Owais Crawford
If you require a wheelchair, most airlines will provide assistance to help you get around the airport, including through security checkpoints and to your gate. This service is free, but you will need to request it in advance when booking your flight or by calling the airline. Upon arrival, you should let airport personnel know that you require a wheelchair, and they will be able to assist you. If you have your own wheelchair, you can use it until you get to the gate, at which point it will be taken from you and returned once you reach your destination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wheelchair availability at the airport | Yes, wheelchair assistance is available at the airport |
| Wheelchair request procedure | Request wheelchair assistance when booking your flight or by calling the airline. Also, inform the airline check-in desk and airport personnel about your wheelchair needs upon arrival at the airport. |
| Wheelchair assistance cost | Wheelchair assistance at airports is free |
| Advance wheelchair request requirement | Yes, most airlines require at least 48 hours advance notice for wheelchair requests |
| Self-identification as a passenger with a disability | Yes, passengers must self-identify as having a disability and requiring assistance to airline staff at the airport |
| Wheelchair assistance scope | Includes assistance from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point to the gate, through security checkpoints, and onto the aircraft to the seat |
| Own wheelchair usage | Passengers can use their own wheelchairs until they reach the gate. The wheelchair will be returned at the destination gate. |
| Special wheelchairs | Airlines provide special wheelchairs to help passengers board the aircraft and some offer plane-specific wheelchairs for mobility during the flight |
| Check-in time for passengers with wheelchairs | Recommended check-in time is at least two hours before flight departure and at the gate at least one hour before departure |
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What You'll Learn
Requesting a wheelchair in advance
If you require a wheelchair during your time at the airport, it is important to request one in advance. Wheelchair assistance is free, but it is always best to make a request at least 48 hours before your flight. This can be done when booking your flight, or by calling the airline. If you are flying with Delta, you can also submit your request via the Fly Delta app.
When making your request, specify whether you will need a wheelchair as soon as you arrive at the airport, as well as if you will need one on the aircraft. You should also confirm whether you will be bringing your own wheelchair, as this may require you to arrive at the airport earlier than usual. If you are bringing your own electric or battery-powered wheelchair, you must be available to board at least 45 minutes before departure. For non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchairs, you must be available to board at least 30 minutes before departure.
When you arrive at the airport, make sure to self-identify as a passenger with a disability who needs assistance. Even if you have noted this in your reservation, the airline will not know to provide assistance unless you self-identify in person. You may also need to notify airline personnel if your gate changes, so that they can ensure assistance is provided at the correct gate.
It is important to note that, according to the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. However, they are also not obligated to provide assistance to passengers who do not have a disability. If there is uncertainty about a passenger's access needs, the airline may ask for credible verbal assurance that the passenger requires the service and how it assists with their disability.
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Self-identifying as a passenger with a disability
If you are a passenger with a disability, you must self-identify to airline staff at the airport as someone who needs assistance. Airlines are required to provide assistance to passengers with a disability as they navigate through different portions of the airport. This includes assisting you from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point to the gate location, including the security checkpoint, and onto the aircraft to your seat. It also includes assisting you from your aircraft seat on an arriving flight through the airport to the gate location of your connecting flight, if you have one.
You can request a wheelchair or cart when booking your flight. If it's not an option during booking, call the airline. Specify if you will require a wheelchair or cart as soon as you arrive, as well as if you will require it on the aircraft. Most airlines ask that you make these requests at least 48 hours in advance. If you have your own electric or battery-powered wheelchair, you must arrive at the airport 1 hour prior to the normal check-in time.
Upon arrival at the airport, you must self-identify as a passenger with a disability needing assistance. Although the airline may have noted in your reservation that you need assistance, the airline will not know that you are the person who requested that assistance if you do not self-identify. You are entitled to stay in your own wheelchair until you get to the gate. At the gate, your wheelchair will be taken from you, and if you cannot walk, you will be transported to your aircraft seat in an aisle chair. Your wheelchair will be returned to you at the gate once you reach your destination.
If you believe your rights under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) are being or have been violated, ask to speak with a Complaints Resolution Official (CRO). A CRO is the airline's expert on disability accommodation issues. Airlines are required to make one available to you, at no cost, in person at the airport or by telephone during the times they are operating.
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Using your own wheelchair until you reach the gate
If you are travelling with your own wheelchair, you are allowed to use it until you get to the gate. It is important that you self-identify as a passenger with a disability who needs assistance. Even if you have noted this in your reservation, you must identify yourself as the person who requested assistance. You should also notify airline personnel if you need to move to a different gate.
