Washington Dulles International Airport
At Washington Dulles International Airport, we used valet parking. This made the beginning of the trip considerably easier because we could pull up near the terminal with my mother, the wheelchair, and our luggage rather than navigating a parking lot with a shuttle or long walkway. Valet is more expensive but you may be able to get a discount if you reserve online in advance.
Wheelchair assistance is located near the international check-in area to the left of the main security gate. Even if you bring your own wheelchair, the attendant may use their own to transport the person and luggage. You can still bring your own wheelchair through security with the attendant and check the chairs at the gate.
Adroit Advice
Take a photo of your valet ticket. You will need to present the paper ticket when you return for your car, but if you lose it, having a photo provides some proof of your claim.
Zurich Airport
Upon arrival at Zurich Airport, there was an attendant waiting at the gate to assist us through the airport and immigration.
Only one person can accompany the wheelchair user through immigration with the attendant. If for some reason you cannot go with them through immigration (i.e. more family members you need to personally accompany), the attendant will give you the location for where you can pick up your person.
The location is a comfortable waiting area with seating, television, and a bathroom. There is a counter where you will need to check in and sign for the person. You can then use your own wheelchair if you have one or tell the attendant in advance you need assistance directly to the gate. There is a tip jar on the counter for the attendants.
If you bring your own wheelchair, you will need to check in at the gate to get a tag for it.
Adroit Advice
The staff will try to check the chair with luggage, tell them not to do this, that you want to keep your chair upon arrival and they will respect your wishes.
It's better to keep your chair with you in case assistance does not show up upon arrival or is delayed.
Also, it prevents the chair from getting misplaced or damaged.
Palma de Mallorca Airport
When we arrived at Palma de Mallorca Airport, wheelchair assistance was waiting for us, and the crew gave us our wheelchair since we had not checked it.
The airport uses a specialized lift-equipped vehicle that raises to the side of the aircraft. Passengers requiring assistance were transported in the vehicle rather than using the aircraft stairs.
We were able to travel together in the vehicle with the other passengers requiring assistance. The assistance personnel were friendly and helpful, and the process was straightforward.
Because we had arrived from another European country, we did not have to go through customs, and we were able to leave the airport relatively quickly.
Most importantly, our wheelchair made it to us safely.
Frankfurt Airport
Waited for Wheelchair Assistance
Our return trip took us through Frankfurt Airport. When we arrived, we were instructed to wait at the gate for wheelchair assistance so we utilized our own chair to bring my mother down the ramp and then sat her in one of the chairs by the gate. We waited approximately 30 minutes before an attendant arrived with a motorized passenger cart to take us through immigration and then to our connection gate.
The attendant knew we had been waiting for some time and was extremely kind. She explained that normally only one person could accompany the wheelchair user, but because she had room on the cart, she allowed all of us to stay together. She took us through immigration and then to the terminal where are our gate was located. At that point, I offered to take my mother to the gate in our own wheelchair so the attendant could assist other passengers. We had some time before our next flight, so this worked well for us, and we were able to grab a bite to eat.
An Unexpected Airport Problem
While we were waiting at the gate to fly home, Frankfurt Airport experienced an airport-wide problem: none of the gate doors would open! The airport has multiple levels of gates, while the planes are all on the ground level. Our gate was on the third floor, and because the elevators serving the gates were not working, passengers could not get downstairs.
Eventually, a specialist arrived and forced one of the doors open so people could use the stairs. My mother could not manage three flights of stairs, so an attendant took her out through the front door of the airport and planned to transport her by bus around to the tarmac.
Lufthansa would not allow any of us to accompany the attendant and my Mother. She still had her AirTag with her, which made me feel a little better, but I did not like being separated from her in an unfamiliar airport.
The System Said She Had Boarded But She Hadn't
Then the airline began boarding the plane. My mother's ticket was scanned as though she had boarded before she was taken away to catch the bus. As a result, the airline's system showed that she was on the plane even though she was not. This was a large aircraft, and boarding took a considerable amount of time. After an hour had passed and my mother still had not arrived, I went to speak with the United crew. One of the pilots came up to me and assured me that he would not take off without my mother. He then contacted Lufthansa to find out where she was.
They eventually located her waiting on the tarmac beside the plane. When boarding had finished, a lift-equipped vehicle brought her up to the aircraft, and several members of the United crew including the pilot and a Lufthansa employee, helped me get her onto the plane and to our seats.
A Special Thank You to the United Crew
I want to give a special thank you to the United pilot from San Luis Obispo, California, who is based out of SFO, and to the entire crew. When I became increasingly worried that my mother was missing and the flight was about to depart, they didn't simply reassure me, they took action.
The pilot personally contacted Lufthansa to find out where my mother was and assured me that he would not take off without her. The crew then helped me get her safely onto the aircraft and to our seats.They went above and beyond to help us, but what I appreciated just as much was the compassion they showed me. I was stressed and frightened, and they took the time to reassure me and make sure I knew what was happening. They continued checking on my mother throughout the flight, and the pilot checked on us again after we landed.
Thank you to this pilot and the entire United crew for taking such good care of my mother and for taking care of me when I needed it too.
Adroit Advice
Our experience in Frankfurt taught me that things can go wrong quickly when an airport is dealing with an unexpected problem.
Our experience in Frankfurt was stressful, but it also reminded me that most of the people involved genuinely wanted to help.
The United crew, particularly the pilot who stayed with me and made sure my mother would not be left behind, went above and beyond to make a frightening situation manageable.