mileswhore3

I have a cast on my left foot. I have a flight scheduled to DC for business that I can not get out of. How do I find assistance from the plane all the way to Hertz? I could probably find AA or airport personnel within the airport but to get a rental car? I can work the crutches but I am concerned about my bag. HELP!

Pat89339

Most buses are wheelchair accessible. Do you have your own wheelchair? The pusher will get your bag off the carousel for you and bring you and it to the waiting area for the bus.

Some rental car companies are more accomodating than others and will drive the rental to you curbside. Call the local Hertz office to see what services they provide to the disabled. Explain your situation and be sure to tell them you are unaccompanied.

Before you leave Hertz find out if they provide driveback service to the airport. Some rental agencies will drive you in your rental to the departure area for your airline. You can then get service from the skycap.

GUWonder

Phone call to AA asking for wheelchair existence after calling Hertz should work. For the bag, you can get a porter if it is too much for the wheelchair pusher. If Hertz can bring the car curbside for check-in, that may help. However -- for "security reasons" -- the police will push cars at DCA to leave quickly rather than let them wait for several moments; and this means Hertz would have to keep someone in the car waiting. Alternatively you could take the "ground" shuttle that runs a circuit from the arrivals level to the parking lot/rental car area, but most are not wheelchair accessible. (I would not normally do the shuttle bus -- if I had to -- because I find it faster to walk; however, I am not facing the wheelchair/crutches route either.)

For DCA, checked baggage comes on the "lower" level while the closest access to Hertz is via a route on the "upper" departure level. Elevators do exist and the path from the upper level seems to be more wheelchair friendly than the street access via the "baggage claim" level.

Gatwick Alan

I can offer my experience at PHX with dollar, when i explained to them that i had my wheelchaired father with me, i waited at the airport desk, they brought the car round to curbside and even helped me load it.