3 replies to this topic

[Lucydog]

Hi,

Im flying in a couple of weeks with Easyjet, and while Im cool about all the aspects of the flight Im worried to death about my chair. Please please tell me its not going to come off the flight in pieces!!! What should I do to make sure it doesnt get damaged? As its a fixed frame chair, should I take the wheels off and tie to the back frame or leave as it is? Are the baggage handlers more careful with chairs or do they still sling averything on the same? I know baggage handlers are never careful but you know what I mean!! Im just paranoid that we are going to get to Bristol and Im going to find my chair buckled or in pieces.

Should I insure it before we go, if so are there specialist insurers or will any travel insurance do?

Cheers
L

[Simon]

Definitely insure it - just in case.
Best way would be to insist you stay in the chair until you board into the aircraft seat. This way you can instruct those lifting you to put it in the hold! Best is watch it going into the hold before you are carried on. I have a rigis frame chair and normally take wheels off (well my wife does) havent yet had it damaged but did loose a wheel bearing once, it must have slipped off when the wheel was taken off. Our clients coming here some with electric chairs havent had a problem barring one having their electric chair dropped out of the hold and knackering the drive wheels! This was going back at the uk airport when they landed, they claimed off the airline who paid up.
Simon

[russ1]

I always make sure I stay in my chair up to the plane door. I then tell them that if the chair can be stored on board in the cabin wardrobes then it will come apart but that if it is to go in the hold the wheels must stay on the chair (but I do show them how to fold the back down). This saves them getting misplaced and protects the chair at the same time. Try to insist that your chair is available at the plane door on arrival - BA didn't manage this at heathrow last time. Worth speaking to cabin crew just before landing to get them to radio ahead to let ground crew know not to take chair through to baggage reclaim. It's whatI'll do next time if chair isn't in cabin.

You might also like to see the note on unaccompanied flying I've put up on the pinned item up top.

BTW Fish Insurance do decent wheelchair Insurance. Best dealI could find anyway.

[haddy]

I tried flying from card'ff / bristol to jersey and found that most plane companies especially the cheap ones wouldn't insure my chair in the hold, only up to £250 like normall baggage! I think BA cover it as an exceptional piece of equipment. Only pob is my insurer will cover my wheelchair any were in teh world except the hold of an airoplane as i won't be breahing it myself! In teh end i gave up and went in my car by ferry! If you are flying anywhere just check that you are insured in teh hold.
Most of the time when i phoned up the companies it is a £ a min line and know-onw could actually tell me what i wanted to know!
Haddy x