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LABEL, LABEL, LABEL

As your travel day nears, Berger and Leahy advise taking some extra steps to ready your wheelchair.

Aisle chairs are designed to get wheelchair users down the plane's narrow aisle, and into their seats.

"I tag every part of my wheelchair," Berger said. Labels or signs attached to the chair should include your name and address, plus directions to baggage handlers for assembly or transporting (i.e., "unlock brakes before moving" or "battery is dry cell").

Berger said she also labels any chair parts as being a part of a wheelchair. That's because once an armrest came off her wheelchair in the baggage compartment, and it was mistaken for a pipe bomb. That resulted in the evacuation of the airplane, and a lengthy delay of her flight.

Such preparation seemed to help when Leahy took a recent flight, and her chair arrived unscathed. "I printed up a sign that said, 'Please handle with care, do not handle like luggage.' Basically, I told the bag handler to please be careful and it has to stay upright," Leahy said.

Batteries for power wheelchairs are another special consideration. Airlines often remove wet cell or acid-filled batteries, handle them like hazardous materials and package them in special containers they must provide. Dry cell batteries usually don't require any special handling, but be sure to inquire about the individual airline's policy.

Just in case, attach specific instructions on how the battery is to be removed and reattached, and any other pertinent information.

Berger, who used to travel with a scooter, advises having airline employees remove the handlebar and store it in the overhead bin or closet so it doesn't get damaged.

Last, before you board, if you've gate-checked your wheelchair and planned to retrieve it at the destination gate, ensure that airline employees attach a "gate delivery" tag so baggage handlers know where to deliver it.

KNOW THE LINGO

In Berger's travel experiences, knowing some key airline lingo helped her communicate most effectively when problems arose.

On board the plane, ask for the "senior flight attendant" to assist you with any special accommodations. At the airport, asking for the "duty supervisor" is the key. Also, the ACAA stipulates that airlines must make available a "complaints resolution officer" or "C.R.O." to respond to complaints from passengers. If you do encounter a problem while traveling, "make friends with the dragon," when dealing with airline employees, Berger said. "I can tell you that the best way is to smile a lot.

"When something happens that you can change with force, be assertive and flat-voiced. Don't raise your voice and don't act hysterical. Act demonstrative, and give them solutions for making things right," she said.

FINAL STEPS

Before you depart, double-check that everything possible is in place.

"Reconfirm every single specific thing you need. Don't take it for granted that everything is in the locator," Berger said. It's also worth clarifying whether an airline is sharing the flight with another carrier. When airlines partner on flights, some information can get lost, including details in the locator, something Berger has experienced mostly on international flights.

Remember that another stipulation of the ACAA is that wheelchairs, including collapsible power chairs, have priority for in-cabin storage space (including closets) over other passengers' items brought on board at the same airport. If, that is, the passenger with a disability chooses to preboard.

Translation: Get there early.

"Get there two hours before flight time, and don't be the last one at the gate, because you will be the first one on the plane," Berger said.

Although so many details and steps may sound a little daunting, frequent travelers with disabilities also share stories of flights that went especially well.

Berger said she feels baggage handlers are being more careful since the new rules about replacing wheelchairs went into effect. And Leahy's most recent flight, on Southwest Airlines, went glitch-free.

"Southwest had somebody special come up and he was working on my chair. They didn't disconnect anything. When we got to Nashville [my wheelchair] was waiting for me. It was a very, very positive experience," Leahy said.

Nevertheless, be prepared, she said.

"Ask them what their procedures are, and then follow their procedures, but then have your own itinerary," Leahy said.

Part 2 of Quest's report on flying with a neuromuscular disease, "When Getting There Isn't Half the Fun," describes your recourse when things go wrong during air travel; how to complain to the appropriate authorities; and what's being done to improve air travel for people with disabilities.