elg26

I have a question..... my brother in law and I are traveling from our separate cities and meeting up in CA...purpose of the trip is to pick up our father in law who is currently in a nursing home and the 3 of us bringing him back to my sister in laws house in Michigan. My mother who is a travel agent did all the tickets for all of us.

My father in law can walk very slowly and short distances, but we of course we will be getting wheelchair at all airports

Our return is from SNA-ORD and then ORD-TVC

My mother attempted to get better seats for him (seats are quite limited on flights - only middle seats) but she advised that there is a 24 hour rule where you can call 24 hours in advance and they could possibly improve his seat since he is handicapped (assume have to show some sort of proof). But cannot do this any earlier then 24 hours prior.

Can anyone provide insight and tips on how to handle this?

Thank you in advance.

purdue1015

I traveled with my dad for a year while he was dying from cancer...and also learning to walk again from a spinal tumor from said cancer...

Make sure to put in to the reservation that he is handicapped and needs wheelchair assistance. We were never asked for "proof," but he couldn't walk by himself, so it was pretty clear. We flew SWA almost exclusively, so he just got to pre-board all the time (we always got the first row bulkhead). I imagine if you had a need to be closer to a bathroom, etc., they'd give it to you...I'd just call and ask.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions/concerns on this.

purdue1015

Oh, and if he can't walk down the aisle, they have a "airplane wheelchair" that's just skinny-er so it fits in the plane. And expect the airport/airline to do all the pushing on the wheelchair. (Particularly right after he got sick) It was a bit of an adjustment for my EMT self to let someone else do the pushing/heavy lifting.

Palal

Given the fact that the OP mentioned ORD, I'm inclined to think the OP's flying UA or AA.
ORD-TVC is served by regional jets. Not sure if there are jetways at TVC or if deplaning will require going down stairs.

Efrem

You might get better advice, plus suggestions from existing threads, in the Disability Travel forum in the Special Interest Travel area of FlyerTalk. Many of the posters there are fully abled and want to know how to travel with a disabled companion.

(If, on reflection, you think this question would fit better there, you can ask a moderator to move it by clicking the red "Alert a Moderator" triangle under your name and making the request in the dialogue box that shows up. I didn't do that, because I think this is a borderline case so it should be your call as to whether you want to.)

purdue1015

Of course. The general process is the same though, with nuance differences by airline.

To the OP. Also (obviously) make sure to allow extra time. My favorite was flying out of ROA on UAL. Got to the check in counter and had to wait 20-30 minutes because the "wheelchair guy" was "operating A flight right now." I.e, the same (sole) guy pushing wheelchairs was also the ramp guy to push planes back.

Also, if father in law can't walk through the TSA scanner by himself, expect a manual pat-down....and if he has any medical equipment you are bringing with (wheelchair, walker, cane, 02, etc.) definitely call the airline ahead of time to let them know. They'll have to inspect the medical device prior to you getting on board/it getting checked. They have a legal responsibility to be nice to it.

elg26

Yes....UA for SNA-ORD ....and AA (regional) for ORD-TVC

He can walk...just not for long distances....so he should be able to go through TSA scanner and with help going down the stairs....

elg26

Yes will give our selves extra time.... and fortunately layover in ORD is 2:10....so barring delays should give ourselves enough time to get connection... the wheel chair has already been ordered by travel agent at ORD

elg26

Thanks...did just that

obscure2k

Please continue to follow this discussion in the Disability Travel Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

CDTraveler

Getting better seats isn't something I would wait for until T-24. Call the airline and ask for the disability desk and persist as long as you need to until you get someone who will help you. A ways out there is a much better chance of getting help than at the last minute.

Again, insist on the disability desk and do not settle for being brushed off by the average reservation agent.

wrp96

Just a gentle question, but is there a reason your travel agent has you switching airline's at ORD instead of keeping you on one airline the entire way? It seems like this has the possibility to add stress to this.

And yes, definitely call both airlines now to get seats assigned and make sure the need for the wheelchair is in the booking - with both airlines. They do block seats in advance for the handicapped but those are frequently released day of flight for anybody to book them. If you wait, you may be out of luck.

elg26

Trust me I would have paid triple to get a non stop to TVC..... but there are no options..... there is even a limit of one stop flights....a lot of 2 stoppers which was completely out of the question.....

TA inquired about getting handicapped seats...she was advised from airline it is now a rule (on any airline) to wait 24 hours prior to flight....we cant get those seats now......explanation was that it was commonly abused by non-handicapped passengers.... Is there something Im missing?

elg26

Ok will try this and advise....thank you...

CDTraveler

That's absolute rubbish, and why you need to make sure you get through to the disability desk (or whatever term your airline uses) and NOT deal with frontline reservation staff.