Using an Aisle Wheelchair: Getting on a Plane as a Wheelchair User
For people with disabilities who love to travel, many wonder how they can fly on an airplane if they either have limited or no mobility. A common tool to assist these individuals is an aisle wheelchair and, in this post, I’ll tell you all you need to know about what it is and how it is used as well as answer many other commonly asked questions.
What is an Aisle Wheelchair?
Since regular wheelchairs are too wide to fit down the narrow aisles of an airplane, airports have and use a specialized chair called an aisle wheelchair. These differ from traditional wheelchairs as they are narrower and can fit into tighter spaces.
Typically, a person will transfer into an aisle wheelchair at the entrance to the plane and staff will assist people with disabilities to their assigned seats. Straps and belts help to hold the person safely in place during this process. One of these belts will go over your lap and legs while two separate straps will go over each of your shoulders and hook in the front.
Types of Aisle Wheelchairs
There are two styles of commonly used aisle wheelchairs. The first has a higher back with a headrest and a narrow seat. The other style has a lower back, and the seat narrows to assist with maneuverability. Both have arm rests that fold up and out of the way to make transfers easier.
As someone that has extremely poor core strength and can’t hold her head up, I personally prefer the first style, although typically, you don’t get a choice. The second style tends to bang my head against the steering bar when entering or exiting the plane.
When is an Aisle Wheelchair Used?
An aisle wheelchair is used at the gate or door of an airplane when someone is not able to safely navigate the aisles of the plane to get to their seat. It can be used for people with limited mobility, temporary disabilities, or people with no mobility (such as some wheelchair users).
10 Things to Know When Using an Aisle Wheelchair
1. Call the Airline to Notify Them of Your Needs
Whenever you plan to fly with a wheelchair, you should always call the airline’s special needs department in advance to let them know what equipment you will be traveling with and what your needs are. When you make this call, you should have your flight information, as well as the model and make of your wheelchair and the type of batteries (if any) it uses. The airlines may also ask about the weight of your device.
If you are flying with a CPAP machine or any other medical equipment, you should advise the airline of this at this time as well.
2. Decide Which Airplane Seat Works Best for You
During your call to the airline’s special needs department, they may offer to assign you seats for your flight. Different airlines have different rules, but, in the US, you can typically choose the type of seat you prefer. Some people prefer an aisle seat for an easier transfer. While others want to sit by the window so that no one climbs over them.
If you prefer a window seat and cannot transfer on your own, airline support staff can assist you. People with disabilities may be more likely to choose a window seat on longer flights. It’s truly a personal decision however, and completely up to your own preferences.
3. Gate Check Your Wheelchair
If you are ever asked when you check in at the ticket counter if you’d like to check your wheelchair with your luggage, ALWAYS say you’d like to gate check your wheelchair. There are two main reasons for this. First, it will help prevent your wheelchair from getting damaged and second, you’ll be much more comfortable in your own chair while you wait for your flight.
4. Weight Limit for an Aisle Wheelchair is 300-400 lbs. Depending on the Model
A sensitive question that is often asked is how much weight can an aisle wheelchair hold? The answer to this question will depend on the make and model of chair that is used, but the general rule is that they can accommodate people weighing up to 300-400 pounds.
5. Staff Can Help You Transfer
Aisle Wheelchairs are great, but what if you can’t self-transfer? While many people travel with a companion, they are not always able to assist in transferring you by themselves. Do not fear. If you are unable to transfer from your wheelchair to an aisle chair, there are support staff that can assist you.
6. Be an Advocate for Yourself
While there are staff that can assist in transferring you, they are not always trained in the best transfer methods. In addition, they do not personally know you or your needs. If they do not ask you directly, make sure you advise them on the best way to assist you and if you have any sore or tender areas.
7. Bring a Transfer Sling for a Smoother Process
If you are worried about the transfer process at the airport, you may want to consider bringing a transfer sling with you to make the process smoother and easier. The sling allows staff to assist you without directly touching you, but rather using the sling to move you. These can also come in handy in the event of an emergency where you would need to evacuate the plane.
8. Aisle Wheelchairs Are Not Comfortable
So now that we have how you will transfer figured out, let’s talk about what it’s actually like to be in an aisle chair. To be perfectly honest, it is not pleasant.
If you do not have core strength to hold yourself up or good neck control, it can feel like you are tipping sideways. To add to that feeling, if your head rests on the medal bar, it can get banged against it when going over the threshold of the plane. Although the chairs are narrow, navigating down the aisles of the airplane is still tricky, and you can bump your arms or have your sides rub against the other seats as you pass them.
