Disability Lifestyles, CONROD

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Planes

Plane travel is possible, it just takes a bit of organising! In general, domestic airlines such as Qantas, Virgin Blue, and Jetstar have staff and different types of equipment to help you get on and off their aircraft. The type of equipment can vary depending on the airline and the facilities at the airport. Most major airlines have sections on their website for passengers using wheelchairs or with other mobility needs, or you may wish to ring them directly to ask some questions before you book. Such questions might include:

Is your equipment motorised or battery operated?
Do you have two people available to help lift me into the seat?
Are shoulder straps available?

The responses will help you to make an informed choice about the best airline for you.

Qantas restrictions for electric wheelchairs

You may have heard that from February 2006 Qantas will not be offering service on some routes to people who use electric wheelchairs that have a particular height. Qantas has claimed that size restrictions on certain aircraft mean that loading wheelchairs into cargo holds is unsafe for Qantas employees as well as the chair itself. Due to this change in service you should always be sure to check with Qantas that you and your wheelchair will be accepted on the flight you wish to book. Alternatively you can always choose to fly with an airline that does not have such restrictions on electric or motorised wheelchairs.

If you are using a travel agent you can also ask them to make calls and ask questions on your behalf. Just make sure they have a good understanding of what your needs are so that they ask the right questions.