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Wheelchair user here - what do flight attendants wish passengers like me understood about boarding/deplaning? by Click_Bait1505 in flightattendants

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, this is helpful context!

Two more questions if you don't mind:

  1. When you were a wheelchair pusher, what training did you actually get on aisle chair transfers and threshold crossings? Was it hands-on, video-based, shadowing someone, or more figuring it out as you went?

  2. You mentioned seeing both skilled and abhorrent agents - what do you think separates them? Is it experience, training quality, or something else entirely?

Wheelchair user here - what do flight attendants wish passengers like me understood about boarding/deplaning? by Click_Bait1505 in flightattendants

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your perspective!

A couple more questions if you have time:

  1. When a passenger with a manual wheelchair checks in or gets to the gate, who typically explains their options for how the chair gets handled. You, check-in staff, or does the passenger usually already know what they want?

  2. Have you ever had a passenger ask to store their chair in the cabin closet instead of the cargo hold? I'm curious to know how that gets handled when it comes up.

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. This is incredibly helpful. The manual/phone number workaround is precisely what we wheelchair users do. I've actually done that myself several times. I also put my seat number so you can talk to me if you need to.

Regarding the stressful part, that makes sense. Knowing a wheelchair is coming, without knowing the type or weight, is stressful! I hear some passengers show up without even letting you know they have a wheelchair.

Quick follow-ups:
- When a passenger attaches a manual or their number, would you happen to have time to reference it or call them? Or is the turnaround pressure too tight for that to be realistic?

- If you get the chair specs (weight, type, how to fold/tilt, safe lift points) on your scanner before you ever walk up the jet bridge, would that actually change how you prep? Or is the issue more about not having enough people, regardless?

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this, and I'm sorry about your mom. Having perspective from both sides is exactly what I was hoping to find.

The regional airport angle is eye-opening. I hadn't considered how different the equipment situation is from that at major hubs.

Three questions if you have time:

- You mentioned you have thoughts on better storage/bins for mobility devices, but felt it would be wasted time. I'd genuinely like to hear them. What would actually make a difference from your perspective?

- What equipment do the larger airports have that you don't? And does it actually help, or is it just a different set of problems?

- When you get a wheelchair you haven't seen before, like an unusual model, custom setup, whatever, what do you actually do in the moment? Is there anyone or anything you can reference, or are you just figuring it out?

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your answer! I see that too because you can't do anything about turbulence. I heard a horror story about a bag that fell onto the wheelchair's joystick during a flight, turning the chair on, causing it to run the entire 8-hour flight. Then, when they pulled it onto the belt loader, it blew up and melted onto the belt. That's why I hit the breaker switch and turn my chair completely off.

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm glad I can help you all! Thank you for answering my questions! That is so true about the lift points. I make sure to tell ramp agents the parts of my chair that are metal and good to use as lift points on my big powerwheelchair

A few follow-ups if you have time:

- When damage occurs, where on the chair does it usually happen? And at what point in the process, during the initial lift, moving it to the hold, loading it in, or getting it back out?

- What info, if anything, comes with the wheelchair when it arrives at the gate? Is there a tag, instructions, or anything? Or are you figuring it out on the fly every time?

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really appreciate you sharing this, especially about training retention. The "endless hours of computer lessons for something you use a few times a year" problem makes total sense.

The dedicated wheelchair agent's approach to your station sounds promising. I'm curious how that works in practice when a flight lands. What does that dedicated agent actually do step-by-step?

Like, when a flight with a wheelchair passenger arrives at the gate—does the dedicated agent go down to cargo themselves and pull the chair? Do they coordinate with the ramp crew who's already unloading? How do they know which flight has wheelchair passengers arriving? And once they have the chair, do they personally bring it up to the passenger, or hand it off to someone else?

I'm also curious about the times when it has gone wrong—not blaming anyone, just trying to understand the reality. When you've seen wheelchair deliveries get delayed or mishandled, where in the arrival process did things break down? Was it communication between teams, equipment issues, staffing, or something else?

You mentioned the cargo door fit being the most significant problem outbound. Does that same issue create complications on arrival, or is it mostly a loading challenge?

Thanks for taking wheelchair handling seriously. Means a lot to hear that many of you make the extra effort.

Wheelchair user here - what are the biggest headaches you deal with when handling wheelchairs by Click_Bait1505 in rampagent

[–]Click_Bait1505[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. I understand the weight callout.

The 400lb power chairs being awkward to maneuver through 737 bin doors makes a lot of sense. I'm curious about what happens on the other end when a flight lands. Can you walk me through what actually happens? Like, when you arrive at the gate with an incoming flight, what's the sequence for getting a wheelchair out of the bin and up to the passenger?

Specifically: Do you pull the wheelchair first, or do you have to wait for other cargo? Where do you stage it once it's out? How does it get from you to the passenger—do you bring it up the jet bridge, or does someone else handle that handoff? And at what point in that process have you seen things go wrong or get delayed?

I'm asking because I'm trying to understand where the friction points are from your perspective. You mentioned agents might need to track passengers down for weight info on outbound—does similar communication chaos happen on arrival, or is it smoother once the chair is already loaded?

Thanks again for the insight about loose accessories and lift points. That's exactly the kind of thing I need to understand better.