As an alternative to wheel chair service at the airport, we purchased two transport chairs -- light weight wheel chairs. They have more than paid for themselves over the years. The airport service has been outstanding when using our own chairs for my folks. We typically leave from JFK and often the wait for a wheel chair could be long. We found it's easier to just bring our own. The chairs are checked at the gate after boarding and always waiting for us as we exit the plane. The attendants in St. Maarten have been known to lift the chairs with my folks in them right on to the bus to the terminal which always made my mom laugh. We use the chairs while on vacation to shuttle them to the beach or out to dinner if we know we have a long walk from where we park.