Bruce:
Having travelled with and without Dad recently, I can tell you that it is
better to ask for the special seating when making the reservations. One of the
last lengthy trips I made with Dad was the first one on which he requested
special assistance, only he waited until we got to the airport to do this.
(He'd just had surgery, and thought that he could handle the walk through the
airport and loading/unloading until we got to the first transfer!) Anyway, I
remember that we also had to explain the situation at each terminal, and that
we also had to request a wheelchair be waiting for us at the next stop.
Needless to say, it was humiliating for Dad to have to do this (and with PD
low voice, no less!) and to have to depend on his family to explain for him. I
also remember that on the leg home we were travelling on Delta from Ft.
Lauderdale to Atlanta then from Atlanta to Pittsburgh. Our connecting flight
(Atlanta to Pittsburgh, possibly on US Air) was scheduled to leave a half hour
after our flight arrived from Ft. Lauderdale. We were told to wait for the
shuttle to come and get us. We all had to stand and wait (which is difficult
for Dad) for about 20 minutes for the shuttle to come. Then, it took 7 minutes
for the shuttle to get us to our gate. We arrived with about 3 minutes to
spare. I don't know what the airline would have done for us had we missed out
flight (it would have been the airline's fault, since they didn't get a
shuttle there in time!).
I again travelled with Dad about a year later. By that time, Dad had flown at
least once more, and by then was requesting the special assistance when he
began making the reservations. He does this all the time now, and in fact,
whoever is travelling with him (usually Mom, and myself once) also gets to
ride with him. It sure beats running through the airport to make the
connection!
