Thread: S4 and in a Wheelchair

Welcome aboard WT.
First let me say, traveling to Europe in the summer is difficult and has humbled many a nonrev traveler, not to mention left some stuck in an airport for days.
Add to that you’ll be traveling as an S4 in a world of S3’s, you could end up stuck in Boston. - see Spongebue’s current Madrid adventure http://nonrev.net/europe/15393-madrid-here-i-come.html His spring break trip to Madrid ended in Washington D.C.

Are you sure you don’t want to try for someplace easier or go for a test run first? *wink*

That said, as a first time non rev traveler my advice is to put in plenty of research, plan meticulously and be ready to improvise.
Since you’ve done plenty of flying you’re probably well aware of the travel snafus/gremlins that can plague someone traveling with an electric wheelchair.
And since you’ll be traveling only if both you and your attendant can make the flight, being flexible will be doubly important.
Decide now how much leeway you have with your travel dates, if connecting flights are an option, how much of a circuitous route you’re willing to take and if you’re open to changing your destination from London to say……….............Amsterdam, if opportunity knocks.
Trust me, it’s better to make your decisions at the kitchen table than in the middle of the airport, with a voice over the loudspeaker announcing the next flight to Chicago.

Be prepared-
Carry printouts of your backup flights, the Holiday Inn toll-free number and terminal maps of any connecting airports. Remember, a flight can be delayed, you miss a connection, a flight canceled and there you are, stuck in Washington D.C.
You want to be able to take anything the non-rev travel gremlins hand you in stride, and have plans B, C & D ready to go; it will save both your nerves and your time.

As a veteran traveler you know the importance of securing your chair, disconnecting wires and protecting that joystick control, so you know that extra pieces of duct tape never hurt. Also if you haven’t in the past, put your name on your wheelchair and carry on your cushion - you never know, those customs lines can be long and your chair can be waiting for you at baggage claim instead of the gate.
Also since you’re traveling overseas, I would suggest contacting a wheelchair repair person in London; if there’s a problem you’ll have a resource available - just in case

Someone from Delta will be able to tell you about embargoes, (sometimes they have those in the summer) can help with loads and answer your other questions.
But as a general rule you want to travel mid-week and try for that first flight of the day.

Again welcome aboard and welcome to the thrill a minute world of non-reving.