Written by Julie Jones, HaveWheelchairWillTravel.net, September 2, 2024
What a privilege it was to be invited by United Airlines on their first tour dedicated to accessibility. As many of you may remember, I flew with United Airlines in their Premium Plus class (premium economy) to Los Angeles earlier this year and I was impressed by the service but as I wasn’t travelling with Braeden (our family’s wheelchair user) I didn’t test out all areas of access. So, when I was invited to do an above and below the wing tour of a United Airlines 777 I was at Sydney International Airport bright and early eager to see what I could learn.
Air travel for wheelchair users explained
Ahead of the tour I was encouraged to ask any questions. I had plenty of questions of my own, but I also put it to the Have Wheelchair Will Travel and Wheelchair Accessible Australia Facebook communities to ask questions and I’d pass it on. Submitting the questions in advance allowed the airline representative to contact the relevant departments to get some answers.
Aircraft turn around is incredibly swift with the plane arriving into Sydney from the US early in the morning for passengers arriving from the US to disembark before the plane is cleaned, restocked with meals, drinks and amenities before the crew board followed by passengers. Within a few hours the plane is winging its way back to the US. It’s a slick operation which didn’t leave much time to be onboard the actual aircraft. I did my best in the time we were there so here’s how it went.
Where your wheelchair is stored on a plane
Our tour started below the wing of the 777 to check out the cargo area. One of the most asked questions by our community was around how wheelchairs are stored in the aircraft, so this was something I was keen to get answers for.
Manual wheelchairs can be used to the door of the aircraft where a passenger is either required to transfer to an aisle chair for moving through the aircraft to their seat, or in Braeden’s case, he walks with assistance to his seat. The passenger’s wheelchair is then taken by airline staff down to the cargo area to be loaded. The smaller cargo door above is where manual wheelchairs and prams enter the aircraft to be stored and these are hand loaded. There is a conveyor belt that leads to the aircraft door for loading.
For passengers using a power wheelchair this can also be taken to the door of the aircraft where the passenger is required to use the aisle chair or make their way to their seat in the aircraft. It should be noted that United Airlines do not use the Eagle Passenger Lifter hoist. Once the passenger is on the plane their power chair is taken down to the tarmac where it is placed into a large container and strapped down. One of the reasons the airline needs to know you are travelling with a power wheelchair is for the logistics of loading the chair into the container and making sure it goes into the aircraft last.
Many people asked about the weight limit for power wheelchairs and United Airlines advised on their international flights there is no weight limit on wheelchairs.
Can you store your wheelchair on board a plane?
If you have a folding wheelchair there may be room (first come basis and based on availability) in the airline wardrobe to store your chair. I was amazed at how spacious it was but keep in mind, the chair must fold as a regular manual chair would not fit up the aisle of the aircraft. Someone asked how large the wardrobe/closet is on the aircraft and on this aircraft it is 70cm.
Transferring to an airline seat
As mentioned above, United Airlines does not use Eagle Passenger Lifters. Passengers need to bring a slide board and will be manually lifted into their seat from the aisle chair by two airline staff. The aisle chair width is about 30cm.
In economy class, Premium Plus and Polaris class (business) the seat arms lift out of the way or slide down out of the way to make transferring from the aisle chair to the seat easier.
Accessible toilet on the plane
Once on board, if you need to use the bathroom and are unable to make your own way to the toilet, an aisle chair will be brought to your seat.
This aisle chair offers a lap belt. On the United Airlines 777 the accessible bathroom is in business class and is an enlarged cubicle.
The doorway opening is 55cm wide and the space beside the toilet is 63cm and allows sufficient room for the aisle chair to be placed beside the toilet to assist with transferring.
Polaris Class (business class on United Airlines)
For many people long-haul airline travel is difficult, if not impossible, without the ability to lie down during the flight.
Those that can afford it, or have points to upgrade, often choose Polaris Class on United Airlines. I was therefore keen to see what the seating is like. There is definitely more space and of course the ability to recline the seat to lie flat is the major advantage of business class.
I did notice that ease of access differs according to where you are seated on the plane so I quizzed the United team on the best option for someone with access needs and they have suggested the even numbered seating is angled and offers wider entry to the seat. Good tip I thought!
Polaris class also offers a shoulder strap for a seatbelt (similar to a car seatbelt) rather than a lap belt.
Your other questions answered
Children can sit in an FAA approved car seat on the plane but as with anything, please contact the airline in advance and let them know you are travelling with a car seat.
Facilities on board do differ between aircraft types. It’s best to speak with the airline ahead of booking your flight or check online to see what the bathroom setup is and anything else that is important to you. Please keep in mind that the aircraft type can be changed last minute if there is a technical difficulty.
Diapers/nappies can be disposed of in the bin in the bathroom or you can ask staff for a bag.
At this point, there is no solution to an older child or adult who needs a continence aid changed. When you board the aircraft airline crew usually come and have a chat with anyone with a disability and this would be a good time to be open about your needs and any challenges you feel you may have during the flight. Communication is key at every step of travel from booking to letting your airline crew know what you may need assistance with. Keep in mind, airline crew are unable to assist with bathroom needs and meal needs so you must either be independent when you travel or travel with someone who can assist you.
My lovely United guide for the day mentioned that the 787 Dreamliner aircraft is easier on the body due to features that have been implemented to make air travel more comfortable. This includes lower cabin altitude and cleaner air (HEPA filters which capture 99.97% of harmful contaminants. It also helps with odours – hello, neighbour with shoes off and stinky feet). The Dreamliner also offers smoother ride and a quieter experience.
Any hidden disabilities can be noted on your booking if you’d like to have airline staff aware of them.
A social story can be found on the United Airlines website.
If you are considering travelling with United Airlines there is extensive access information on their website.
Want to read about my experience flying United Premium Plus? Here’s that review.
I was a guest of United Airlines for the tour. This is not a sponsored post and I didn’t leave Sydney Airport. I was offered the opportunity to have some of our reader’s questions answered and other aspects of air travel explained so I jumped at the chance. Opening up conversations like this not only let the airline know more about what travellers want to know and need but also allows me to provide greater information to you. I hope this review gives you a better idea of wheelchair travel on a plane and what’s currently available. Obviously we will keep advocating and striving for better accessibility in the future.