07/06/2026
This is a great tip for anyone traveling this summer with their wheelchair!
Most wheelchair users hand over their $30,000 power chair to airline baggage handlers and hope for the best. But Ian Mackay has a simple hack that removes a primary cause of damage: lack of communication.
By zip-tying an active walkie-talkie right next to his joystick, he can talk with the ground crew up until the cabin doors close, and as soon as the plane hits the ground.
"It gives you a direct line of communication with your chair in the cargo hold. This is particularly helpful when a baggage handler at your arrival location has a question,” he says.
If a handler doesn’t know how to disengage the motors or fold down the backrest, they don’t have to use brute force or flip the chair on its side. They hit a button and have immediate access to an expert: You.
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