Travel with Confidence
Flying with a wheelchair is intimidating, but thousands do it every year. Here is your survival guide to airlines, hotels, and protecting your equipment.
Flying & Equipment Protection
✈️ Pre-Flight Protocol
- Gate Check Only: Never let them take your chair at the ticket counter. Stay in it until the jet bridge.
- Take Your Cushion: Airline seats are rock hard. Sit on your ROHO or gel cushion during the flight to prevent pressure sores.
- The "Fragile" Signs: Tape laminated signs to your chair in English (and the destination language) with any warnings. (Ex."DO NOT LIFT BY WHEELS" or "PUSH HERE")
🔋 Battery Rules
- Know Your Battery: Is it Gel/Lead Acid (Spillable) or Lithium?
- Lithium Rule: If you have a chair with Lithium batteries, you MUST remove them and carry them in the cabin. They cannot go in the cargo hold.
- Gel/Wet: These stay attached to the chair. The airline must verify they are disconnected/insulated.
- Pro Tip: Print the specifications sheet for your battery and tape it to the battery box for TSA.
💺 The Transfer
- Aisle Chair: You will transfer from your chair to a tiny, narrow "aisle chair" to get to your seat. It has no balance support.
- Ask for the "Eagle Lift": Some airports have a mechanical hoist called the Eagle Lift. It picks you up safely. Request this 48 hours in advance.
- Chest Strap: Ensure they strap your chest on the aisle chair. Quads have poor trunk stability and can fall forward easily.
Booking Accessible Hotels
The Bed Height Trap
Modern hotel beds are often 30"+ high, making transfers impossible. Call the front desk directly (not the 1-800 number) and ask them to measure from floor to top of mattress. If it's too high, ask if the frame can be removed.
Roll-in Showers
"Accessible" often just means grab bars. You need a "Roll-in Shower" with zero threshold. Ask specifically for photos of the bathroom before booking to ensure your shower chair fits.
Rent Equipment on Arrival
Don't haul everything. Companies like Scootaround or local medical supply stores will rent electric lifts, shower chairs, and hospital beds and deliver them to your hotel room.
Trusted Resources
WheelchairTravel.org
Run by John Morris, a triple amputee. He reviews public transit, hotels, and sidewalks in hundreds of cities globally. Do not book a trip without checking his guides first.
Visit SiteTSA Cares
Call (855) 787-2227 exactly 72 hours before your flight. They will assign a "Passenger Support Specialist" to meet you at the curb and escort you through security without the hassle.
Contact TSA CaresCurb Free with Cory Lee
An award-winning blog focusing on destinations. Cory (who uses a power chair) highlights the most fun, accessible things to do in places ranging from Iceland to South Africa.
Read BlogDOT Complaint Form
If an airline breaks your chair or violates your rights, file a complaint here. This is how the government tracks airline disability failures.
File Complaint