By Sharon Strzalkowski | From BayLines Express, October 2023
With some trepidation, I decided a couple of months ago to fly for the first time since before the pandemic. I wanted to go to a blindness retreat called Candle in the Window. My hesitation was not concerning Covid but, rather, how much help I would get at the airport and whether I would make the flight on time to join up with the group I was meeting to get onto a shuttle to the retreat center.
First, a word about booking the flight. I used to go to a travel agent, who would book my flight and my need for assistance. I found that now travel agents I contacted locally no longer provide service for individual flights, but instead focus on package tours and the like, which can mean more money for them. What to do? I tried Google Flights with JAWS to see if I could get an idea of my options, but found it difficult. Ultimately, I called AIRA, the visual interpretation service, and the agent there became my travel agent. She very quickly found flights that matched my needs and helped me to book them. While it took about 20 of my minutes, I felt it was worth it. We forgot to put in the request for “meet and assist,” so I ended up calling American Airlines myself to get this accommodation. To my great surprise, I received a call from American a few days before my flight, confirming my travel and asking if I would need a sighted guide and/or a wheelchair.
The day of my departure, October 4, found me in the shared van going from Worcester to Logan at 4:15 AM. I am very grateful that the van driver accompanied me right to the American Airlines desk, which doesn’t always happen. Of course, I tipped him; this reminds me that it is a good idea to have some cash on hand for the numerous times that you might want to tip for the services provided. The passenger assistant got me through security and to the gate, and then returned later to preboard me for the flight. I was really heartened by the good organization of the meet and assist providers both at Logan and my destination, Charlotte, North Carolina. The wait times were not long, and, except for one gentleman with very minimal English, I had little trouble communicating with the passenger assistants. One of them was actually only 16 and had the makings of a good, sighted guide.
One thing that I found tricky was getting food at the Charlotte Airport, as I had a lot of time to kill before meeting my shuttle to the retreat center. The assistant brought me to a Burger King, I think it was, and promised to return to escort me to the baggage claim area where our group was going to meet. He did this and it worked well. I asked if there was a general phone number that I could call for assistance in case he got busy, but he did not seem to have that information, or perhaps there is no centralized number to call in the airport. It would be good to know this for next time.
I have to say that my flying experience overall was a good one, and my fear of taking up this activity again was very much put to rest. Of course, every time you fly is an adventure, and anything can happen; but with good preparation and self-advocacy it seems to be back to the pre-pandemic normal. Happy traveling!