Independence Air iClub - No help for handicapped passenger

We arranged by phone (after 10 min on hold) for a wheelchair to meet a disabled passenger yesterday. No wheelchair. The gate people finally managed to hail one after TWENTY MINUTES. While I wish this new airline well, they are going to have to treat people better to survive. :mad:

Always, always, always -- when you board the aircraft, even if you have arranged for a wheelchair by phone -- tell the flight attendant that you need a wheelchair at your destination. The captain will then send a message to operations at your destination 20 minutes before you land -- this is the best way to assure timely service.

Thanks, appreciate your help. Who knows, if I'm lucky someday I too will be old and feeble, or at least feeble-minded :D

In fairness, all airlines rely on a contracting agent to provide these types of services, and I've witnessed many occassions where despite the efforts of a particular airline, a wheelchair simply isn't there when the plane gets there. Its qiute possible your problem had nothing to do with Indepedence Air and everything to do with the service company that has a contract with the MWAA at Dulles, or whereever you were.

I recently had the exact opposite situation in IAD to JAX and return. Our daughter had dislocated her ankle and was on crutches... From the check-in personel, to TSA, and the gate personel, they couldn't have been nicer, carrying baggage, allowing her, making allowances thru xray (Aluminum crutches), all this on the Friday before Easter.....not exactly a calm day...
I was going to ask to accompany her (she is a minor) and perform all these tasks, but it really wasn't necessary.... Hats off.

Lindalea - IAD


We arranged by phone (after 10 min on hold) for a wheelchair to meet a disabled passenger yesterday. No wheelchair. The gate people finally managed to hail one after TWENTY MINUTES. While I wish this new airline well, they are going to have to treat people better to survive. :mad:

I saw them being really nice to a passenger at SJC the other day who couldn't make it up the stairs (they use airstairs at SJC). The passenger was loaded through 1R after being lifted using the facilities to refill the galleys.

Around the same time, I saw UA paging the SJC facility personnel to bring a wheelchair for a passenger. When the UA gate agent finally gave up waiting and went to get a chair for the passenger, the facility personnel came running and tried to chastise the gate agent for getting the wheelchair. Just another commentary on the wheelchairs at the airport...

I saw them being really nice to a passenger at SJC the other day who couldn't make it up the stairs (they use airstairs at SJC). The passenger was loaded through 1R after being lifted using the facilities to refill the galleys.

Around the same time, I saw UA paging the SJC facility personnel to bring a wheelchair for a passenger. When the UA gate agent finally gave up waiting and went to get a chair for the passenger, the facility personnel came running and tried to chastise the gate agent for getting the wheelchair. Just another commentary on the wheelchairs at the airport...

At SJC, we always ask the customer when they check in whether they can make it up the stairs or not...if not, we just have the lift ready for them. Inbounds to SJC can be a bit trickier, we often don't know if the customer needs the lift or not, and since there is only one city-owned lift that we can use, we may have to borrow from CO or UA if B6 or someone else is using it.

And I echo that recommendation about letting the F/A know as you board - when the flight calls in range about 20 minutes before landing, the captain usually goes by what the F/A tells them rather than what's in your reservation, so definitely do let the flight crew know.

This is completely opposite from my experience with them. Independence has become my grandmother's favorite airline because of the help/attention that they've given her. On two flights, she needed wheelchair assistance (injured leg) and on a three other flights, she's simply needed help carrying bags. In each of these cases, five trips over the last year, she's had very friendly and helpful service.

This is completely opposite from my experience with them. Independence has become my grandmother's favorite airline because of the help/attention that they've given her. On two flights, she needed wheelchair assistance (injured leg) and on a three other flights, she's simply needed help carrying bags. In each of these cases, five trips over the last year, she's had very friendly and helpful service.

The *people* were great. I just object to having to wait so long, when we tried to make arrangements in advance.

To paraphrase another saying, "tell them early and tell them often" if you need anything. As much as we'd like to believe it, the computer systems do not always efficiently pass the information you tell one person to the next, so it can't hurt just to check and make sure everyone along the path is aware.