Temporary mobility issues and connecting in Houston
 

My mom broke her leg yesterday and we have a trip to the US booked for in 8 weeks. Dr. says she will be out of her cast by then so that should not be a worry. Mom doesn't want us to cancel this trip and our insurer has given the go ahead and will cover the higher cancellation IF things go wrong medically.

Now how do I go about organizing a wheel chair in Houston? I am a bit worried about her having to stand in a line at immigrations for at least 2 hours and then having to connect to another terminal which might be a bit much for her. Is there a special service department at Houston international or do I have to do that via the airline?

All tips are welcome.

Connection time from International to domestic is just over 4 hours so that should be OK.

The airline is usually the way to arrange for it. Just call them and ask them to arrange for one. (While I am against this, the person pushing the chair may expect to be tipped.)

Now I just have to convince mom that this is better than trying to risk it or try to be strong.

Indeed airline!

I've done Houston multiple times before on a TA-USA connection and there is no way she can do this without at least a "safety blanket".

Need convincing? Explain risk of furthest away gate at arrival and furthest away, always on the other side, gate for her connecting departing flight. It can add up to multiple kilometers worst case scenario, esp. if she is better off uing elevators instead of stairs. Can you do that here at home mom? (use an example in her home life that has a likewise distance) Now add in standing at customs for x-time, explaining that if she is lucky it can be very speady but since she is recovering she will be a slower walker and thus have at least one flight very likely almost 90% in front of her, so that adds to her waittime now. Can she do both? Now dear mom, love you, but add on the fatigue you can get run into after a long flight. Combined with having been in a seat that might have been a bit harsher on her healing body than it would've been normally. Is she still 100% sure she can do that all?

And no need to worry about "looks" or judgements, since she will never see those folks ever again, being just in transit.

Is she still a tough cookie to crack? Mom, what if heaven forbid something were to happen that runs up waittimes at CPB and/or TSA like extra safety measures because of a higher risk, another incident like a recent bombing or whatever? Waits can add up big time, can she still stand comfortably and safely (latter is a big thing with some elderly, stubborn about pain, but more sensitive to risk of overdoing it to the point of becoming a risk of falling or alike)

wheelchair for sure -- Houston can be very hard, even with wheelchair requested
 

My husband needs a wheel chair to get from gate to gate, and I can ususally walk it without much of a problem. We are both in our 70's . On our last trip in Jan. on United, it was horrible even with a wheelchair. Within the same concourse, everything was great--met at the plane with an electric cart. The problems started to happen when we had to take the tram to another concourse. The electric cart just dropped us off without a change over to wheelchair from electric cart, to manage the tram, on our own. We asked cart driver what we do and he just shrugged and took off.

There were wheel chairs--no pushers, so I loaded my husband and took elevator to tram floor. When tram took off chair started to get away from me because we didn't set the break. Got off tram and back down elevator, and started down new concource to gate area.

Again, NO WHEELCHAIR PUSHERS IN SIGHT. About 20 minutes walk to gate with me pushing chair. This was the common area gates to the small planes, so many people and much confusion. Very tired by this time. At gate area I requested chair for my husband and help to board plane. Gate Agent said someone would come. 20 min later flight was called for boarding and no help in sight. Again I request help, but no help. Again I loaded my husband in a empty chair to get from gate area to plane -outside loading, only to find out it was not even close!! Another 10 minute walk down a tunnel from gate, with me pushing. Outside boarding, up stairs, to small plane.

We are experienced wheelchair requesters and users and still ran into trouble.

Houston is fine as long as connection is in same concourse. Changing concourses can be a problem!!!

Request Wheelchair FOR SURE!!

It's a heck of a lot easier to make a decision to abandon the assistance than to decide that you need it after the fact. If it's a short distance, the lines aren't long and your mom feels up to it, there's nothing wrong with thanking the assistant and off you go.

As others mention, please remember that the assistants are low wage contractors who survive on tips.

That is really what I am worried about - overdoing it and then connecting to another long flight. I have a few more days before our flight so maybe I can convince her in that time.

Since so many of you pointed it out my mother wonders if what she had in mind as a tip is on par (since we ahve never had to use this service)

So could you nice folks help us with what sort of sum would be acceptable?

We usually don't tip less than $5 if it is just from gate to gate and not far. If they have to go to luggage claim area, or from ticket area through TSA, we give more, depending on how long and how far.

We had a pusher in Corpus Christis who went from Arrival Gate to luggage area, waited for, and loaded luggage onto a cart, and then pushed my husband in wheelchair and luggage to cab area, and helped load luggage into cab!!! Needless to say we tipped more, I think $20 or more. It was much appreciated at the end of a long trip!!!

My Aunt tips 20 whether it is dollar, Euro or pounds, she hands over a 20 bill. I have been with her at CDG, LHR, ORD, DFW and DEN and all airports were very accommodating with wheelchair assists. When we returned from Paris and went through customs at DFW her wheelchair guy took her through a special line and she beat me through and I have Global entry!

I thought I would let you nice folks know how this went.

Well after all the whoppla about people "faking" to get special attention here and on other platforms my mom was having none of it and would not allow me to make arrangements in Houston.

The trip from gate D12 to immigrations in Terminal E was OK and doableand she actually thought this movement was really good for her. The stand at immigrations how ever was not a very good idea. We were in the line for over an hour and with hindsight she agreed it might have been better to use the service after all. Getting from Terminal E to C was Ok since we arrived a bit earlier and she had the time to do this at her own pace stopping every now and then.

The TSA queue bit was also quite strenous and it did require her to sit down after the inspection and rest her foot a bit before procceding to the new gate.

However even she had to agree had we have been late for any reason it would have been very difficult and most unpleasant for her to make the conecting gate on time.

On hindsight she said it might have been better to hitch a ride on one of these electro golf cart gagets. :rolleyes: Moms don't you wish they would listen to you SOMETIMES?!;)

Thanks for the update. I'm sorry to hear that the trip was strenuous for your mom, but glad that everything worked out overall.