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Welcome to Alaska Airlines.
My name is Gary Peterson
and I'm an Alaska Airlines employee in Seattle.
I'm here to help you have a hassle-free travel experience
when navigating the airport using a wheelchair.
Here with me now is one of our frequent travelers,
Dr. Steve Nourse.
He's been flying with Alaska Airlines since 1984.
Hello Gary, good to see you.
For the next few minutes, we would like to share some tips
for preparing your power chair or scooter for air travel.
I know how critical it is to ensure that your wheelchair
or scooter is safely loaded and unloaded on the aircraft.
Assistive devices vary in size
but aircraft dimensions are fixed.
Narrator:
can provide the maximum allowable wheelchair dimensions
for travel on Alaska Airlines.
A wheelchair specific form and other travel information
is also available on our website.
It's important to tell us about your power device
before your day of travel.
First, when making your reservation,
let us know what accessible services you will need
during your trip.
Second, please hand your completed
wheelchair information form to one of our employees
when you check in at the ticket counter.
You can find this form online at alaskaair.com/access,
along with additional airport information
and gate check-in times.
Finally, be sure to arrive early at the ticket counter and gate,
so we can safely board you early,
and prepare your chair or scooter for travel.
Hi, I'm Gary Peterson, I'm checking in for my flight.
And here is my wheelchair information form.
Thank you, Gary.
Let's get started!
Please arrive at the airport
two hours before your flight departure.
This allows adequate time to get checked in,
go through the TSA checkpoint,
and to the gate for pre-boarding.
Hi, I have a power wheelchair to check.
And I'll also need transfer assistance
getting on the airplane.
Great!
I see you have a wheelchair form attached to your chair.
Let me call the ramp agent so that we can get
the pre-boarding process started.
Alright, perfect.
How are you doing today, sir?
Real good!
Excellent.
I see that your wheelchair is a non-spill gel battery.
That's correct.
OK. Since your wheelchair is maximum size for our aircraft,
is it okay if we tip it on its side?
Yes, just be careful of the joystick.
Oh, absolutely.
So how can we best assist you?
One person lifting me up underneath my arms,
and another person lifting my legs.
Perfect.
Before the transferring process,
let the Customer Service agents know how best to assist you.
Good communication is the key to a safe and smooth transfer
to the aisle chair.
Hi, welcome aboard!
Once onboard, the Customer Service agents will assist you
from the aisle chair to your seat.
The armrests on the aircraft seats can be raised
to help with the transfer process.
Hi there, Mr. Peterson. How are you doing today?
Real good.
Well, my name is Luci,
I'll be one of your flight attendants today.
And I came to talk to you a little bit about
the emergency procedures today onboard this airplane.
The first thing I want to talk about...
You will receive a safety briefing
from your flight attendant,
which will include them asking for the best way
to assist you in the case of an emergency.
Every plane is equipped with an onboard wheelchair,
should you require it for movement
to and from the lavatory.
We recommend that you alert your flight attendant
if you are expecting a wheelchair at your destination.
This allows the flight attendant
to alert the Customer Service agent
if your chair is not there upon arrival.
Well, listen, there is a flight attendant call button,
it's directly up there, do not hesitate to use it, OK?
OK.
We're onboard for you.
So welcome onboard and have a great flight.
Thank you very much.
OK.
Now let's follow our ramp agent
to see how we secure your power chair.
We understand the safety and security of your power device
is very important to you.
Your power chair will be stowed securely
in the cargo compartment of the aircraft.
If the power chair is larger than the allowable
cargo dimensions, and has a non-spillable battery,
we will place it on its side.
Once inside the cargo pit, your chair will be secured for travel
in an upright position, whenever possible.
At the end of your flight, your powered device
will be brought back up to the jetway.
As a frequent flier, I travel a lot,
and I've found a few helpful tips for traveling by air.
Request special services in advance,
before your day of travel.
Advise check-in, gate, and inflight staff
of the services you'll need.
Arrive early to the airport and gate.
And if you need assistance, just ask!
If you are flying on a smaller plane
and request transfer assistance, we have staff members
who are trained to help you to your seat.
On behalf of Alaska Airlines, thank you for your business.
We hope you find this video helpful in your future travels.
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