Wheelchair Travel Newsletter: Visiting Parliament, Rights on Flights and a Historic Moment in Baseball

How I scored a private tour of the UK's House of Commons and 200 career wins is no small feat.

Hey, everyone!

Last time I wrote you, I was on my way to London to meet the Paddington bear and to attend the kick-off reception for Rights on Flights, a UK-based advocacy initiative that aims to make air travel more accessible for disabled people.

You can read all about the reception and what the group is proposing in this article: Rights on Flights Unveils Policy Proposal for Accessible Air Travel. Should the proposal gain traction outside of the UK, it could prove to be a very big deal and, even if it isn’t adopted by governments worldwide, there are valuable ideas within that could be appended to existing regulations like the Air Carrier Access Act.

Following the reception, I befriended an employee at the Palace of Westminster who treated me to a private tour of the House of Commons. I wheeled right up to the central table, a gift from Canada, and looked closely at the two dispatch boxes, gifts from New Zealand. It is here, on the green bench to the left of the table, that the British Prime minister sits, and where he addresses responds to members of Parliament during Prime Minister’s Questions each Wednesday that the body is in session. It was an honor to be so close to where government is carried out in the UK, and it is in this chamber that I hope attention will soon be paid to the needs of disabled air travelers.

The Nuts & Bolts of My Trip to London

My trip to London was a short one — I stayed just one night, and headed from the airport to my hotel, then straight to Westminster.

I booked a non-stop flight from Boston to London, which departed shortly after 8 p.m. and arrived at around 8 a.m. — the time from wheels up to wheels down was just over 6 hours. The flight was really great — American Airlines delivered a positive flight experience, with timely assistance at both ends of the journey. Even better, I purchased the round-trip economy class ticket for just 48,000 frequent flyer miles and about $200 in taxes and fees.

From the airport, I took the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station — it’s about a 15 minute journey. As promised in my last newsletter, I went to see the bear named Paddington, who hangs out on Platform 1 at the train station. A couple saw me trying to take a selfie, and offered to snap this photo. I took one for them in return. They had just arrived in London and were excited to explore the city for the first time.

Exiting the station, I hailed a London Black Cab, which took me the rest of the way to my hotel. I could have taken a city bus, but didn’t want to risk being late to Parliament.

I also paid for accommodation with points, and I encourage you to check out my full review of the Conrad London St. James hotel. The room was lovely, the bed comfortable (and lowered), and the location was convenient — within walking distance of Big Ben and the UK Parliament! If you haven’t been to England before, some of the features in the accessible bathroom might surprise you — the design of accessible bathrooms and showers is different from the U.S. ADA standards, and I actually prefer it. What do you think?

With such a short time in the city, I was sad to leave, but I will look forward to returning again soon. London truly is one of my favorite cities in the world.

Witnessing History in the Gateway City

A few days after returning from London, I took off to St. Louis — to witness what proved to be an incredible moment in baseball history.

I’ve been a St. Louis Cardinals fan for as long as I can remember. I live and breathe Cardinals baseball. One of my all-time favorite players, 42-year-old starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, is about a week away from retirement (he’s been on the team’s big league roster since I was in high school).

Last week, I traveled to St. Louis with the hope of seeing Waino join the 200 win club, a feat accomplished by only 121 other pitchers in MLB history. Against the Milwaukee Brewers, he pitched an absolute gem — 7 shutout innings to earn the victory and join Cardinals legends Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines as one of only 3 Cardinals pitchers to reach the mark. It was a magical night at the ballpark and one I’ll surely remember for years to come.

If you’d like to take a look inside my St. Louis hotel room, check out my review of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. It’s a gorgeous property that is more than 100 years old, and places you right at the heart of the city — within walking distance of the ballpark, the iconic arch, and steps from the city’s wheelchair accessible mini golf course (did you know there are ADA standards for putt-putt?).

Air Force One For All

Last week, I sent out an email introducing my latest advocacy campaign, which I’m calling Air Force One For All. It is my belief that, by encouraging the United States to place a wheelchair securement space and other accessibility features on the presidential aircraft, we can speed up adoption by commercial airlines. Please visit the campaign homepage to learn how you can get involved and join the chorus of people who are asking government leaders to send the message that even disabled children can dream of becoming president.

What’s next

Tonight, I’m flying down to the nation’s capital to attend the All Wheels Up Global Forum on Wheelchair Accessible Air Travel. I’ll be sure to update you on what I learn there, and I’m looking forward to connecting with members of the aviation industry to discuss what can be done right now to improve the disabled passenger experience.

At the end of the week, I’m traveling to St. Louis once more to watch Waino’s final game, before kicking-off trips to Atlanta, Juneau and Lake Tahoe. It’s going to be a busy few weeks, but I know it will yield many interesting stories for future newsletters.

Thanks for reading and happy Monday!

Talk to you soon,
John