Traveling by Air with Your Commode or Shower Chair

Author: Rick Goldstein

Published: 2009-07-12 : (Rev. 2018-01-26)

Synopsis and Key Points:

Traveling with your commode or shower chair entails flying and having to deal with airline personnel and airport security.

Main Digest

Traveling with your commode or shower chair entails flying and having to deal with airline personnel and airport security - Be prepared!

You are, most assuredly, going to be confronted with one or more potential obstacles. First of all, know your rights! There are numerous resources available on-line from which you may easily glean the specifics using a keyword search for "airline and wheelchair". For our purpose here, however, suffice it to say that your portable commode / shower chair is a "fragile medical device" which should be "gate-checked" and is not chargeable as passenger baggage. Having your wheelchairs "Gate-checked" means that you will take your portable commode / shower chair through Security, to the gate, and into and down the jet-way. From there, it may either be stored on-board in the closet separating the first-class cabin from coach, or taken down below and stored with your wheelchair in the cargo compartment. The latter method is far more likely, these days, as most airlines, in their efforts to maximize revenue, have eliminated the aforementioned closet and replaced them with more seating. Adequate on-board storage, however, may be available on some of the larger aircraft utilized in international flights. Let's walk through the process of successfully gate-checking your portable commode / shower chair at no charge:

Before leaving home, take the liberty of stuffing your portable commode / shower chair carrying case first, with all of your medical supplies and second, with whatever clothing, or anything else, you can squeeze in except for vessels containing liquids or gels. As you will not be charged for this particular item of baggage, you may as well save yourself a few more bucks by filling it up.

Upon arrival at the airline's service desk, check-in with a representative. Do not check-in electronically at a computer kiosk. Check and, if required, pay for your regular baggage. You can review a chart of all the airlines and their fees at bottom of this article. Note that Southwest Airlines should be your preferred air carrier as, of this writing, Southwest remains the only airline that does not charge for your first checked bag.

Carefully label and tag all of your baggage and instruct the agent at the counter to provide you with gate-check (pink) tags for both your wheelchair and for your portable commode / shower chair. When you are told, (and more likely than not, you will be told), that you have to check your portable commode / shower chair as regular baggage, pay for it or are given a hard time for any other reason, it's time to get assertive. First, tell the Agent that you have always had your shower chair gate-checked. Second, inform the Agent that the case contains "delicate medical equipment" which, if dropped, or if something is dropped on it, will result in damage requiring the airline to replace a $2,000 wheelchair. I guarantee that you'll be handed a pink gate-check tag very quickly. Should you experience any further problem (which I have not), demand to speak with a supervisor and take names.

Proceed to the TSA security checkpoint. Inform TSA security personnel that your case contains your commode/shower wheelchair and that it will fit, (albeit snugly), through the x-ray tunnel. To date, following many such security checks, I have yet to have my carrying case opened for inspection.

With the hard part behind you, proceed to your gate, check-in with the Agent at the counter, make whatever seating changes you want / they can make and arrange for an aisle chair to be available, should one be required. When the Agent asks what's in the case, repeat yet again, "it's a delicate shower chair". You will be boarded ahead of the other passengers. Airline personnel, for the most part, well-trained in handling disabled passengers, will assist you down the jet-way along with your portable commode / shower chair, transfer board and laptop computer. After they transfer you to the aisle chair and on to the aircraft, they will stow both of your chairs. Make sure that you take your wheelchair seat cushion on board as storing it in the non-pressurized cargo compartment could result in damage to the cushion. The foam cushions on your portable commode / shower chair will store in cargo without any problems. Finally, when making connections, make certain that both wheelchair and portable commode / shower chairs are brought up into the jet-way and that, one way or another, that they accompany you to your connecting flight where you will have to repeat the boarding process yet again.

Air travel for people with disabilities is a hassle and can be embarrassing and downright uncomfortable. Following the steps in the aforementioned process will not change this fact, unfortunately, though it will make it a little less miserable.

Welcome to GO! Mobility Solutions. I'm Rick and I invented the Go Anywhere Portable Commode, Shower 'n Bath Chair. Why did I invent it? Because I had to!

During the 30 years since my injury, traveling anywhere for more than two days posed serious problems. On short trips I could stuff my shower chair into my van. Although I could usually get my chair over a toilet, rarely did I have access to a roll-in shower. I grew wary of the embarrassment from having a porter push my potty chair through parking lots and fancy hotel lobbies. I'm sure that you've discovered they are not easy to disguise. When my travel plans required air travel, forget it; No way could I take a shower chair. I traveled infrequently and only when I had to.

For years I searched for a practical, affordable device to solve my problem. About 5 years ago I purchased a "portable shower chair", for about $600, off the internet. Constructed of painted rectangular steel tubing and plastic, it wasn't worth the poop meant to go through it. It rusted; it weighed a ton and was unbearable to sit in. Furthermore it was extremely unsafe. I took it to a welding shop where I had it re-engineered to the point where it was safe and 'almost' comfortable, but it remained heavy and clumsy and it leaked rusty water everywhere after use. I decided that if the problem was to be solved, I would have to be the one to solve it. Necessity, once again, would mother invention. The Go-Anywhere Chair has changed my life; It WILL change your life too!

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Page Citation:

Journal: Disabled World. Language: English. Author: Rick Goldstein. Electronic Publication Date: 2009-07-12. Last Revised Date: 2018-01-26. Reference Title: "Traveling by Air with Your Commode or Shower Chair", Source: Traveling by Air with Your Commode or Shower Chair. Abstract: Traveling with your commode or shower chair entails flying and having to deal with airline personnel and airport security. Retrieved 2020-09-19, from https://www.disabled-world.com/travel/traveling-shower-chair.php - Reference Category Number: DW#44-1906.