mamabunny
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2012
Thank you for the great description! So helpful in understanding this chair a little more (the website was not helpful at all) and it’s great to have first-hand info from someone who actually uses the product! I show it to my mom and see what she has to say.
One more question… have you ever flown with yours?
I'm really glad the info might prove helpful; I know all too well what it's like to try and do your due diligence when it comes to vetting a new-to-you mobility device!
I actually have not flown with my Zoomer.
Having said that, I *have* flown with other mobility devices, and the main takeaways I have from that experience are that you want to gate check the device (never check it at the ticket counter with your luggage) and when you get to the aircraft door, be ready to take everything *off* of the device that you cannot secure (including the battery & joystick) and place it into a bag, and you want to secure the device itself (in this case hold it folded together) as best as you can. Here's why:
When your device gets put into the gate-check hold, even if the crew lifts it in with soft suede gloves, and whistles a lullaby.... the reality is that right after that, they are going to throw a duffel bag in there followed by a roller bag and any number of other carry-on bags that need to be gate-checked - and possibly another mobility device or stroller... Some airlines will have a crew member in the hold accepting the gate-checked items and trying to load them as quickly and efficiently as possible, but at some point they will have to exit the hold, and the last items will (literally) be thrown in prior to closing the hold, and the flight leaving the gate. During takeoff, landing and while in flight, contents can - and do - shift, and that's more opportunities for damage to occur. I'm telling you all of this so you can visualize and understand why damage can happen in the gate-check hold. (or any luggage hold, for that matter)
Some devices can't be folded and velcro'd together; if you ever fly with one of those, you have to just take everything you can off the device, and secure everything you can't.
If your device is well-secured (bound together tightly if possible with something like Velcro OneWrap, ideally in a few places) then the chances of damage are lessened; you have made it as "solid" as possible. Not mitigated completely, but lessened. By removing the things that you can't really secure well and carrying them with you on to the plane, you know for sure that the battery didn't become dislodged or the joystick snapped off.
With a device like the Zoomer, I would stop outside the aircraft door, turn it off, remove the battery, remove the joystick and then fold the entire chair. (some folks leave the wheels "locked"; others like to leave them "unlocked"; since the device is so comparatively light, I'm not sure it would matter) While it is less likely that the Zoomer might accidentally open (because of the cable required to lock/unlock) by keeping it tightly bound together, it still helps reduce the possibility of damage to the frame and/or seat. So, Velcro OneWrap around the frame in a few places and then pop the battery and joystick into a backpack or tote bag. Once you have prepared the chair to be carried down to the hold, you will enter the aircraft and find your seat.
Side note: Always call your airline before booking seats, and ask them what you will need to do at the gate. Some airlines will specifically ask you to remove the battery(s) and stow them in the cabin with the aid of a flight attendant. Other airlines will say that your battery does not need to be removed from the device; I always remove it because batteries tend to be expensive, and in the case of the Zoomer, they are quite "exposed" due to the position of the battery in the frame. It's also just one less thing to worry about. I always remove joysticks where/when I can (even prior to car travel).
Oh - be sure to approach the gate crew when they start working the flight; let them know you will need to gate check the chair. Typically, this is when they will go ahead and give you the gate check tag for the device, and tell you what group to listen for when boarding calls are made.
At the conclusion of your flight, you will do everything in reverse. Typically, I wait in my seat until the plane is nearly empty, or until a flight attendant lets me know that my device has returned to the jetway outside the aircraft door. Once the device is there, I would do a quick visual check for possible damage, remove the Velcro, install the joystick and then the battery, "lock" the wheels for operation, take a seat and turn the device on. At that point, you will either leave the terminal for your destination, or you will head to your next flight if this is your layover. DISCLAIMER: if you have a layover, you will need to do the whole procedure for each leg of your journey. You should also make sure your layover is sufficient to accommodate the extra time you will wait for your device to come back to the aircraft door from the hold. I generally add at least 30 minutes to wait for the device to come up from the hold and be returned to service. Sometimes it's less - but a few times it has been closer to 45 minutes!
:::whew!::: That's it...! Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!
Don't hesitate if you have any questions; I tried to be thorough, but I may have missed something