My name is Donnie White and I have Multiple Sclerosis which restricts my walking, hence the need for an electric scooter.
I’ve written this article to let you know of my experiences when travelling with an electric scooter. The same would also be similar if you were travelling with a motorised chair, walking frame or a Rollator.
My scooter is a Liteway Rascal Balance plus.
I have taken it to various places on holiday (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Tenerife, Madeira, Ireland, Inverness and Florida).
Travelling by air
When booking your flight, you must fill in a Mobility Aid Form, which you can find on the internet. On the form, you will need to fill in the dimensions and weight of your scooter which you should send to the address provided.
(You will not be charged extra for the scooter, this is the case for all Airlines, whether local or International !)
When checking in, drive your scooter to the check-in desk where the staff will be aware that you are travelling with the Scooter.
You will be asked by the desk staff, the approximate weight and give you a luggage tag which you’ll be told to fix it to the scooter, in my case, the tiller and battery case
You will then be instructed to drive your scooter to the Assistance Waiting Area , where the desk staff will ask you to sit and wait for special assistance staff , they will then accompany your to theSecurity Checkpoint where you will go into the priority queue . After you have been checked through, you will be taken to the Departure Gate where you will wait to get be boarded, thence you will be accompanied to the aircraft steps.
For International Flights.
You will be asked to drive your scooter up to the Departure Lounge.
In Glasgow, you should wait until you are directed to the desk where you’ll be asked for your Boarding Pass and Passport, then you’ll be asked to drive your scooter straight to the plane door on the Air Bridge, but a few metres from the aircraft door, ready for the Ground Crew to take it to the Luggage Hold. (You will be asked to remove the key and keep it safely on your person.),
The Cabin Staff will ask if you can walk to your seat (if you can’t, you will be transferred to a small wheelchair) .
On arriving at your destination, the Cabin Crew asks you to remain seated until your scooter is unloaded from the luggage hold.
From here, a staff member will accompany you to the baggage reclaim hall, or possibly direct you to the Ambulift which will take you to the Baggage reclaim area where you can pick up your bags.
On leaving the airport you should find a growing number of accessible taxis and busses with ramps and lifts.
I have found people to be very helpful if you need assistance!
At home, my scooter is so manoeuvrable that I have been able to take it into the Coop. (Tesco is too busy and tight for even my scooter.)