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Commercial Airline Stretcher
Ways to transport a passenger who cannot sit up for the flight
Commercial Airline Stretcher service is a resource to transport a bedridden patient in or out of Canada or the USA. This service is not available on domestic flights in North America.
A stretcher charter, on the other hand, is a private plane that is modified to transport a bedridden patient.
Jet Companion offers both of these options to transport people by air, who cannot sit up at all for take off or landing, but who don’t necessarily need an expensive air ambulance. Both options are safe, reliable, but also quick and comfortable for the patient.
Commercial airline stretcher services for international transfers
Having an airline install a stretcher onboard a commercial flight, is the most inexpensive way for bedridden patients to travel, especially over long distances from one continent to another.
Commercial airline stretcher service is offered by several airlines that connect Canada and the US with Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Jet Companion takes care of the entire process to get the stretcher transfer approved and organized by the airline.
Stretchers on a private charter for transfers within North America
While stretcher-bound patients can travel on a commercial airline stretcher to and from Canada and the United States, no such services exist within North America. Bedridden travelers who need to be transported cross-border, between two provinces or from one state to another, used to have two options: an exhausting road trip by long range ground ambulance or stretcher van, or an ICU-equipped air ambulance that is generally not affordable for families who are paying out of pocket.
Jet Companion offers basic air ambulance services or so called “air stretcher charters”: a private charter that is fully-licensed for the transportation of stretcher patients, staffed by qualified aeromedical escorts.
Chartering a plane in Canada to transport a patient
Jet Companion uses both turbo-prop and jet aircraft for the transport of non-emergency, non-critical stable patients, who would qualify as fit to fly on commercial flight if a stretcher was available. This service is ideal for bedridden patients who are going back home, or traveling to a nursing home or hospice after being discharged from a hospital.
We work with air charter companies in East and West Canada, capable of airlifting stretcher patients to and from all provinces in Canada, and most states in the USA, including Alaska.
Our long-distance patient transport services cost less than a regular air ambulance, and greatly reduces the travel time of a long-distance ground ambulance service.
Flying on a stretcher in Europe, Asia, the Middle East or Africa
Are you looking for patient transport services from Asia to Latin America? Or from Africa to the Caribbean? Jet Companion is specialized in transporting bed-bound patients over long distances, and does so in all parts of the world. Our staff navigates an extensive network of air ambulance companies and airline stretcher service options and have the capability to organize the transport of stretcher patients across continents.
Traveling on a stretcher to smaller communities in Canada or the United States
In Canada, bed-bound passengers can travel on international commercial flights in and out of Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary. In the USA stretcher patients can travel through a larger number of international airports. Stretcher patients traveling to and from smaller airports in Canada or the USA can use a long-distance ground transfer or an air stretcher charter that connects to an international flight with commercial airline stretcher service at one of the hubs. The trip can start in any city or province in Canada.
What does it cost to travel on a stretcher onboard a commercial flight?
When long distance transportation in Business Class is not an option at all, air stretcher services will be the next most cost-effective alternative, compared to air ambulance transportation. An airline stretcher arrangement on a intercontinental European flight will cost several thousands of Euros, while the same airline stretcher service on a transpacific or transatlantic route can set you back tens of thousands of dollars. Yet a private air ambulance on the same route would cost 50 to 70% more for the same level of medical care.
Can I hire an ambulance from Vancouver to Calgary, for a bed-ridden person?
Yes you can. Private ground ambulance services are available in Canada for out-of-province patient transports. However, traveling such large distances on the Canadian roads can be exhausting, risky and even very uncomfortable for the patient. While a road trip by ground ambulance from Vancouver to Calgary can easily take 11 hours, alternatively the same patient can take a short and comfortable flight of less than 90 minutes by stretcher charter.
Why are commercial airline stretchers so expensive?
Every airline stretcher case takes several days and many hours of behind the scenes preparation, the coordinated efforts of a large team and it often puts extra pressure on already tight operational schedules. The airline will install a stretcher on a plane, over a block of six to nine Economy seats, and take it apart after its use. External providers with special equipment are arranged to get the patient to the plane, and off the plane. Technical assistance is needed to install the stretcher and take it apart after its use. A block of six to nine seats is blocked off, to transport the patient, and often also for the empty stretcher to be brought back to the base of the airplane.
On a commercial airline stretcher transfer, Jet Companion’s air medical transport service includes one or two commercial medical escorts, who care for the passenger during the flight, and until the final destination is reached. Our air medical attendants operate international stretcher services with all the necessary medical equipment to intervene if necessary. This includes in-flight oxygen, monitoring and symptom-relief medication.
Patient transport from Calgary to Vancouver
Patient transport from Vancouver to Edmonton
Patient transport from Seattle to Calgary
Patient transport from Seattle to Edmonton
Patient transport from British Columbia to Alberta
Patient transport from British Columbia to Manitoba
Patient transport from British Columbia to Saskatchewan
Patient transport from Winnipeg to Vancouver
Patient transport from Saskatoon to Vancouver
Patient transport from Regina to Vancouver
Patient transport from Vancouver to Whitehorse
Patient transport from Vancouver to Yellowknife