JFK airport, New York - AirTrain (SkyTrain)

I defy anyone in a wheelchair to get from Terminal 6 in JFK to any other terminal using the AirTrain (sometime called the SkyTrain), without asking for assistance. There are absolutely no signs indicating where to go. You arrive off your plane and head towards the exits. There are signs for baggage claim (don't want that, my bags are checked through), taxis (don't want those, I'm just changing terminals), ground transport (nope, not renting a car or getting a bus) and parking (no - no car here). But for the AirTrain or other terminals? Not a hint. The map is no good either, it is just a map of terminal 6.

If you do ask someone who looks official, they will point you to a door discreetly located past some restaurants, down a narrow corridor and suddenly you are through a double door (locked - but there is a TSA official who will open it for you) into the ticketing area on the land side of security. There you turn right and spot the very tiny sign pointing to elevators to the AirTrain.

Apart from the difficulty in finding it, the AirTrain is very accessible and easy to use. Easy to roll on, plenty of space on-board. The only challenge is trying to figure out which platform to use to get to the terminal you want. The secret is to listen carefully to the announcements as the train enters the station. Be careful. Boarding the wrong train will lose you a lot of time. Once who have boarded, look at the map on board and pay attention to the announcements to reassure yourself you are going the right way.

Sure beats the old JFK where I was once manually carried on some shoulders to get from one terminal to the other, while another person carried my chair!!

LaGuardia, NY - Hotel (Lexington Marco LaGuardia)

This entry describes my experiences at the Lexington Marco LaGuardia Hotel and is intended to assist wheelchair users or disabled travelers considering this hotel.

Entry to the hotel is via a very steep ramp from street level. This is more than 1:12, maybe 1:10, and a hefty push to get up it. Once up, entry to the lobby is via automatic doors. There is a restaurant adjacent to the hotel (the Magna) that is accessible direct from the hotel.

My room (Accessible, two doubles, bath) was large and easy to get around, although the two double beds took up some space. The workdesk was comfortable and spacious. Electric sockets were easy to reach. Closet was easy to access and use. All lights, with the exception of the work-desk lamp could be turned on or off from the bed - a rare touch that I like.

The bathroom was very spacious with plenty of turning space. It had a bath, and was more suited to an ambulant disabled rather than a wheelie. The main thing lacking was appropriately placed grab bars. However, I found it very usable. The sink had knee room underneath, the toilet was easy to get to and not too high. The shower hose was fixed to the wall and very high. Towels were left at a low level and easy to reach.

All in all a decent, comfortable, accessible room located in Chinatown in Queens. I'd stay there again.

Dulles Airport, VA - Aerotrain

Dulles International Airport (IAD), serving Washington D.C., recently unveiled its new Aerotrain for ferrying passengers between terminals. These notes reflect my experience using the train and are intended to assist wheelchair users using IAD. In summary, the train is accessible to wheelchair users, but you need to be careful to get off on the correct side of the train for elevator access. Details below.

The Aerotrain replaces the "moving lounges" that used to be used to go between terminals. These were essentially busses that you could board direct from the terminal. The moving lounge is still used going to and from terminal D and for international arrivals to go to the immigration hall. Terminals A, B and C are served by the Aerotrain.

The Aerotrain runs underground - one line from the main terminal services A and C and another line services B. (You can still walk from the main terminal to terminal B through an underground tunnel).

Access to the train is via elevator. After ticketing you get an elevator to the security area. After passing through security, you take a further elevator to the train platform. Signage is not good, and it can be frustrating trying to find the elevators.

The train is fully accessible, getting on is easy. The train is level with the platform and the gap is small (a few cm, 1.5"). There is plenty of room on-board to park your chair and the ride is comfortable and fast. Where the designers get you is in disembarking at the terminal. You must disembark onto the central platform when you arrive at the terminal. If you don't do this you will find yourself either at a dead end with no way out except an escalator, or facing a long steep ramp which is very difficult to wheel up - especially with luggage. Only the central platform has elevator access. To trick you into disembarking on the wrong side, the doors to the non-central platform open first. You have to wait, hanging grimly to your spot against the tide of frantic humanity that presses off the train, until the doors on the other side of the train open, allowing access to the central platform and the elevators. This is not signed anywhere and I found out only by trial and error and several visits. (If you do end up in a dead end, your only option is to wait for another train and then pass through once both sets of doors are open).

There are significant distances to wheel to and from the Aerotrain so give yourself plenty of time if transferring at IAD.

The Flying Circus 7 - Coping with jet-lag

There is no easy solution for jet lag with the kids. I have read that it takes roughly one day to adjust to a one hour shift in time, and my experience backs this up. As an adult you can do various things (ensure you sleep and wake in the new times as fast as possible, get plenty of sunshine and fresh air during the day in you r new time zone etc.) but your kids won’t do this. They will go to slepp when they are tired (their old bed times) and wake when they’re not (they’re old wake times) and this can really screw up your day. All you can do is try to work them into the new time zone a little bit every day, putting them to bed as close as possible to an appropriate time for your new time zone and insisting they stay there (even if they don’t sleep). Get them into the fresh air and outside as much as possible during the day in your new time zone. Try to maintain a routine as much as possible. It definitely helps if you are staying at the same location (hotel or friends’ house) for the first 3 or 4 nights to establish a routine. Make sure you bring some night-time stuff from home – a favorite teddy, or blanket, or pajamas, and try to keep the same night time routine as you use at home.

