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My wife has a severe disability which limits her walking ability. Now walks with a "walker". Anyone have experience with this type of situation, and do Airlines accommodate them in any way? Thanks, Gary

Mobility comprised passengers usually board first.

Most airlines will have wheel chairs and staff to push them around the airport. There should be a box to check when purchasing your tickets. Also let the ticketing agent know when you check in.

Bigger hub airports will also have golf carts to drive passengers between gates.

Ask for help and the good people will be there.

Airlport employees will get her to the plane door. Once there she is pretty much on her own. The aisles are not wide enough for wheelchairs but may be wide enough to accept a walker as long as she can power it.

This. Try to book near the front of the plane to limit her walk, but they should let you both board first to avoid being rushed and holding up other passengers. Unfortunately, that also means you’ll deplane last for the same reasons.

I took on the responsibility of getting a older couple to the airport and on their flight for a friend, it was his parents.

He'd flown into Hawaii a few days earlier with his girlfriend so they could get everything prepared for his parents arrival.

I got to his folks home with time to spare, got them, walkers and wheelchair included into my car and headed off to the airport.

The old geezer started spouting off instructions on the best way to get to the airport, like a fool I followed his instruction..

We ended up lost in a time consuming way so we didn't arrive as early as intended for their flight.

The airport attendant was heaven sent..

We'd checked bags while their flight was boarding...we didn't check the walker.

Bad juju..

Had to go back and check the walker, sum whur, about then this airport assist found us.

She expedited everything.

We had both mom and dad in wheelchairs racing through the airport for their gate, right passed security...

Along the way she radioed sumbuddy and told them to hold the flight.

It was nerve racking for me but this chick did everything with a laugh and a smile.

The plane was loaded and waiting when we got to airside..

All was well....

I tipped her $40...well worth it.

Later that evening I called my bud in Hawaii to see how the flight had gone.

He was in a bar, his first response was 'WHAT?' I thought that was tomorrow...

He hauled azz to the airport and found his parents sitting in arriving flights with spider webs on their walker and wheelchair but happy as clams....

They'd sat for almost 4 hours...

In short...just check in a little early and let them know you'll need some help..

You'll be in good hands...

You're a good man, Jeff.

That’s not entirely correct. I’ve see airlines that use narrow wheel chairs at the end of the jetway to transport disabled people to and from their seats on the plane. They usually get seated first and are removed last.

I've observed a lot of services for elderly/disabled on commercial flights.

In the last 2 months, sat next to a nice lady on a flight who didn't ask for any services but probably needed them. She had a tight connection (I think it was atlanta) and the stewardess made sure she was first off and had a wheel chair.

My wife has needed help for months and the airline people have been fabulous. She has a knee scooter and can't put any weight on her foot, they gate check it, put her in an aisle chair to load on board and put her on first, off last. Wheelchairs are waiting in the jet way and the attendants push her to wherever she needs. Alaska has been the best but the other airlines have been great, too. Just request services and let them know what kind. Their help tends to be the only bright spot in traveling.

Call your airline after you see their policies online

Canes, walkers and such are permitted aboard, but may have to be collapsible. As others have said, assistance to gates can be provided but should be arranged for in advance.

I'm flying soon and plan to take my cane. The new Salt Lake City airport terminal is still under construction, and it is a LOOOONG walk to gates. I'll get there early and try to hobble it, but I'll have no problem flagging down somebody if I need to.

Bonus tip. Even if you fly only rarely, by all means get TSA Pre-Approved. It eliminates 95% of the silly hassle and saves a lot of time.

Here in Atlanta, domestic lines at TSA Pre-Check are now just as long as the "I've never flown before" lines. CLEAR Plus helps a little as most folks don't want to pay for it. To avoid all this, I check in through the International Terminal and fly through security as there are far less international travelers especially during the day, then I take the underground to the gate if flying domestic.

In regards to arranging airport assistance, every US carrier has a check box somewhere on their website to request assistance. Once you get to the ticket counter, ask the agent for assistance. Based on the typical airport folks, they got nothing better to do - it was either push foks through the airport or ask if you want to supersize your order.

You are always Mr Sunshine, STRS. It might be that the Atlanta Airport employees are all from...well, Atlanta. Folks like -- you.

Rocky, good morning. Just get a wheel chair as soon as you get there. Talk to the first person you see and tell them you need a wheel chair, and within minutes you'll have one. We went through this with my father for years. It's not worth it to try to hobble your way to the gate. My father was too proud to just take the damn chair until he did it one time and realized this is way too easy not to do. Sometimes they'll haul your ass there on a golf cart.

Dad had gone from walking, to wheel chair, to walker, to cane and back and forth for years. The last time I flew with him, he was walking with a cane and we were flying out of Dulles Int. We had a plan. I pulled up in front of departures, I helped him out of the truck and we told the first guy we saw working at the curb that we needed a wheel chair and he needed a seat while waiting for it. That guy called for a wheel chair and helped him inside and gave him a seat. I had his handicapped parking permit and pulled around to the nearest parking garage in the nearest parking spot and ran inside. When I got there, he was in his wheel chair waiting for me. We checked in and were whisked away through a special security check point for the handicapped and flight crews. They wheeled him to the gate, and when we boarded they wheeled him down the jetway to the aircraft door and he walked on. First on and last off. We had a connecting flight in Boston and had told the airline that we need a chair on the other end. There was a wheel chair waiting for us when we got off and away we went. It's too easy not to do. Good luck on your trip and have a Merry Christmas.

So they let you check in through the international terminal with a domestic boarding pass?

I’m gonna start getting mfthfukers to run me around in a golf cart. That sounds freakin sweet.

Always wondered who that hell that service was for. Always see some old moses malone groid driving and no one ever riding it.