Originally Posted by
danielonn
I flew from LAX-SFO-TLV-SFO in United Economy Plus. I called over to United Special Services and they upgraded me to United Economy Plus Bulkhead for free. They also requested the wheelchair due to my low vision and neuropathy
I flew down to LAX from SJC on Alaska to save money. My total ticket on Untied was $944.
The Phone agent was really helpful after explaining that I need extra legroom to prevent DVT due to my Neuropathy. I did not need a Doctor's note.
At TLV they brought me down via the Food Service Truck which doubles as the accessibility vehicle. The agent took me through the door that is located near customs. From plane to customs exit it was 20 minutes.
On the return i went to the Handicapped Waiting area at TLV and it was handled from there. I sat down while waiting for the wheelchair and then they took me through Customs then a cart to the Dan Lounge and another cart to the gate.
At SFO the Meet and Assist agent took me through customs and to the Customs Exit all within 25 minutes from Plane to Exit.
I always request the special services as not only am I eligible for it it has helped me on many occasions. When my Father is traveling as my companion they upgraded him too to sit next to me!
Delta has given me Comfort+ for no charge and Alaska has as well. If you call up the airline not in an entitled manner then they will bend over backwards for you. And yes I am always prepared to pay for the upgrade and do so if they cannot do it for me.
This past April I was connecting from a late arriving Iceland Air flight to an Alaska Air Flight at SEA to SFO. The Meet and Assist Agent took my Father and I through Customs to our plane going on two Air Trains in 1 hour and our flight was waiting for us. Our luggage even made the fight!
Its totally worth having lounge access too. Look at LoungeBuddy or Priority Pass!
I as a passenger with a disability will never go without lounge access
I hope your Father has a full recovery.
If you can fly to SFO and spend the night and meet your parents be sure to go to the Centruion Lounge its totally worth it!
BTW I am 34 and am a seasoned traveler both domestically and internationally. I would rather be in the sky than on a road trip!
Hope this helps.
Thanks for this. I appreciate lounges as much as the next guy, but they will not be a priority for my parents.
Was the Meet & Greet service you got just something arranged via special services due to your disability, or was that a purchased service you added on?
UA graciously moved them into E+ for the TPAC flight, though they wouldn't put them in a bulkhead (despite seats showing available). Not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, of course.
I think my concern now is mostly about making sure they have the right services around SIN and SFO. It sounds like wheelchair service alone might be enough. After trading a couple emails it doesn't sound like he is completely incapable of movement. Just that he cannot sit in a single position with restricted leg movement (to stretch/adjust) for longer than an hour or so otherwise things become painful, and certainly cannot stand for more than a few minutes at a time. He is walking now with a walker, but of course very slow when doing so and can only go short distances.
I found SQ flights via HKG/SFO in J for ~98k miles each. Would require throwing away the current UA tickets, but that appeared to be the best option if he really needs a lay flat. IIRC, UA's E+ is slightly better WRT seat pitch than DL's "Comfort Plus", and if all their bags are checked he will have the leg/foot room to stretch while seated and can of course stand when possible.
So...currently solution appears to be using E+ with wheelchair service. I probably thought way too hard about this for what will end up being a pretty simple solution but, well, they're my parents.