.

Most US airports that don't have jetways either set up a (long) ramp with switchbacks or have a lift to get wheelchair users to the airplane door. If neither of those options is available (unusual), the passenger will be transferred to an aisle chair at the bottom of the steps and carried up by 2-3 staff.

The wheelchair user and her family should familiarize themselves with the Air Carrier Access Act, which regulates access in air travel - take a look at the stickies in this forum for links to the ACAA and other resources. You don't say how old the daughter is or how long it has been since she has traveled by air, but all of the mainline airlines have improved tremendously in the last 10-15 years in their familiarity with and service for wheelchair passengers.

Check again on the Delta option--according to Delta.com, it appears that the planes that fly MFE-ATL are CRJ700, and ATL-HPN are CRJ900. Both are capable of accommodating a 'carry-on' chair. I have a relative who requires a carry-on chair, and he has flown on both those plane types. It's not ideal to have to be carried on/off, but it's done all the time. And in ATL, it's typically not required.

Check again on the Delta option--according to Delta.com, it appears that the planes that fly MFE-ATL are CRJ700, and ATL-HPN are CRJ900. Both are capable of accommodating a 'carry-on' chair. I have a relative who requires a carry-on chair, and he has flown on both those plane types. It's not ideal to have to be carried on/off, but it's done all the time. And in ATL, it's typically not required.

Are you talking about the use of an aisle chair from plane door to seat, or from tarmac to plane door (up/down stairs)?