You will want to get out of the aisle wheelchair as quickly as possible. The only good thing about them is that they serve the purpose of safely getting you on the airplane.
9. You Will Be the First on and the Last Off the Plane
In order to give you extra time and room to board the plane, you will be the first one to get on. Likewise, at the end of your flight, you’ll be the last one off the plane for the same reasons. Getting the aisle wheelchair down the plane aisles is difficult enough without adding people in their seats into the equation.
10. Know Your Rights
Unfortunately, airport staff are not always well informed when it comes to assisting people with disabilities. Knowing your rights so that you can advocate for yourself will be key. Recently, a fellow accessible travel blogger was threatened when he would not get off the plane because his specialized wheelchair was not waiting for him at the plane door.
This was key since aisle wheelchairs are severely uncomfortable and he had difficulty holding himself up. Once you exit the aircraft, the staff are no longer required to assist you in getting your wheelchair and he would be stuck. The airline staff was not listening or hearing his concerns and actually threatened him with false claims that guns would be involved to get him off.
While this example is quite rare, there are many other cases when staff are uniformed, and you will need to know what options and rights you have so you can ask for specific things and advocate for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, I’ll answer the most commonly asked questions when flying as a wheelchair user.
Can I fly and stay in my own wheelchair?
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this post, staying in your own wheelchair during air travel is not possible. However, an organization called All Wheels Up is working to change this. They are advocating for airlines to create wheelchair spaces that would allow people with disabilities to be more comfortable during their flights and prevent damage to wheelchairs.
What happens to my wheelchair when I fly?
When you leave your wheelchair at the plane door, staff will take it down and store it in the cargo hold area with the rest of the luggage. It is a good idea to tell staff (and have written instructions attached to your chair) how to properly fold or transport your wheelchair. This can help prevent damage. Your wheelchair should be waiting for you at the airplane door when the plane lands and you disembark.
Will my wheelchair get damaged?
Airlines have been notorious for damaging wheelchairs, however, that doesn’t mean that yours will necessarily suffer this fate. To help prevent any damage to your chair, you should remove any possible fragile items such as joysticks, head rests, foot pedals and removable cushions. If these items cannot be removed, securely wrap them with bubble wrap which is duct taped to prevent it from coming loose.
Additionally, whenever possible write down instructions on use and care for your wheelchair and attach it so that they are clearly visible. Verbal communication with the ground staff is also advised.
For more tips on protecting your mobility equipment, check out my post here.
How much does it cost to check my wheelchair or patient lift?
Wheelchairs and other medical necessities such as patient lifts don’t have any associated costs when you check them with your luggage. This is a right that is outlined in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), however, on occasion you’ll run into someone who works for the airline that is not aware of this and they may try to charge you.
Don’t let them! Politely but assertively inform them that this is not legal and that there is no charge to check a wheelchair or medical device.
How do wheelchair users go to the bathroom on flights?
On shorter domestic flights, there are usually no accessible bathrooms on the plane, and it is advised that you use an accessible restroom in the airport prior to boarding. On longer international flights, most aircrafts will have an accessible bathroom onboard as well as an aisle wheelchair.
Tell a flight attendant that you will need to use the onboard aisle wheelchair and need to use the bathroom. The flight attendants can assist in getting you to the restroom, but you will then need to be able to handle going to the bathroom yourself or have an accompanying caregiver assist you. Flight attendants cannot assist you in the bathroom.
Also note that while airplane accessible bathrooms are larger than the tiny closet most people have to use, they are not the size of a truly accessible restroom that you’ll find on land. Many people with disabilities find them difficult to use.
Where can I get a transfer sling?
If you have a sling that you use for a patient lift, this can also help with transfers on and off the plane. However, if you do not usually require a sling but would like one to make travel easier, you can obtain one through the All Wheels Up organization I mentioned earlier. They occasionally have give-a-ways for this item as well so make sure to follow them on social media for notice when these are taking place.
I can’t hold myself up in an airplane seat, are there any products that can help?
There are special harnesses that can be purchased and used to assist with upper body support during air travel. These special harnesses have a strap that goes around the top of the airplane seat and two belts that come over the shoulders with loops for the airplane seatbelt to go through.
For more information, pricing, and guidelines for use, click here.
Final Thoughts on Using an Aisle Wheelchair
While using an aisle wheelchair to get on and off the plane is not the most enjoyable experience, it does open air travel for people with disabilities. Until the day comes when wheelchair users can stay in their own devices for the duration of the flight, aisle chairs are necessary to be able to fly. I hope that this post has answered your questions and given you all you need to know about these specialized wheelchairs.
