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How do I go about getting assistance walking through the airport, have trouble walking

alexisnnika
Explorer C

Hello,

My mom is going to be flying for the first time next Friday (Apr 19) in about 25 years and I am just concerned with her navigating the airport,getting to the gate and checked in becasue she is on disability and has severe pain in her legs and back and it creates trouble for her walking, she sometimes uses her cane to help her, Is there anything I can do, like call Southwest and maybe have cart or something fior her to get around in? She moves pretty slowly due to the pain and touble with mobility so I worry shes gonna have a bit of a hard time navigating the big airport.

Thank you!

 

3 REPLIES 3

Re: How do I go about getting assistance walking through the airport, have trouble walking

CareforNOLA
Frequent Flyer A

@alexisnnika ,

First, I hope her travels go well. Second, most of the attendant and wheelchair services are specific to the airport and not the airline.  You don’t mention which airport, but I would start with a search about that location and I would allow LOTS of time.  Will you be traveling with her or is she traveling alone?  

 

If if you search these discussion boards for wheelchair, you will see that peopl have had good and bad experiences.  As I mentioned, I would check the airport website first, and if no information, I would start at the front desk of Southwest airline when she arrives...unless you think she might even have trouble getting from curb to door, in which case, I would ask at the curbside check-in.  

 

Pre-planning and lots of time allowed before departure.  I hope it all goes well for her.

Re: How do I go about getting assistance walking through the airport, have trouble walking

SWDigits
Aviator A

One additional option to consider is if your mother will have anyone dropping off or picking her up at her departure or arrival airport. If so they should be able to get an escort pass to help her out (they'll need identification to get through security).  I've typically thought of this for minors travelling alone but it's also listed on the Southwest "Customers with Disabilities" page.

 

Here is the wording (source is on the right side of this page😞

"Need a Helping Hand?  If you need wheelchair assistance, a friend or family member is welcome to assist you on your way to/from the gate area. Just have them stop by the ticket counter to obtain an escort pass."


Customer | Home airport DCA

Re: How do I go about getting assistance walking through the airport, have trouble walking

dfwskier
Aviator A

This is a pretty good explanation of how to proceed. The link refers to a method of notifing the airline of a special needs passenger. The link is not intuitively obvious. A better solution would be to call the airline and mention the special need: 1-800-I-FLY-SWA 

 

https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/unique-travel-needs/customers-with-disabilities-pol....