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I have disability problems which limit how far I can walk.
My wife and I are both older.
She has troubles with her knees at times too.
I am 77 and she is 75.
We found that larger airports are just too much for us anymore.
Last time, we had to change planes at Philly coming from Maine.
The plane let us off a large distance from where our connecting flight was to be.
I had arranged with our Airline and the airport to have wheelchairs available. They only had one. We had to wait until we almost missed our connecting flight to get the second chair.
And when only one is disabled, how is the spouse supposed to keep up with the younger kids that push the wheelchair?
We had informed our kids that we are through flying. It is just too stressful and demanding on us anymore.
I hear you. Some of the airports make you walk miles to go from one terminal to another. And the movable walkways either are not there or don't work
Charlotte is spread out. So is Chicago and Newark. And recently we were in Europe and they are equally bad, like Frankfurt, Brussels, Warsaw etc.
I like Atlanta. You just have to walk halfway to the middle of a terminal, come down, take the train, get off at your terminal, go up and get to your gate. It is the best planned large airport I have ever seen. If I have a tight connection, I will take Atlanta over Charlotte or any of the airports I mentioned.
Recently we flew into Denver. Once we got off the plane & saw how far away everything was, I called for 2 wheelchairs, one for each of us. I could have walked it, but not at the speed they move at. I enjoy travel, & even though having to call for wheelchairs can be a hassle, I will put up with it, in order to get to my destinations.
Most large airports have golf cart-like rides you can ask the gate agent for (both departing and arrival). If you're planning a trip and have to go through a large airport contact the airport directly in advance and ask if they have that service. Others may not have the carts but can do wheelchairs.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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If impaired... You ALWAYS request assistance through your airline (at time of booking or minimum of 76 days in advance of travel), and you always use the same carrier for connections.
Your carrier will get you to your connection, and they will wait for you, as they know who you are.
I book many tickets / yr for disabled people as I give away my airline miles to those needing to travel for family / medical needs. They alsways exclaim how well served they have been treated. (I book and remind the carriers who is coming, and what assistance they need.
Last week a couple friends from India had (3) connections on 36 hr air transit.
They were well cared for. Ages 84 and 87. (without a younger escort / advocate)
Spouse often takes 98 yo father on air trips.
Good friend flew solo to Ireland to meet us for her 93rd BD.
If they need help... they arrange for it. (Long before hand)
A few weeks ago I had a trip that connected through Dallas DFW airport. It is one of the largest airports in surface area that I know of, but all 6 (or more?) of the terminals are connected by a train system. There are escalators (and elevators) from the terminal area up to the train stations. I was actually impressed by how little walking it took to get from a gate in one terminal to a gate in another terminal.
I also agree with kamban's comments above about ATL airport, which also has multiple terminal buildings connected via train. Walking distance at ATL is also not too bad compared to many other large hub airports, if you use the trains.
When my wife was recuperating from knee replacement surgery, we would call the airline in advance and I do not think that my wife had to walk more than 10 steps. When we arrived at the departure curb, we were met my a wheelchair that would take her through security and wheel her to the departure gate. It was a very simple and easy process.
I like Atlanta. You just have to walk halfway to the middle of a terminal, come down, take the train, get off at your terminal, go up and get to your gate. It is the best planned large airport I have ever seen. If I have a tight connection, I will take Atlanta over Charlotte or any of the airports I mentioned.
Denver has the same layout as Atlanta, but they also have moving sidewalks running down the length of each concourse, something that Atlanta does not have. Thus, as relatively easy as Atlanta is, I find Denver to be even easier.
OP, your location shows Greer, SC. If you are traveling between GSP and Maine (I assume Portland), fly Southwest and change planes at BWI. It's easier to navigate than the other airports you listed. There are moving sidewalks within Concourses A and B, though sadly not C. But there's a moving sidewalk between B and C, though not between A and B, at least not yet. They're building a new connector between A and B, and maybe it will have moving sidewalks, I don't know.
I'm with you. My dad who turns 87 next month has stopped flying. It's just too difficult. And the last time he flew, two years ago, I drove six hours to his house to fly out with him, six hours back home after flying back with him, taking two extra days off of work so he would be comfortable doing the trip.. I would not want to fly without a very abled body person who could drop me off, find someone to help me, etc. And even with that flying is quite difficult if you can't walk well.
And this was a direct flight from the smaller Chicago airport midway to Orlando.
He didn't want me to drop him off, so I called the airport in advance to find out where I could park the car that would be near the airport shuttle to minimize his walking. Once at the airport, I immediately found him a nice seat and then talked to people to find out where to take him for wheelchair assistance. When we got there it wasn't too bad, but because of all the people needing wheelchair assistance, he had to wait 20 minutes and I waited with him. Once he had help, I spit up as I had TSA precheck and met him at the gate. On the way home I had another relative drop us off at the airport and flew back with him reversing the process.
We were going to have him come with us to Phoenix this past summer, but I knew he was iffy on that, so I used Southwest points I could get back for his ticket and he canceled and I rebooked to fly with DH, DS, and spouse out of my home airport instead of his. This was a direct flight to Phoenix but OMG the distance between luggage and rental car was crazy. He made the right choice not to come on the trip as his mobility is worse now. He would really need a transport chair and I bought one of those for him, but he doesn't like to use it. It's not that you can't go places but the hassle is just so much that even with an abled body person I can understand in my dad's situation why he doesn't want to go. We just visit him at his house where he is still managing to be on his own due to help from some dear friends. He knows though that may not last and independent living or assisted living could be on the horizon.
He still gets out a few times a week but gets out less because of energy and mobility. On a positive note he is just amazed and delighted and how nice people are, giving up seats at restaurant waiting areas seeing that he clearly needs to sit, helping him get something from the grocery aisle he is trying to reach from the the grocery store electric scooter. I am go grateful to all the kind people in the world looking out for others for little things like this allowing people to retain their independence for as long as possible.
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