Navigating Airlines

[alyssa-silva]

@das_lohz hi there. I haven’t traveled in a long time, so I’m hoping someone with more experience chimes in here. Based on what I learned from my traveling days, I don’t think there’s one airline better than the other. When I could, I’d choose Southwest because I felt like they did less damage to my chair, but they still damaged it, unfortunately.

I’d always take my headrest off and take it with me on the plane. With the headrest attached, I guess it was harder to get in cargo. It almost always got broken. So I started taking it on board with me. I’d also use bubble wrap and styrofoam to protect my joystick. It’s a mini and easily breaks, which leads me to my next tip.

Superglue is your best friend while traveling. One time, an airline snapped my joystick in half on my way to Portugal. Thankfully, a little superglue put it right back together … shoddily, but still together. It has saved me many times.

Hope this helps a little! Are you traveling soon?

[das_lohz]

Thanks for the reply. That is some good things to keep in mind. I haven’t flown since spring of 2003, and I did that trip with my manual chair. I’m going on a cruise in August.

[rochelle-johnson]

Hi! The SMA community has no shortage of helpful travel hacks, so you’re in luck! About a month ago, Cure SMA broadcast a very informative webinar that you can find here: https://youtu.be/mjA8Beg-I6g?si=Rekq_C9gYxork4x5

Also, Cure SMA has a page dedicated to this here: https://www.curesma.org/traveling-with-sma/

I have found Southwest to be the most accessibility-friendly airline, but that might change in the near future as they are moving toward a system that allows premium prices for seats with more space. That likely means that the bulkhead row at the front, typically used by people with mobility issues, will now be reserved for those with deeper pockets. 🙁

As for my personal tips, I purchased these straps and attached them to all 4 tie-down points on the wheelchair: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCYO6DI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I instruct the ramp crew to use these when moving or lifting the chair, as these points on the chair were designed to handle extra pressure. It prevents them from grabbing something that could break. I also cover the entire joystick and control box with lots of bubble wrap and packing tape. This offers protection while making it impossible for people to drive the chair (if your chair reclines, make sure it’s already lying flat before doing this – makes it easier to get through the luggage cabin door).

Hope this helps. Happy flying!

[Kel]

Hi there! My mom (caregiver) and I fly kinda often so here’s my tips.

・I prefer United. I have never ever had problems with them.

・Make as minimum work for them as possible. For us, we put the brakes on and put the chair joystick to the side. Sounds simple but the easy things surprise them.

Aside from this, I would recommend on board 2-3 pillows MAX, a neck pillow and whatever makes you comfy!

Also Cure SMA added this helpful guide: https://www.curesma.org/traveling-with-sma/

Happy travels!

curesma.org

Traveling with SMA - Cure SMA

Make today a breakthrough. Traveling with SMA is often stressful and can require additional planning so we have pulled together a variety of resources as well as a travel support package to help make traveling easier, safer and more comfortable. … Continue reading

[kamil-goungor]

Hi! I travel a lot, but mostly in Europe. My favorite airline is Aegean Airlines, as they do very good job. But I might be biased, as it’s in the country I live and I use it the most. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Delta have been good too.

I agree with the other comments, so I don’t want to repeat. One additional important point is to research beforehand the type of aircraft you are flying with, because some types of planes have smaller cargo doors, and hence there’s a higher risk of a damaged wheelchair. I always look for Airbus planes. This link is super helpful: https://wheelchairtravel.org/air-travel-airplane-cargo-hold-dimensions/

Another important thing is to know your wheelchair well, how to handle it, what is removable etc, and if it’s electric, to know all the details about the batteries, in order to be able to convince the airport people that you are not a moving bomb.

Hope that these are helpful!

wheelchairtravel.org

Airplane Cargo Hold Dimensions for Wheelchairs - WheelchairTravel.org

Airplane cargo hold doors have a maximum height, making some power wheelchairs and scooters too tall to fit. Size measurements of every aircraft cargo hold door here.