pdac1975

Hello all,
I will be travelling on crutches for the next few weeks. I am not able to put any weight at all on my foot which is why I need the crutches. I guess I'm just looking for some general information from anyone who has gone through this. Is there anything in particular I need to know? I will be trading my roller bag in for a backpack so I should be able to carry that and my laptop bag. Will they have any trouble storing my cructches once onboard? How about getting through security?
Thanks for any help.

BobH

Doesn't sound like much fun -- before I would do any traveling, I'd get a green light from my MD --

If you get that, at airports (because of the distances), I'd use a wheel chair and check my bag(s) and then pre-board with all those folks that need a bit of extra time

Note that by using a chair, you'll pick up some time at security !

Bob H

Often1

1. Make sure you have medical clearance from your doc. If you're in a cast, long periods at high altitude can cause swelling which can be fatal if not remedied in minutes.

2. Give yourself lots of extra time. Small diversions (bathroom, ATM machine) all add up.

3. Use a wheelchair. Not worth the mess of trying to get around.

4. Make sure you really do fit into the seats you're assigned.

5. Presuming this is work-related, good car service and Fedex are critical. It's easy to ship what you don't need for the trip the day before and have it back the day after. The less you lug the better.

6. Be better about logistics. Most people are acommodating. Will they come to you at a meeting room at the hotel rather than you going to them? Will they meet you at a restaurant next to the hotel?

PRWeezer

A friend recently recovered from a broken leg & flew a few times as it was healing. She would do her best to get a bulkhead aisle seat so that the leg in a cast could extend in the aisle as much as possible, or try to get moved to a seat w an empty one next to it for some extra room. She also said FAs were very accommodating on storing her crutches in the closet & getting them for her should she need to use the lav on a longer flight.

From her experience, +1 to the comments that you should allow a lot of extra time, she said everything took much longer than she expected, in general.

obscure2k

As this thread is not DL-specific, I am moving it over to the Disability Travel Forum.
Good luck...
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

kipper

Allow LOTS of extra time. Everything takes far longer than you are used to it taking.

I agree with taking a wheelchair, because it will save you some time in getting to/from your gate.

Call the airline and explain the situation to them.

You do also want to check with your ortho before flying.

CDTraveler

Backpack + crutches = bad idea, especially if you can not put any weight at all on your foot. Your balance will be way off normal, and I speak from extensive experience here , and the weight of the backpack shifting as you move can bring you down in a painful heap. Ditto for laptop bag swinging on your shoulder - that pendulum effect can throw your balance way off.

Ask for a wheelchair everywhere possible, or use porters or any other form of assistance you can find. You want that foot to heal properly, don't you? That requires not re-injuring it, and again I speak from experience of a never properly healed foot fracture from 30 years ago. Didn't trouble me too much in the first decade or so, but the last decade it flares up pretty often if I don't wear the right type of shoes.

DHSGemini

A few years ago I had to fly while using crutches. It was a better experience than I thought it would be. Before I could even consider taking advantage of early boarding the gate agent called me over and had me board before they called anyone up. People are quick to offer help when they can easily see what help you might require. Good luck!

pdac1975

Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I just can't think of any other way to carry my belongings other than a backpack. Will I be able to get a wheelchair right when I get to the airport? The less I have to use my crutches the better. Thanks again.

CDTraveler

How are you getting to the airport? Can friend/family/co-worker accompany you to the check-in counter and carry your bags to that point? If you request a wheelchair in advance, the check-in counter is often where it picks you up (folks, feel free to update this info if you have recent experience, mine is 7 years ago).

Even if you are normally a person who hates to ask a favor, this is not the time to be shy about asking for help.

At the far end, how are you getting out of the airport? Friend, limo, cab? If you're being met, ask that person to come inside to meet you at baggage check as IME that's where the wheelchair pushers usually drop you off. For a larger tip, they might be able to take you to a cab stand.

oldpenny16

Been there and did that with a badly injured leg. The first trip was HELL. My advice is to check everything that you can (not your meds or computer) and ask for a lot of help.

The FA's will stow your crutches and will give them back to you for trips to the toilet and then stow them again, but the FA's are absolutely not allowed to help you.

The hardest part of traveling for me was changing planes. I found I needed (and still need ) a ton of extra time.

Follow the advice of getting approval from your Doc. I waited as long as I could before restarting travel (with doc's approval) but more time would have helped.