Re: Howto manage airport travel when disabled

[Guest guest]

Pearlz: I don't have the answers to all of your questions but here goes. I

feel certain that Sinai (no Mount) will supply you with a pair of crutches.

Beyond that, I would suggest that you make all the arrangements with

Southwest Airlines and the car rental agency. They undoubtedly deal with

situations like this all the time and are equipped to handle them. Whatever

you need in the way of wheelchairs and convenient car rental drop off should

be accommodated. You're right, BWI is big airport, but from what I've heard

from others, this should not pose an unusual problem

Hal

> Howto manage airport travel when disabled

>

>

> My husband and I plan to fly to Baltimore on 1/15.

> Thank goodness for the recent arrival of Soutwest

> Airlines as we have direct flights down and back.

> I don't know anything about getting disabled

> services in an airport, and hope someone here can

> clue me in.

>

> I know what to expect here in Buffalo. I can get

> to the terminal without crutches so I will bring my

> foldable cane only. Will Mt. Sinai Hospital give me

> a pair of crutches to take back?

>

> I expect the Baltimore Airport will be much bigger

> than the one in Buffalo. It likely will be too far

> for me to walk to pick up our luggage and the rental

> car. How do I go about getting a disabled shuttle or

> wheelchair?

>

> On the trip back we will have a rental car to drop

> off. Do rental car places usually have arrangements

> for dropping off disabled in a convenient place right

> outside the airport? And how will I go about getting

> a wheelchair or shuttle? Do I call the airport and

> arrange this ahead of time? Or do I call the

> airline?

>

> Please advise.

>

> The holiday travel should be over by 1/15, and the

> Great Lakes should be frozen (stopping the lake effect

> snow). So I hope *not* to have a bad time in the

> airport.

>

> Thank you.

>

> - Pearlz -

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Howto manage airport travel when disabled

>

> My husband and I plan to fly to Baltimore on 1/15.

> Thank goodness for the recent arrival of Soutwest

> Airlines as we have direct flights down and back.

> I don't know anything about getting disabled

> services in an airport, and hope someone here can

> clue me in.

>

> I know what to expect here in Buffalo. I can get

> to the terminal without crutches so I will bring my

> foldable cane only. Will Mt. Sinai Hospital give me

> a pair of crutches to take back?

>

> I expect the Baltimore Airport will be much bigger

> than the one in Buffalo. It likely will be too far

> for me to walk to pick up our luggage and the rental

> car. How do I go about getting a disabled shuttle or

> wheelchair?

>

> On the trip back we will have a rental car to drop

> off. Do rental car places usually have arrangements

> for dropping off disabled in a convenient place right

> outside the airport? And how will I go about getting

> a wheelchair or shuttle? Do I call the airport and

> arrange this ahead of time? Or do I call the

> airline?

>

> Please advise.

>

> The holiday travel should be over by 1/15, and the

> Great Lakes should be frozen (stopping the lake effect

> snow). So I hope *not* to have a bad time in the

> airport.

>

> Thank you.

>

> - Pearlz -

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

> I know what to expect here in Buffalo. I can get

> to the terminal without crutches so I will bring my

> foldable cane only. Will Mt. Sinai Hospital give me

> a pair of crutches to take back?

certainly.

>

> I expect the Baltimore Airport will be much bigger

> than the one in Buffalo. It likely will be too far

> for me to walk to pick up our luggage and the rental

> car. How do I go about getting a disabled shuttle or

> wheelchair?

> On the trip back we will have a rental car to drop

> off. Do rental car places usually have arrangements

> for dropping off disabled in a convenient place right

> outside the airport? And how will I go about getting

> a wheelchair or shuttle? Do I call the airport and

> arrange this ahead of time? Or do I call the

You can get a skycap to take your luggage and wheel it

on a cart from the luggage return to the curb where you

will pick up the shuttle to the rental car. On the way

back you can have your travel partner drop you off at the

terminal and get situated in an airline wheelchair before

he/she circles around and drops off the car. Probably easier

than transferring to the rental bus, though you'll have

to wait around a bit.

You should tell the airline you need wheelchair assistance

for the flight back. It will appear on the information

given to the gate agents and the flight attendants. For

me (United) they were very nice. Don't forget you will

likely be able to hop around on crutches by that time so

its not anywhere near as bad as a person who can't get

up from a wheelchair at all.

Have the hospital PT staff give you some foam cushions to

sit on so the airline seat will be high enough. Bon voyage!

-