Frequently, my wife and I end up staying in the same hotel room as the kids. We learned quickly that they simply will not go to sleep if we are in the room. This has led to several unromantic evenings spent in the bathroom of the hotel room with the lights off waiting for slumber to settle in the bedroom. Nothing like sitting on the toilet sharing a glass of wine with your beloved! If you can afford a suite take it!

The Flying Circus 6 - Landing

A good trick is to give the kids lollipops when descending. This helps the pressur eon their ears and may reduce the discomfort. I have constantly tried to make landing exciting by telling them to prepare for the “bumpity-bumps” and talking about what we can see through thee windows. The result is that this is now the favorite part of the journey for my tiny tots and they laugh themselves silly during landing and decelerating.

As a wheelchair user who needs an aisle chair to dis-embark, you are going to be last off the plane. So just sit back, relax and let everyone else get off first. My wife and the kids usually get off ahead of me and wait on the air-bridge or in the lounge.

Disembarking is the reverse of boarding. The ground staff come with an aisle chair and you have to transfer into it. Again, it’s great if you can do that yourself. If not you need to depend on the sometimes poorly trained ground staff. In Europe it is usually no problem – in the US it is usually a scary and dangerous moment. If you need assistance, insist that at least two people are available. Very often they send just one person with the aisle chair, and they may or may not know what they are doing.

They wheel you off the aircraft and with luck your wheelchair will be waiting for you on the airbridge. Once you are in that you are home and dry and back in control of your destiny. I usually ask for a push to the top of the airbridge (it can be steep) and then dismiss the ground staff as I have found it easier and faster to get through the airport myself. But in a strange airport it can be useful to have someone guide you.

Another circumstance where having a guide is very useful, is if you need to go through passport control at your destination. The guide can usually fast-track you and your family through the lines.

The Flying Circus 5 - Boarding the plane

This is how boarding works when you are traveling in your own wheelchair. Firstly, and most importantly, be at the gate early. Domestic or local flights usually start boarding 20 or 30 minutes before departure time. Long haul usually starts 45 minutes before departure time. Be at the gate ten minutes before boarding starts – at least. As soon as you reach the gate, talk to the personnel on the podium and tell them you need an aisle chair to get on board the plane, and any other assistance you may require. This is essential. It doesn’t matter if the check-in said it would be okay, or if it is written on your ticket. The only person who needs to know is the gate manager, and invariably they never do. I don’t know why. It helps if you can let them know at least 30 or 45 minutes in advance. The other thing you need from the gate agent is a “gate tag” for your wheelchair. This should ensure that you get it on arrival – doesn’t always happen.  

The guys with the aisle chair eventually turn up. Airlines like to board the wheelies first, but this is not always possible. If the plane is re-fueling, or if the ground guys are late, they will start boarding the walkies first. The important thing is to stay close to the gate and ask questions. Once they are ready to board you, you can take your own chair all the way down to the aircraft door. At that point, you transfer from your own chair to the aisle chair (sometimes called a “straight-back”). The aisle chair is a very narrow chair that fits down the aisle of the aircraft. If you need assistance you will need to direct operations and give very clear instructions about what you want to happen.  You kiss your wheelchair goodbye. Make sure there is nothing left on the chair that may fall off – side guards, cushion, back-pack etc. Take everything removable with you onto the aircraft. I just pull everything off and throw it in a heap on the ground and tell the guys that all of that needs to get on-board. At this point you are at the mercy of the handlers. You have no control over the aisle chair as they man handle you on-board. My experience has been that European airports do this really well, and US airports are terrible. It helps if you can make your own transfers. If not, ensure there are two people and that they are trained – ask them. IN the US the invariably are not trained and treat you like a piece of baggage. In Europe they are usually para-medics that know how to safely transfer you from the aisle chair to your seat and vice versa.

It would be really nice if airlines always assigned wheelies to a seat that was easy to get to – near the front, with an arm rest that went up. They don’t. You just have to kind of go with the flow and try to remember that your goal is to get  into a seat – any seat – safely.

Now, add some children into the mix. The good news is that, if the airline is properly organized, they will invite wheelies and their companions to board first. My wife and kids go on board ahead of me, giving them time to get settled and get all the bags organized while I’m transferring to the aisle chair and dismantling my wheelchair. Like going through security, it is better to act as two separate groups at this point. Otherwise, staff will stand back and expect your spouse to carry your bags – and they have enough on their plates with the kids’ paraphernalia. 

