Airplanes, airports, and wheelchairs

As a college student, I fly just about every three months when a break comes around. And, due to certain airlines, I despise it. Let me break this apart so it doesn't turn into a tangent.

Spare wheelchairs, adaptive skis, wheels, outriggers, the equipment weighs a lot. Airlines should let adaptive equipment fly for free. When one airline tried to charge me $150 dollars for the overage fee of my outriggers and skis I was ready to take out my ski boots and jacket and wear them through security to remove enough weight. Adaptive equipment weighs (and costs) an arm and a leg, its the nature of the beast, but you should not need to pay to fly it.

I am not a person of means that can afford a first class or premium seat. On certain airlines, this means an isle chair, which for me is awful. Aisle chairs involve being strapped in and mean you no longer have control of your motions as you are wheeled through the rows of the plane. Unfortunately, from my experiences, the workers who are responsible for the aisle chair and the person in it, speak little english, and treat the person as an invalid, barely communicating with them as them strap them to this foreign uncomfortable chair. It is an uncomfortable experience.

Another thing that bothers me, is waiting until the entire plane empties before they can bring the aisle chair back on board to deplane me. This is especially troubling when you're in a rush to make a lay over.

Now comes the part where I would like to point out that I am not being given anything to say this or endorse this company. But honestly, Southwest, has provided the most positive flying experiences for me. Pre-boarding those in wheelchairs, at least for me, eliminated the need for an aisle chair, making me much more comfortable. And I would like to vouch that though they have sometimes lost my luggage temporarily, they have never damaged my luggage or any of my adaptive equipment.