At the gate, your wheelchair will be taken from you, and if you cannot walk, you will be transported to your aircraft seat in an aisle chair. Your wheelchair will be returned to you at the gate once you reach your destination.
If you are travelling with an electric or battery-powered wheelchair, you must arrive at the airport one hour before the normal check-in time and be available to board the aircraft at least 45 minutes before departure. For non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchairs, you must check in and be available to board at least 30 minutes before departure.
You can request a wheelchair or cart when booking your flight. If it is not an option during booking, call the airline. Specify whether you will require a wheelchair or cart as soon as you arrive and if you will need it on the aircraft. Most airlines ask that you make requests at least 48 hours in advance.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, anyone who self-identifies as disabled to airport personnel is entitled to assistance moving throughout the airport. Airlines are required to provide assistance to passengers with a disability as they navigate through different portions of the airport, including assisting you from the terminal entrance to the gate location, through security, and onto the aircraft to your seat.
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Assistance provided by airlines
Airlines are required by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to provide free wheelchair assistance to any traveller who asks for it, without requiring a description or documentation for that need. This includes assistance from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point to the gate location, through security, and onto the aircraft. Airlines also provide assistance to passengers with disabilities upon arrival at their destination. This may include guide assistance for individuals who are blind or have low vision, or wheelchair assistance for individuals with mobility impairments.
Most airlines ask that passengers request wheelchair assistance in advance, and passengers should specify whether they will need a wheelchair or cart as soon as they arrive at the airport, as well as if they will require it on the aircraft. Some airlines, like Delta, allow passengers to request assistance through their app. If you are travelling with a battery-powered wheelchair, you may be asked to arrive at the airport one hour prior to the normal check-in time.
Upon arrival at the airport, passengers who require assistance should self-identify to airline staff as the person with a disability who needs the service. Airlines are required to provide assistance in a timely fashion. Passengers with their own electric or battery-powered wheelchairs must be available to board the aircraft at least 45 minutes before departure, while those with non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchairs must be available 30 minutes before departure.
Some airlines, like Delta, transport both manual and battery-powered mobility devices. However, passengers should be aware that their device may be too large to fit through the cargo door or into the hold area, so it is important to check with the airline in advance. Airlines may also have special wheelchairs to help passengers board the aircraft, and some have plane-specific wheelchairs so that guests can be mobile during the flight.
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Electric carts for those who can't walk long distances
If you or someone you are travelling with has mobility issues, getting around the airport can be daunting. The vast distances between the airport curb and the gate for your flight can be challenging for those who can't walk long distances.
The 1986 Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to provide free wheelchair service to any traveller who asks for it, without requiring a description or documentation for that need. Most airlines contract with companies to help travellers by offering wheelchairs to get around an airport, including through security checkpoints. In larger airports, they also have electric carts available for those who can't walk long distances, need a little extra help, or need to get to a gate quickly to make a flight.
When booking your flight, you can request a wheelchair or cart. If it's not an option during booking, call the airline. Specify if you will require a wheelchair or cart as soon as you arrive, as well as if you will require it on the aircraft. When you arrive at the airport, let airport personnel know that you require wheelchair assistance. If your wheelchair/cart reservation was made properly, the airline check-in desk should have a wheelchair ready. Many airlines provide wheelchair assistants for travellers who require a wheelchair or cart from the moment of arrival. The assistant will help you through security checkpoints, the terminal, and to the gate. If your airport has skycaps at the departures curb, you can also request a wheelchair from them to get you through security and to your gate.
It's important to self-identify as a passenger with a disability needing assistance. Although the airline may have noted in your reservation that you need assistance, the airline will not know that you are the person who requested that assistance if you do not self-identify. Airlines are required to provide assistance to passengers with a disability as they navigate through different portions of the airport, including assisting you from the terminal entrance or vehicle drop-off point to the gate location where your flight is departing, including the security checkpoint, and onto the aircraft to your seat.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is recommended to request a wheelchair in advance by selecting 'Add special assistance' when booking or managing your trip online or on an airline app. Most airlines ask that you make requests at least 48 hours in advance.
Last-minute requests may not be accommodated by the airline. However, you can still request a wheelchair from airport personnel when you arrive. You will need to self-identify as a passenger with a disability who needs assistance.
Yes, you can take your own electric or battery-powered wheelchair to the airport. You will need to check it in and be available to board the aircraft at least 45 minutes before departure. For non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchairs, you must check in and be available to board at least 30 minutes before departure.
