Disability and the Airport

Travelling, for me, works best when I strip it back and keep things simple. I like travelling light, partly because it just feels easier, and partly because I can never be completely sure how accessible a place will be. You can do all the research in the world, watch every YouTube walkthrough of the terminal, read every travel forum, and something will still catch you off guard. So I pack for flexibility. One rucksack, one small carry on suitcase, and the suitcase always goes into the hold. I will come back to why that matters.

The whole journey actually starts a few days before I even leave the house. It usually begins with me trying to find a good balance between convenience and price when it comes to getting to the airport. I always want to lean towards convenience. A taxi is the dream: door to door, no stress, no rush, no wrestling with trains. But it can be expensive, so I end up weighing it all up like I am planning a small expedition.

Most of the time, the Underground wins. It is quicker, and as long as I can get a seat, it is genuinely one of the easiest options for me. The only catch is the luggage. A bigger suitcase immediately becomes part of the adventure in all the wrong ways. You can end up boxed into a corner or leaving your bag by the doors and hoping it does not topple over. This is one of the reasons I stick to the smaller carry on. It just keeps the whole journey calmer.

When I reach the airport, self service check in is where things get interesting. I actually like doing things at my own pace. No one rushing me, no feeling like I am holding up a queue. The downside is that with only one fully usable hand, certain steps become a sort of personal puzzle. I do not mind it, but it does add a bit of character to the process.

A small side note. I am not against asking for help. I just prefer to do as much as I can independently. There is a line, and when I reach it, I ask. But I am always trying to gently push that line further away each time. It is a long term mission.

Back to check in. The biggest challenge, without question, is the luggage tag. Every airport seems to have come up with its own unique system, and it is always the neat lining up of the sticky bit that tests my patience. If you ever see someone staring at a luggage label like it is a Rubik’s Cube, that is probably me.

The reason I check the suitcase is simple. I do not want to deal with overhead bins on the plane. Cabins are cramped, bags are awkward, and I prefer not to do a balancing act in a narrow aisle. My rucksack goes under the seat in front of me, and that is the end of it. Stress levels: minimal.

From the outside it probably looks like I just wing it, but this whole routine has been shaped slowly by experience. It has become smooth, manageable, and honestly quite enjoyable.

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