Traveling on domestic US flight with wheelchair or knee scooter

First of all, you should know that in the US, it is a federal law that airlines must accommodate passengers with disabilities and mobile devices. So you will definitely be able to get the crutches on board. And you should be able to get whatever other assistance you require.

Which airline are you flying? Knowing that might help in terms of how to request assistance.

Intact your airline directly about how a knee scooter would be handled. Theirs is the only answer that matters.

I have seen crutches stored in the overhead compartment.

Confirm with your airline that they would gate check the knee scooter. They would definitely gate check a wheelchair and return it to you at the gate on arrival. Crutches can be brought on board to reach your seat and then, at the flight attendants discretion, placed in the overhead or given to the FA to store in a closet.

Regarding where this question belongs - since it concerns travel from place to place, I would suggest the Transportation board.

Check your airline’s website. They should have specific information about medical equipment with instructions. For example, here is United’s:
https://www.united.com/en/us/fly/travel/accessibility-and-assistance/medication.html

I have traveled with a walker. It is not a big deal. It is gate checked just prior to boarding. If you cannot walk to your seat from the plane entrance, then the staff will help you to your seat and gate check the chair. The same would go for the knee scooter unless it folds to fit in an overhead. You said it didn't fold so it will be gate checked. On arrival if you can pick it up at the entrance -- fine. If not you will to order a wheelcar to met you are the door and take you to luggage claim to obtain your wheelchair -- if that is where it is picked up.

It the crutches don't fit in the overhead, then the staff will store the crutches somewhere up front.

I am a wheelchair passenger and buy my tickets directly from the wheelchair customer service number of the airline. In theory, they arrange everything with the airports. I say in theory because airports can screw up. The airline employees will then will help remedy the situation.

Continental, I believe that to be so true. What you get told by an official rep and what actually happens in real time is an entirely different thing. That’s why I appreciate everyone’s real life stories. We purchased the tickets months ago but the physical mobility issue just happened.

I’m appreciative of everyone’s responses.

They would definitely gate check a wheelchair and return it to you at the gate on arrival.

Usually, but not always.

My son is disabled and we travel with a special needs stroller. We always request that it be gate-checked, and that is what usually happens.

However, last summer, traveling on Air France from Athens to CDG to Montreal, the gate agent, for reasons we cannot fathom and despite our very clear request to gate check the stroller so that we could use it at CDG, checked the stroller all the way through to Montreal.

We found this out when we arrived at CDG. No stroller. We then needed to use the airport wheelchair service, although wheelchairs are too big for my son, so he was uncomfortable and tired during his transport. We were not allowed to wheel him ourselves; an airport agent needed to wheel him. As soon as we got to our gate, the agent took the chair away, telling us it was needed for other passengers. We explained that we needed it to transport my son to the restroom during our 2-hour layover. Our request was denied and the chair taken away. We had no way to move our son around the airport. Thank goodness there wasn't a gate change.

Moral of the story: don't count on seeing your assistance device when you exit the plane. Always have a backup plan. And for us, never Air France or CDG, ever again.

The advice above to work through the disability services phone line with the airline is good advice. They will answer your specific questions and, in our experience, really do their best to make your travel experience as good as it can be, including priority seating at no extra charge (so your disabled person doesn't need to climb to the back of the plane) and any gate assistance as needed. You can call them after you book your tickets and they will make any necessary modifications.

Also, put an airtag on the wheelchair or assistance device if you bring one. When we finally arrived at Montreal on that trip, we had to use the airtag to find the stroller, which arrived at a distant baggage claim area. The airport agents couldn't locate it; we only found it because of the airtag. Another trip, we arrived at our final destination and it didn't show up at the gate. The agents spent a lot of time searching and finally told us to go to baggage claim, but we were able to show them that the stroller was still on the plane, and they brought it to us at the gate.

Best of luck, and allow plenty of extra time for all of your potential "adventures." :-)

My wife is mobility challenged and she travels with a high quality folding personal scooter. She rides it to the door of the airplane and then it's gate checked--to return to the door at our next stop.

Upon arrival at the plane door, I fold the seat down and fold the handlebars down--and remove the battery. And I handle our carry on rolling bags too---requiring no assistance from anyone.

We're getting ready to make our 4th international trip this way--and one trip to Las Vegas. Anyone that's mobility challenged should look into these great scooters. It allows my wife to go to church and the grocery store, and it's a big part of our lives. We carry it in our trunk all the time. And with a 10+ mile range, I cannot keep up with her in airports.

DebVT, your story makes me furious and outraged; which is no help at all, but I'm so angry to read what happened to your family, and know that you are one of probably many families who have such terrible stories. Thank you for sharing, and I will take everything you say to heart.

KD, it's hard to believe it can actually happen, isn't it?

We are fortunate in that my son is mobile enough on his own that we could assist him to a nearby bathroom (which was still several gates away). And he is light enough at 95 lbs, and we are fit enough, to be able to piggyback him should we have needed to change gates or, god forbid, emergency evacuate the airport. These were the thoughts we were discussing as the airport agent wheeled the chair away.

I cannot imagine the experiences of people who are truly wheelchair-bound. Demeaning, demoralizing, and downright dangerous.

Anyway, my advice is to try and anticipate as much as you can and develop continency plans for when things don't go the way they should. And never be afraid to ask for help, even from strangers -- we have learned over and over that people are kind.

I hope you have a wonderful trip! Despite all of the extra challenges, traveling slowly with a disabled person has led us to many joyful experiences that we never otherwise would have had, most especially through encountering the sincere good will of absolute strangers.

Some of the answer will differ because of what kind of wheel chair is being used - manual or with a battery. There's been updated guidance about LI batteries, and whether they can be taken out of the chair or not, if applicable. That's why the airline you're flying with will really need to tell you the answer.

If you fly with your own non-motorized wheelchair, you need to tell the airline in advance. Delta has an online form that you can fill out where you tell them that you are bringing a wheelchair and asks all kinds of questions about the wheelchair and what you want them to do with it.

If you want to use a wheelchair service at the airport, you also need to request that in advance. Know that you need to arrive earlier than usual and sometimes there’s gonna be quite a wait for them to get you a wheelchair. You have to be pushed by an employee of the airport; no one from your family can push you. Sometimes you get to go through a special security line and sometimes you have to wait with everybody else.

When flying internationally, I have found that the distance from the gate to the baggage claim and vice versa can be SUBSTANTIAL. Airports that spring to mind here are Heathrow, CDG, Miami, and JFK. Seriously, it was almost a mile from the international gate at Miami to baggage claim.

Edited to add: don’t forget to bring cash to tip the wheelchair pusher if you use a chair provided by the airport.

Also adding, if you tell us the name of the airports you were considering, we might be able to help you more specifically. For example, people complain about Atlanta because it’s the busiest airport in the world. However, in terms of mobility, it’s excellent with a train between all the terminals. Meanwhile, smaller airports that don’t have robust trains can actually mean far more walking. Minneapolis and San Diego spring to mind here.