Travel By Air Tips..Post SCI

Travel Tips:
When travelling by air book your airport assistance in advance at the same time as when you book your flight tickets...

Make sure that you have some currency with you because some countries will charge a small fee if you decide to use a porter.

If you are a walker book an aisle seat so that you can get up easily to take a walk around the seating area, essential for circulation.

When you are booking you seats..look at a seating plan because if you use crutches you can ask for the seats with a toilet behind you. This way you can store your crutches at the back of your seat.

If you are worried about circulation and clots take one asprin a day for 3 days prior to your flight (my doc advised)..NB: IGNORE THIS IF YOU ALREADY TAKE WARFRIN BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT NEED TO TAKE ASPRIN

Wear compression socks

If you can move your legs..do some range of motion exercises with your feet/ankles.

Keep all your medicines in their original packages showing your name etc on for prescribed drugs.

When booking travel insurance, remember that you will need to take out insurance with pre-conditions, sometimes this can be costly but I looked around on the net and saved quite a bit of money...most quotes were approx 40 to 60 pound and i finally found insurance for 27 pound so quite a big saving there. If you don't your pre condition it may affect your ability to claim.

These are just some tips that i remember...il keep updating! 

I'd like to add, if you're a walker, don't be afraid to use a chair for extra mobility. I know you may feel like you're moving back down but it's not worth going somewhere and not enjoying yourself because it takes a lot to walk. Also to those that use a manual chair always or mainly, don't be afraid to use a.power chair because the last thing you want is aching arms and shoulders when trying to enjoy yourself.

I had to convince Lαrα to use my manual chair as much as she wanted to walk and once she did, she was happy she did! I love using my manual but took my power so I didn't have to struggle with wheeling around.

delboy, we're having a great time so far!

Don't leave travel adapters in hotels   i always leave something behind...soooo annoying!

Just another piece of advice....upon leaving the UK i used the wheelchair assistance which was excellent and very personal.

On arriving at Canada the assistance isn't so personal..there were several people needing assistance and it was very impersonal and almost abrupt. I didn't like it tbh and you were expected to be able to get out of your chair and into a golf buggy which would be impossible for some.

I decided to use my crutches at this point and walk a little but then could not manage my suitcase so i asked for some assistance....so these guys work on a tip basis...so keep some money with you for this

So its just worth asking about the type of assistance you will be given at both airports and asking about potential costs also.

Thankyou sunshine for sharing with members...il check the site out very soon 

Just some advice..my doc prescribed me anti anxiety meds that were a muscle relaxant which worked great for me.

However.....I didn't give much thought that  they might affect my strength but they did..so if you need to take them as i did, just be aware that you may end up feeling 'overly' relaxed in your muscles too. I certainly felt this difference. 

If you already have reduced muscle power and are a walker...then you may experience some further 'weakness' whilst taking them.

So i really only have the experience of two airports to relate my experiences to, Manchester Airport here in the UK and Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

I found the assistance at Manchester Airport very helpful indeed. There was assistance available immediately from booking in to getting on the plane. I had my own assistant on hand and who was very helpful, thoughtful and friendly.
It definitely made the first part of my journey manageable and less stressful.

At Toronto Pearson Airport the assistance wasnt ideal. There were not enough staff for the passengers using wheelchairs...the staff tended to not address the passengers and communicate what was happening. I had to mention to one member of staff to remember to talk to individuals before wheeling them off on what seemed like a conveyor belt of moving us from one place to another.
Then people were asked if they can get out of their chairs to climb on the back of the passenger vehicles...lol crazy

I do want to add that it would have probably been a better experience at Toronto Pearson if i was in my own chair that i could self wheel.

So please chip in guys with your experiences as they will help others on their potential journeys

Considerations that all airports should ideally facilitate:

Ease of access to parking near the terminal.

Ease of access to medical aid facilities and travellers aid stations.

Accessible restrooms.

Accessible drinking fountains.

Accessible ticketing systems at primary fare collection areas.

Amplified telephones and text telephones (TTs) for use by persons with hearing and speech impairments (there must be at least one TT in each terminal in a clearly marked accessible location).

Accessible baggage check-in and retrieval areas.

Jet ways and mobile lounges that are accessible (at airports that have such facilities).

Level entry boarding ramps, lifts or other means of assisting an individual with a disability on and off an aircraft.

Information systems using visual words, letters or symbols with lighting and colour coding, and systems for providing information orally.


The above points were taken from a website called: Flying with a Disability. Its a great site that gives practical advice on pre planning, medical assistance, your rights and more. Its definitely worth a read for any impending travel