mobility assistance
Airline travel with a child who needs mobility assistance
Well, last week we did the one thing that my husband and I dread the most…we traveled with Quincy on an airplane. We found it to be slightly more economical this year to fly to Seattle and use a rental car for our travels than to make the long drive from Alaska. The flight to Seattle is only three hours from Anchorage, but if you travel much by air you know that a million and one things can happen that can easily double travel time.
I am happy to report that this was the smoothest, easiest travel experience we have had with air travel in quite some time. First, since I rack up so many air miles flying to Washington, DC my MVP status on Alaska Airlines allows my guests and I to check our baggage for no fees. This was pretty significant since we checked six bags including a wheelchair and an adult car seat that were both oversized.
Security went as smoothly as it could. Since Quincy cannot get out of her wheelchair they must take her into a separate area and search her by hand. We have found TSA to be extremely sensitive about this process and are always very gentle and handle the search with dignity. They are also good about allowing either my husband or myself to be present for this process so Quincy isn’t nervous.
My other two children at ages that make them quite self-sufficient on planes. They sat together, ordered their own drinks and meals, and watched movies on their iPods. This is the first time that one of them hasn’t need a parent to assist them which allowed my husband and I the ability to sandwich Quincy between us and work as a team to take care of her needs. She really didn’t need anything. We booked the flight at a time that wouldn’t require a meal for her so other than drinks of water or Pediasure she didn’t need much. Since we cannot change her on the airplane we used a diaper with a extra-absorbent pad inside plus another diaper over that to avoid any leaks or accidents and this worked perfectly.
The uncontrollable factors this time just worked out well for us, too, and I guess I just have Fate to thank for that. The flight crew was incredibly kind and patient. They allowed us to board almost 15 minutes early, they assisted with an aisle wheelchair which made getting in and out of the her assigned seat easy, and they were just very kind to all of us. Also, our bags did not get lost and were, in fact, the first ones off the plane. Finally, our transportation was ready and waiting when we had our bags so we were whisked to our hotel in record time. Overall, it was as nice as it could have possibly have been.
Being less than an optimist, I take that to mean that I should be prepared for all kinds of difficulty on our return trip home. But, I have two more weeks before I worry about that, so for now I will enjoy the sunshine and adventures of our vacation and worry about that another day.
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