A notable exception to all this palaver is the domestic US airline Southwest Airlines. They fly Boeing 737s exclusively, and the particular configuration they use means that I can get to the first row of seats in my own chair (680mm/27.2" wide). You have to do a near 180 degree transfer to get onto the seat but if you can mange that then Southwest is by far the fastest and most efficient boarding system I know.

The Flying Circus 4 - Going through security

Just assume that this is going to be a nightmare and you will not be disappointed.

Plan it out in advance. Discuss it with your partner. Who is going to carry what, who is going to go first etc. etc. Review the plan twice before you get to the line to ensure you both understand what you are going to do. This is how we do it:

-          Spouse walks behind me, with kids in between. Wheelchairs get priority (usually) at security lines, so this allows us to move quickly to the security area as a family.

-          Once at the x-ray scanners, I assist my wife with getting the kids ready: shoes off, coats off, carry-on bags on the belt. She folds the buggy, gets it on the belt, pulls out the little 1-quart baggie with liquids, gels etc. (tow of these – I have one and she has one) until finally my wife and the kids are ready to go through.

-          My wife walks through the x-ray first (and again and again until she no longer beeps). I hold the kids back until she is ready at the other side. Then the kids walk through to her, one by one. Then, and only then, I start getting myself through security.

-          Often, when going through, security will ask if you are travelling alone. I always say yes. If you don’t, they expect your wife to capture and look after all your stuff after it has gone through the x-ray belt. She has enough to do with her own mountain of stuff (see the section on packing!) and the kids!

For a wheelie, going through security always involves a body search. So the routine is to prepare all my bags, remove laptops etc. just like anyone else. I cannot easily remove my shoes and this is usually okay. Although security will ask, and sometimes try to insist, if you are firm about your needs and abilities they will let you keep your shoes on. I don’t use a back-pack on my chair as it wrecks the upholstery, so instead I use a bag that hangs under the chair to carry bits and pieces. My one (from Adaptable®) can be quickly un-clipped and I bought it specifically for security purposes. I have never had any problem bringing medical necessities through such as catheters (even the pre-lubricated type sealed with their own liquid) or urine bottles (I use standard Rubbermaid® 1-litre liquid “serving saver” bottles).  

So once you have all your stuff on the belt, it goes through just like everyone else’s. Then you wait until a security person opens a little gate beside the scanner and waves you through. The body search is pretty thorough and you will be asked to put your arms out to each side, lean forward in your chair, lift yourself if that is possible. Training of personnel varies from place to place, but by and large I have found that the staff are considerate and sensitive to my needs while still doing a thorough job. You are entitled to a private screening if you want one, but I never bother. The staff will also swab your chair, hands, and shoes for traces of explosives. Sometimes they “wand’ you and may ask permission to lift your legs off the foot-rests to do this.

We have had some horrendous experiences. One horrible incident where my toddler fell off my lap because I was trying to get my bags done (without assistance) and no one would help him or let my wife back out to pick him up and tend to his bleeding lip. Only fellow passengers came to our assistance. That’s what I mean when I say assume the worst. Staff in some locations are notoriously rude and unhelpful (Dulles International for example, although it seems to be improving over the last six months) while in other locations they are a pleasure to deal with (Baltimore/Washington International for example). My advice about all this is to just do what you can to make their job easier. It is no fun for anyone, and the person you are dealing with doesn’t make the rules. Your goal is to get safely through with minimum stress.

The Flying Circus 3 - The airport

We live too far from the airport to get a taxi, so we usually drive. I drop off the family at the departures door, then park the car and return to meet them. We always give ourselves plenty of time – aim to be at check-in no later than two hours before the flight. Sure you can cut it finer than that, but is the stress and risk of delays worth it?

We do not hang around. We go straight to check-in and then straight to security. The aim is to get “air-side” as fast as possible.

When you check-in tell the check-in person your needs. If you can walk a few steps onto the airplane, say so. If you need an aisle chair (carry-on, straight-back or lift-on are other terms that are used) then say so. If your chair is an electric chair you will need to tell them so that they can follow the appropriate procedures.

When you get your boarding passes, check them to make sure you are all actually seated together. You would be amazed at how often the kids end up seated elsewhere! Pleasant and all as that would be, I don’t recommend it.

If you booked your infant as a lap child, ask the check-in agent if they can block a seat beside you. If the flight is not full they may oblige and you end up getting a free seat for your infant. They will still need to be on your lap for take-off and landing.

Some airlines offer bassinets or cots. Ask at check-in if this is an option and see if you can get one for your baby. This means that the airline will seat you at a bulkhead where the cot can be mounted. This is a mixed blessing. Bulkheads are not great unless you really need them. Because the armrests don’t go up, transferring in and out of the seat can be very difficult. In addition, the extra space allows toddlers to “escape” easily. Our littlest was an active crawler before he could walk. One unfortunate passenger spent most of a transatlantic flight stopping his escapes with a judiciously placed leg as he took advantage of every time we were distracted by the other to slide away and make a break for freedom.