The Airline Did What ?!?

 If you've been following along with me, you've probably seen that I use a wheelchair when I cruise. The first thing this involves is getting the wheelchair TO the cruise. For most people this will involve flying and, sadly, airlines do not have the greatest track record with wheelchairs. According to this article, every year between 10,000 to 15,000 mobility devices are damaged during air travel. The Department of Transportation estimates that comes out to about 1 in 100 or 1.4%. Tell me the truth, if you heard that 1 in 100 people lost their legs when flying, would you get on an airplane? That's really what we're talking about here though. For most people who use them, mobility devices represent the only way for them to effectively get around. In the picture above, you may be able to notice that the post on the front right of my chair is bent and the right side of the seat is significantly lower than the left. During our last flight, something happened that literally bent the frame of the chair. It was completely destroyed and I had to walk. You might think that's not a big deal, after all I was able to walk, but there were consequences - the consequences I was trying to avoid by using the chair.

 This is my heart rate chart from that day. You'll notice that up until about 4pm I'm doing pretty good. That's when our plane landed and I had to start walking. I ended up spending 41.1 energy points that day when my current limit is supposed to be 20. When I go over like that, the next day or two or three I will experience increased inflammation, fatigue, and headaches - sometimes debilitating ones. So yeah, I could walk, but at what cost?

 Sadly, this was not our first incident of having a wheelchair damaged on a flight. In fact, of the four trips we took by plane in the last year, my wheelchair has been damaged three times. Let's just say my odds are not as good as the DOT's prediction!

 On the bright side, if you've ever had a mobility device damaged by an airline, it is likely you are familiar with the company, Global Repair Group. I have nothing but good things to say about these wonderful people! They are on the ball and get things done quickly. Global Repair is successful in helping you navigate the most critical aspects of returning to service. Sometimes there are hiccups in unclear areas, like what to do with your broken wheelchair, but overall, we haven't had any significant problems with them. 

 In February of 2024, my husband and I took an "Inflammation Vacation" to Palm Springs, California. I like to head to the desert once or twice a year when I can because the lower humidity brings my inflammation levels down significantly and my pain is so much better. On our return flight, the wheels and/or frame of my power chair were damaged. We had to head to the baggage assistance desk down by baggage claim to fill out a report. It was unusable in it's current state, but because I have a manual chair at home I can use in its place, I declined a loaner. Working with Global Repair Group, they determined that the chair was damaged beyond repair and they brought a replacement to our home within a couple of weeks. They even allowed us to keep the undamaged batteries and joystick from the original chair so we now have backups! 

  

 In July of 2024 we headed to Philadelphia, PA for the EDS conference. We decided to bring the manual chair this time to avoid issues and because it seemed the most practical for the event. Having been informed that the 787 that the airline flies is equipped with a closet that can be used to store wheelchairs, we asked the flight crew to store our chair there. They said, "No," because their luggage was already stored there and they didn't want to have to relocate it (I assume, they didn't tell me this). I double checked their website and it did say that they are obligated to store my wheelchair in the closet if I am the first person to ask(follow the link and see "Folding Wheelchair"), which I was. So, my chair was tagged and gate checked, and I was assured it would be waiting for me at the gate when we got to Philly. Guess what wasn't at the gate? Yep, my chair. I sat in the hot, muggy jet bridge for over 30 minutes waiting for them to empty the entire hold of the plane and nope, it wasn't there either. They had lost my chair. 

 After heading down to baggage claim and filling out another report, they offered us a "loaner chair" for our trip. This thing was janky guys! I mean, it was bad. It had no foot rests on it so I would either have to drag my feet or hold my legs up in the air the whole time. Thankfully, my husband had the foresight to remove the foot rests from my chair before the flight since they were the part most likely to get damaged and they fit on the loaner because they were the same brand - I think it's the most common brand out there. We used the loaner for the rest of that day and then the next day we were informed that they had found my chair and were flying it out to Philadelphia. My husband coordinated with the airline and Global Repair to have my chair brought to our hotel and the loaner picked up. Half of it was completed successfully, but they didn't pick up the loaner. After further coordination my husband took the loaner down to the front desk where they put it in the luggage storage area for the airline to collect. It was still there three days later when we left and who knows, it may still be there today! Upon receiving my chair, we noticed that a couple of parts, including the arm rest, had been damaged. A little more coordination on my husband's part once we returned home and Global repair sent us replacement parts that he was able to attach. 

 In November of 2024, I'm happy to report that my wheelchair made it to and home from New Orleans, Louisiana intact! It was a challenging city to use it in, but the airline didn't damage it at all.

  

  

 Then, this year, in February, we headed to LA to begin our Panama Canal cruise for our 27th anniversary. When we got off the plane, I was pleased to have the chair show up on the jet bridge, but dismayed to find that the frame had been crushed, as I talked about above. 

Again, we got to visit the baggage assistance desk to fill out forms and begin a relationship with a new Global Repair Group agent. This one did super great and determined right away that the chair was damaged beyond repair, sending us a new one to our hotel that evening. She made sure it happened quickly because we were boarding a 15-day cruise first thing the next morning. We were a little anxious about what the chair they sent would be like after receiving our last loaner, but this one was a brand new chair that was actually a little better than my old one. And it's not a loaner, we get to keep it!

 Again, though, they did not pick up the damaged wheelchair and they would not let us leave it at the airport either. So, there sits another damaged wheelchair in a hotel lobby indefinitely 😜. 

 This whole situation probably seems as untenable to you as it does to me.  How could the airlines get away with doing this to people every day? It's so unfair that people with disabilities have to feel so unsafe about air travel! I now get on an airplane expecting my wheelchair to be damaged. As I mentioned before, would you get on an airplane if you expected them to destroy your legs? The former US Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, agreed with me and worked with a group of people, many of them disabled users of mobility aids, to develop what they called "The Final Rule" which was announced on December 16, 2024. You can watch the announcement here (Note: it is supposed to be queued to almost 17 minutes in as that's when the stream starts), and I would highly recommend it. It is a moving testimony to the importance of the rule and the effort that went into it.

 Sadly, I found out when I was writing this post that in light of the change in administration the airlines have sought to overturn the rule. They are arguing that their practices are not discriminatory against people with disabilities. I have to disagree. I face so much uncertainty every time I fly. If it were about luggage, I could simply carry on the things that were important to me. As I learned on the way to Philadelphia, I can't do that with my wheelchair. My mobility aids are critical to my function in life. By putting me in a state where I have a 25% chance of successfully wheeling off the plane, and telling me I should be fine with that, I certainly feel discriminated against. Able bodied people can fly without serious concern of being able to disembark the plane safely. Disable people are CERTAINLY NOT in the same situation. This is purely because of unsafe practices and lack of training on the part of the airlines that is easily avoidable, but would cost them money. Evidently, they added up the money that the training would cost and the money they paid out to people whose mobility aids were damaged, and figured they came out ahead by not training their staff. That, by definition, is discrimination. 

Here's the Thing: Having your wheelchair damaged on three out of four trips in a 12 month period? Boo! Global Repair Group? Yay! Will this stop us from traveling with a wheelchair on planes? No. I kind of have to. The alternative makes travel unreasonable for me. We've just learned that we need to allow extra time for the likely eventuality of dealing with baggage assistance and do what I can to take care of myself.