Disability Travel - Advice on Missing 2nd Leg Flight for Medical Reasons

Hi,

I posted this in the main forum but was advised to post it again here as you guys are more likely to be more knowledgable...

I am severely disabled with a neurological disease that, amongst many other things, causes severe spinal & head pain when sat up and being pit of bed causes general deterioration in the disease. To be travelling at all at this point is really crazy but I really wanted to see my sister, baby nephew and a number of friends again what is likely to be one last time.

I use a reclined powered wheelchair and have to take a couple of cases of medical stuff, including liquid nutrition, so the airline know of my condition. I am travelling with a carer. There was a problem with the agency that booked one of the flights wrong for my carer that has ultimately led to us on a later flight than first booked.

Realising we now have a 5hr layover for a 35min flight, our friends who will be hosting us the first 10 days have offered to drive up (2hrs) to the layover airport to pick us up so they can get me back to bed hours earlier than otherwise.

Normally skipping the 2nd leg flight seems to result in the cancellation of the return flights to prevent people trying to get cheaper fares by deliberately booking flights they don't intend to take. This isn't the case here and given the medical need would the airline (US Airways) be likely to have compassion and let us do this? I will already have had to cope through an international flight from England so this help would make a big difference if the airline will allow it.

Any advice appreciated!

Hi,

I posted this in the main forum but was advised to post it again here as you guys are more likely to be more knowledgable...

I am severely disabled with a neurological disease that, amongst many other things, causes severe spinal & head pain when sat up and being pit of bed causes general deterioration in the disease. To be travelling at all at this point is really crazy but I really wanted to see my sister, baby nephew and a number of friends again what is likely to be one last time.

I use a reclined powered wheelchair and have to take a couple of cases of medical stuff, including liquid nutrition, so the airline know of my condition. I am travelling with a carer. There was a problem with the agency that booked one of the flights wrong for my carer that has ultimately led to us on a later flight than first booked.

Realising we now have a 5hr layover for a 35min flight, our friends who will be hosting us the first 10 days have offered to drive up (2hrs) to the layover airport to pick us up so they can get me back to bed hours earlier than otherwise.

Normally skipping the 2nd leg flight seems to result in the cancellation of the return flights to prevent people trying to get cheaper fares by deliberately booking flights they don't intend to take. This isn't the case here and given the medical need would the airline (US Airways) be likely to have compassion and let us do this? I will already have had to cope through an international flight from England so this help would make a big difference if the airline will allow it.

Any advice appreciated!
Call the carrier ASAP and explain. Depending on what the new fare would be, they may be willing to rebook you to the first connection point and waive at least the change fee, if not the fare difference. Again, depending on how much is involved, they may want documentation of the medical issue.

Whatever you do, make sure that your record is properly noted. You are correct that as soon as you do not board segment 2, the remainder of your itinerary will be cancelled. It will be hard, if not impossible (the seat may be sold) to reinstate.

You should be prepapred to answer questions for the carrier's medical director team and those may lead to that team asking for confirmation from your doc(s) that you are fit to fly.

I have a really crazy idea that would certainly work for able-bodied travelers, but might not work for you.

What if someone drove to layover city with your friend, entered security using a full-refundable plane ticket, canceled the ticket upon entering security and then flew to your destination city using your boarding pass? In the airline's eyes, you will have flown, meaning your ticket won't be canceled. The only hitch: The airline knows you have serious medical needs & presumably the person flying won't. If security or airline personnel realize what's happened, you could have bigger problems--flight diversion, canceled ticket, etc.

I have a really crazy idea that would certainly work for able-bodied travelers, but might not work for you.

What if someone drove to layover city with your friend, entered security using a full-refundable plane ticket, canceled the ticket upon entering security and then flew to your destination city using your boarding pass? In the airline's eyes, you will have flown, meaning your ticket won't be canceled. The only hitch: The airline knows you have serious medical needs & presumably the person flying won't. If security or airline personnel realize what's happened, you could have bigger problems--flight diversion, canceled ticket, etc.
Whether the person who does this gets caught or not, s/he would be committing at a minimum a five-year Federal felony. I think I'd rather call the airline and deal with this honestly than go to Club Fed for wire fraud. Sometimes honesty actually does work.