Re: POWER CHAIR INFO TO AIRLINE

[Guest guest]

These are GREAT ideas, thanks Aase Marit.

I know I'm flying Continental & I know on their site, they ask for 48 hours

notice. So you might want to check with your particular airline for any rules

they have & as always, get the name & position of who you spoke to & again, as

always, ask to speak to a superviosor. I've also added on paperwork that the

chair is new or whatever it is & just cost... whatever it did... often

upwards of $5-10,000. Sometimes, just sometimes, it makes them think a bit

more.

You never know.

In a message dated 6/20/2004 12:00:09 PM Eastern Standard Time,

aase.m@... writes:

Hi all,

I tried to work a bit on the note to the

airlines, but of course it has to be changed if

things are different with your chair. My chair is

one with a gel battery, which is good for airline

travel without disconnection etc. I really think

it is an idea to make the person handling the

chair to feel like he/she handles a person, who

has the right to be treated with respect, this is

not a thing you toss around! At least when I have

used notes like this, my chair has been without

one scratch. It may be a coincidence, but maybe

it made a difference? Might be worth a try.

I have used capital letters, bold, italics etc.,

but I don't think the list can do that. I have

printed it on bright green paper, with two

important notes about main power switch etc. on

different colored paper (e.g. pink and yellow). I

also suggest adding your picture, might be worth

a try. Haven't tried it yet myself, but I think I

will next time. It all has to be on one page,

easy to read, big enough letters etc. And then

laminated so that it can take a good beating if

necessary, and you can use it over and over

again. I attached it with strong nylon cord to

the front of the back of the chair. E.g. put one

cord at the top attached to the headrest, and one

on each bottom side, tied around the back.

I have used some tabulators, hope it doesn't get

all messed up when it is posted...

I also used sticker labels to label the main

power switch and where you disconnect/free the

wheels so the chair can be pushed, also labels

with arrows pointing to where the switches are

(one is really hidden on my chair, under the seat

on the back, so the arrows really help them)...

This is part of making it easy for them, so they

don't mess up by using tools to do things they

really don't have to do.

NB! If you have a chair with other batteries than

gel batteries, this note won't work for you!!!!!

Good luck if you want to give it a try.

hugs,

Aase Marit

INFORMATION - HANDLING OF THIS WHEELCHAIR:

Owners name:

Please handle this chair with loving care, as I

depend totally on it to be able to function on my

trip. This is " my legs " , please handle it as if

it were yours!

(big smiley ? + Your picture? - I would sure give that a try... )

Below is important information to make it easier for you to handle my chair:

Wheelchair brand: Type:

MAIN POWER SWITCH DISCONNECTING/FREEING

ON BACK OF CHAIR DRIVE WHEELS - SWITCH

(SEE ARROWS/LABEL) ON LEFT FRONT OF CHAIR

(SEE ARROWS/LABEL)

IATA - APPROVED BATTERIES FOR AIRLINE TRANSPORTATION

This wheelchair has valve regulated,

non-spillable batteries, and is according to

manufacturer approved by the IATA for transport

by aircraft as part of wheelchair transportation.

Disconnection of battery poles is not necessary

or adequate if main power switch is turned off.

Any technical questions can be addressed to (wheelchair company name/ phone#)

Other questions can be addressed to owner, cell phone #

(if I have not boarded plane yet, I will be

available to help as well as I possibly can)

BATTERY IS NON-SPILLABLE AS DEFINED IN IATA

DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATION PACKING INSTRUCTIONS

806, SPECIAL PROVISIONS A67.

Thank you so much for taking care of my

wheelchair and making my trip a happy one, it is

highly appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Yes, it is necessary to check ahead to make sure everything is OK,

when you travel with a power chair. And very wise to take names etc.

as well as ask them to send you a written conformation of what they

have done, so that if you encounter any problems when you get to the

airport, you have a sheet of paper to show them. I normally check and

double-check.

But as I will be doing now, travelling with a manual one, that is

much easier, as long as you make sure that all codes are put in on

the computer right after you have made your reservation. Then I

normally, if I am going abroad and aren't all that sure about that

airline (or have had bad experiences with them), I also call ahead a

day or two before I go to check that everything is in order. When I

get to the airport, and check-in, I go through things with the person

again, to check that everything is in order. When I get on the plane,

I approach a steward and make sure that she knows that when we land,

I am going to get my chair to the door ASAP, that it is not going

with the luggage, because " I am not able to sit in an airport

wheelchair, that is very important for me because it causes me real

problems " . Then a little while before landing, I often push the

button and remind them. This may seem like overkill, but doing

things this way, is because I have experienced problems if I don't.

But getting your chair put into a cabin locker instead, sure solves

all these problems, so that is no doubt the best thing. So always ask

if that is possible, it often is on the big airplanes, not that easy

on small ones though. If the plane is not full, I have also suggested

that we put the lightweight rigid frame chair in a seat, and strap it

there. That has worked very well too. We take off the wheels, put

them in the overhead locker. Then lay down the chair back and strap

the chair in the seat, safely. Just great!!! So there are some neat

possibilities if you just think of them. Check with your airline

which possibilities there are for taking your manual chair into the

cabin!

If you require special help and assistance at the airport, e.g. in

getting from the arrival hall and out to a shuttle etc., it might be

an idea also to check if the airline itself provides that assistance,

or if you have to call somewhere else. That varies a lot from one

airport to another. So checking sure does not hurt.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get in contact with them though. I

had a nightmare in Paris, that airport I will not voluntarily travel

through with a wheelchair again - even if I did try to contact them

ahead etc., but finding a person there who speaks English, sure

wasn't easy either. That was with a manual one too. I was sitting

there for a couple of hours waiting for my assistance. They put me

through excruciating pain when I went through there the first time,

they lied to me, treated me in a very disrespectful way etc. The

story is way too long to start on... But, they could just try me one

more time... LOL

The only problem I get when I get treated that way, I get mad. When I

get that mad, is that I really have to concentrate on breathing,

because it is very easy to become.... well, let's say... not that

nice... LOL... But that never gets you anywhere. If you get mad and

obnoxious, you can be sure that they will not do anything for you...

But some of them really push some buttons in me. If they then also

start talking about me over my head, " do you think she can... " etc.,

ooooooh they are asking for trouble and a little lesson!!!!

Grrrrrrrr.... Then the cat in me may come out, he-he... But, you just

have to be more wise than they are, and try to give them a lesson in

a way that they remember, but without making them angry or

offended... Stupid, but that is just how it is. Nobody likes to be

lectured, disrespected or put down in anyway... That is just human...

Aase Marit

>These are GREAT ideas, thanks Aase Marit.

>

>I know I'm flying Continental & I know on their site, they ask for 48 hours

>notice. So you might want to check with your particular airline for any rules

>they have & as always, get the name & position of who you spoke to & again, as

>always, ask to speak to a superviosor. I've also added on paperwork that the

>chair is new or whatever it is & just cost... whatever it did... often

>upwards of $5-10,000. Sometimes, just sometimes, it makes them

>think a bit more.

>You never know.