Hey everyone,
I arrived in Richmond, Virginia on Tuesday — I had planned to fly to the beautiful River City from Knoxville, but a damaged wheelchair necessitated a return home for a wheelchair swap. That means I was running on 45 minutes of sleep and a cold shower, but I did not let that dampen my excitement!
Last year, I visited Richmond for the first time since my childhood — It was a wonderful trip to the "River City" and I shared everything I learned in the Richmond Wheelchair Travel Guide, which you can find here:
John Morris
This week, I won't see much of Richmond proper, instead focusing my exploration on the wider region to answer a question — What is there to do outside of Downtown Richmond? Spoiler alert: there are LOTS of wheelchair accessible attractions, and I am excited to explore them with Stevie and Robert!
Also joining this tour with Richmond Region Tourism are our friends Houston and Katie from Downs & Towns! We are all looking forward to an incredible week together, so stay tuned for a full report after our trip.
An about-face on Allegiant Air?
I started this section with the line, "I am a man of my word — when I write someone or something off, I never look back." But in reality, I am a fairly forgiving soul (save for the five people I've blocked on Facebook 😜) and don't believe in the idea of a "lost cause."
In April 2018, more than six years ago, I wrote an article entitled "I Would Never Fly Allegiant Air and Neither Should You." My concerns about Allegiant were rooted in safety (or the lack thereof) and I assumed the carrier was more likely to end up in bankruptcy than to emerge as a profitable, growing airline. Today, it is a vibrant ultra low cost carrier (ULCC) that operates increasingly modern aircraft to often underserved markets.
When I discovered one of Allegiant's nonstop flights on a short route where major carriers offered only connecting itineraries, I decided that giving the airline a try — and saving hundreds of dollars plus hours of time in the process — was the right decision. The earlier issues that had made me wary of flying Allegiant seem to have been addressed, and I was eager to add a new carrier to my "Airlines Flown" spreadsheet (they were my 55th airline as a wheelchair user).
To read more about my trip on Allegiant Air, check out my review at the link below (and learn how you can save $22 on every Allegiant flight with a clever trick).
John Morris
New Content
Last week was a productive one, and I published a number of new articles that you may find interesting. First up is a review of one of Vienna's most celebrated hotels, the Hotel Imperial which is part of Marriott's Luxury Collection:
John Morris
Readers often write to me asking for recommendations for various things — wheelchairs, scooters, shower and commode chairs, hoists, etc. I'm working to build out lists of popular and recommended products across these categories, and I've taken on shower chairs (and one bathtub seat) in the latest story:
John Morris
If you're interested in the other articles I have written in this series, check them out here — there are some great products, including some you may not have seen before:
- 7 Products to Make Your Home More Accessible — Most homes weren’t designed with disabled people in mind, but these products will make your home or apartment more accessible.
- Top 6 Portable Wheelchair Ramps for Accessible Travel — Portable wheelchair ramps can reduce the stress of visiting friends or exploring new places that may not be fully wheelchair accessible.
- Top 9 Wheelchair Accessories for Disabled Travelers — Whether you use a manual or powered wheelchair, this list of accessories and attachments will help you get more out of your mobility device.
This week, I also revived an old series — The "Compensation Clinic." In this article, I covered a frustrating air travel experience, how the airline responded, and the compensation they offered "as a tangible apology, and in hopes of restoring your confidence in us." Check it out here:
John Morris
The "Unacceptable Question"
Two weeks ago, I was traveling from San Francisco to St. Louis with a connection in Phoenix. My wheelchair was tagged for delivery at "all jetbridges" but, upon arrival to Phoenix, the American Airlines ramp manager boarded the flight to ask, "Is there any chance you don't need your wheelchair here? There is a manual airport wheelchair to get you to your next flight."
My next flight was in two and a half hours, and I was honestly shocked to have been asked the question. I refused the offer, stating that I wanted my wheelchair returned "as close as possible to the aircraft door" as mandated by the Air Carrier Access Act. Why would I want to surrender my independence during any layover or connection, much less one of more than two hours!?
I took to Twitter to share my frustration and received an interesting response from a former American Airlines ramp manager who had taken great care of my wheelchair at Boston Logan International Airport. They wrote:
"That is an unacceptable question. I worked for AA at Logan as a manager and handled your wheelchair. We made it a priority and used as much staff and resources to load and offload it without damage. That thought never crossed anyone's mind."
It was heartwarming to see someone from my former home airport step up to share their approach — it's one that should be adopted by every ramp crew at every airline in the world. Prioritizing the safe and prompt return of mobility equipment is what the law demands, and it's key to delivering a positive travel experience for disabled airline passengers.
No wheelchair user wants to surrender their independence, but we are forced to (temporarily) do so when we board an airplane. Returning wheelchairs as quickly and safely as possible is table stakes — it's a mandatory cost of doing business for airlines, and I remind them that installing a wheelchair securement space for airplanes (check out Air4All from Delta Flight Products or Prime+ from Collins Aerospace) could solve a lot of their problems, including preventing employees from asking the "unacceptable question" that is effectively "Would you like me to deprive you of your independence and self-determination for the next 2.5 hours?" Get outta here, and go fetch my wheelchair!
Previewing the 2026 Wheelchair Travel Group Trips — Where will you join me?
Given the interest in the 2025 Wheelchair Travel Group Trips to Greece, Spain and Morocco, I have been hard at work in building an incredible lineup of tour destinations for the 2026 calendar year.
I am still working to finalize the 2026 itineraries, but I can preview some of what is to come! On the 2026 calendar will be some old favorites — Greece and Portugal; and also trips to new destinations including Scotland and Italy!
I expect each of these tours to sell out quickly after they are announced. You can get early access to group tour itineraries by upgrading to a paid newsletter subscription. You'll also get access to other paid member benefits.
Keep an eye out for these and other tour announcements that will begin to hit your inboxes soon. I would love to travel with you!
A few final thoughts
Two weeks ago, I sent the first-ever edition of the Wheelchair Travel Newsletter that wasn't written by me — entitled "Stevie's Introduction," it was just that, an introduction from my beautiful fiancée. We received many wonderful comments from longtime readers, some of whom have been subscribed to this newsletter for more than a decade. While we were unable to respond to every message, please know that your kind words and well wishes were received. Thank you!
Although we are adding some family travel content to this newsletter, I will still be covering the types of stories you expect, exploring new destinations and advocating for improved accessibility within the travel industry. I appreciate your continued support of this blog and my work to make travel more accessible for us all.
Talk to you soon,
— John
