Travelling abroad

Juli1t

Hi, My adult daughter has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is unable to sit independently. When she was little we were allowed to put her car seat into the aeroplane ( after it had been approved by the airline). Now, however she is only able to travel in her wheelchair and would be unable to sit in an aeroplane seat. Will we never be able to travel in an aeroplane with her again? I would appreciate hearing other people’s experiences. Thank you

April2018mom

Hello @Juli1t! 

My son has spina bifida. We went on vacation in August as a family. I contacted the airline to tell them we had a full time wheelchair user. We loved it. My suggestion is to talk with the airline. You can even request special assistance on the airline’s website (you will have to search for it). Good luck and have a wonderful time! When are you going? I recommend doing some research. Make sure to give them enough information. What type of assistance will she need onboard? Consider what type of airport assistance she will require in addition. 

Juli1t

Hi, thanks for your reply! Did you take the wheelchair onto the plane? I know that I could do a wheelchair transfer to the plane seat, but my daughter wouldn’t be able to sit in the seat - requires too much support unfortunately. 

April2018mom

Have you contacted DLF? They sell a range of items for disabled people and you can find factsheets on their website full of advice on a number of topics. 

poppy123456

Hi,

I think the best thing you can do here is speak to the airline you're thinking of traveling with, they will  be able to help you. I'm sure there's lots of other disabled people that fly that have severe disabilities. There must be something in place for this situation.

April2018mom

Juli1t said:

Hi, thanks for your reply! Did you take the wheelchair onto the plane? I know that I could do a wheelchair transfer to the plane seat, but my daughter wouldn’t be able to sit in the seat - requires too much support unfortunately. 

Yes we did. What about a first class seat? Every time we fly, I request a seat with plenty of leg room. 

April2018mom

Or you can ask on the travelling with disabilities forum on TripAdvisor- https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowForum-g1-i12336-Traveling_With_Disabilities.html

poppy123456

April2018mom said:

Yes we did. What about a first class seat? Every time we fly, I request a seat with plenty of leg room. 

Extra leg room seats are not first class. First class seats are not usually available on short flights, only long flights and the cost of first class is horrendous.

Juli1t

Thanks for your replies. I’ve checked out the Trip Advisor forum and that’s very helpful. I don’t think it’s possible as yet to travel seated in a wheelchair on a plane having googled the access arrangements for different airlines. I wondered if there were some specialist seats (a bit like a car seat) that would fit into the aeroplane seat. 

poppy123456

I don't know the age of your daughter but i found this. https://meru.org.uk/what-we-do/travelchair/ Not sure about cost.

If she's a teenager or adult then my searches failed to find anything that would be suitable.

Juli1t

Thank you so much for finding that! Unfortunately she is an adult so too old for this - think we’ll just stick to driving to Cornwall or France!!

Chloe_Alumni

Hi @Juli1t, and a warm welcome to the community!

I have found this service that is based in Leeds. It is called the William Merit Centre. They offer a range of assessments for independent living, which includes seating for flying. I am unsure where you are based, but if this location wasn't possible, I am sure they would have a list of contacts for somewhere closer to you.

Supportive seating can be available to buy or loan. I hope you managed to find something that suits your daughters needs.