Requesting A Wheelchair: Navigating Airport Accessibility Services

If you need a wheelchair at the airport, you can request one from the airline you're travelling with. This can be done when booking your flight or by calling the airline directly. It's best to do this 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. No proof of disability is required.

Requesting a wheelchair in advance

Step 1: Identify Your Needs

Before making the request, assess your needs and the type of assistance required. Consider whether you need a wheelchair or a motorized cart, and whether you will need assistance at the departure airport, during any connections, or at your final destination. Also, determine if you will need help with checking in, navigating security, reaching the gate, boarding the aircraft, or claiming your baggage. Knowing your specific requirements will enable you to communicate them effectively to the airline.

Step 2: Make the Request

When booking your flight, specify your need for a wheelchair or cart. If this option is not available during booking, contact the airline directly by phone or through their website or app, if applicable. Provide them with your travel details, including flight information and dates, and clearly communicate your requirements for each stage of your journey. For example, you may need a wheelchair at your departure airport but not at your destination. Be sure to ask for any additional assistance you may require, such as help with luggage or boarding.

Step 3: Confirm the Request

After making the request, follow up to ensure that it has been added to your passenger record. This can be done by contacting the airline again or checking your booking details online, if available. It is essential to verify that your request has been noted correctly to avoid any last-minute surprises.

Step 4: Arrive Early at the Airport

On the day of your trip, arrive at the airport early, preferably at least two hours before your flight's scheduled departure. This will allow sufficient time for check-in, security, and boarding, especially if you anticipate needing assistance. When you arrive, inform the airline staff or check-in desk that you have requested wheelchair assistance, and they should have the necessary arrangements in place. If you have any travel companions, they are usually allowed to accompany you during the process.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your request for a wheelchair is properly communicated and accommodated by the airline. This will help make your travel experience more comfortable and less stressful, especially if you have mobility challenges.

Knowing who is eligible for a wheelchair

Airlines typically use four designations to determine the type of assistance required:

• Passengers who can walk onto a plane but need help getting from the terminal to the aircraft.
• Passengers who cannot navigate stairs and need a wheelchair between the aircraft and terminal but can walk onboard.
• Passengers with a disability affecting their lower limbs, requiring help with boarding and departing.
• Passengers who are completely immobile and need assistance from the moment they arrive at the airport until they board the aircraft.

It's worth noting that no proof of disability is required when requesting a wheelchair, and you don't need to disclose your medical history or reasons for needing assistance. However, if there is uncertainty about a passenger's access needs, the carrier may ask for credible verbal assurance of the need for assistance and how it relates to their disability. This inquiry must not focus on the nature of the disability itself.

When making a reservation, it's important to request a wheelchair as early as possible, especially if you are unable to walk long distances. This will ensure that the necessary arrangements are made, and you can enjoy a stress-free journey.

What to do when you arrive at the airport

When you arrive at the airport, make your way to the airline check-in desk and let the staff know that you require a wheelchair. If your reservation was made correctly, there should be a wheelchair ready for you. Many airlines will provide a wheelchair assistant to help you from the moment you arrive. This assistant will help you through security, the terminal, and to your 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 is important to alert your airline in advance that you will need a wheelchair and to self-identify as a person who needs assistance.

After checking in, you can make further arrangements with a gate agent to have a wheelchair available at your transfer point or final destination. Airlines also have special wheelchairs to help passengers board the aircraft, and some even have plane-specific wheelchairs so that guests can be mobile during the flight.

If you are travelling with your own electric or battery-powered wheelchair, you must arrive at the airport 1 hour prior to the normal check-in time. For non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchairs, you must be available to board at least 30 minutes before departure.

Boarding and departing the aircraft

When you arrive at the airport, inform the airline staff that you require wheelchair assistance. If you have made a reservation for a wheelchair, there should be one available for you at the check-in desk. If not, alert the staff that you need assistance.

If you are using your own wheelchair, you are entitled to stay in it until you reach the boarding gate. At the gate, your wheelchair will be taken from you and exchanged for an aisle chair, a small wheelchair that will transport you onto the aircraft and to your seat. If you cannot transfer yourself, assistance is available. Federal law mandates that assistance teams are trained in proper transfer techniques, but it is important to communicate any specific needs or painful areas on your body. Once you are in the aisle chair, you will be secured with straps and buckles across your chest and legs.

When deplaning, the process is similar. An aisle chair will be brought to the aircraft door, and you will be transferred into it and then into your own wheelchair. If you require assistance, inform the flight attendants before landing. Typically, wheelchair users will deplane after other passengers.

If you are travelling with an electric or battery-powered wheelchair, you must arrive at the airport one hour prior to the normal check-in time.

Tips for using a wheelchair service

• Request a wheelchair when booking your flight, or at least 48 hours in advance by calling the airline. Most airlines ask that requests are made at least 48 hours in advance, and last-minute requests may not be accommodated.
• Specify whether you will need a wheelchair or an electric cart, and whether you will need it as soon as you arrive at the airport, on the aircraft, or both.
• If you are travelling with your own electric or battery-powered wheelchair, cart, or scooter, you must arrive at the airport at least one hour before the standard check-in time.
• If you are checking in your own non-electric or non-battery-powered wheelchair, cart, or scooter, you must be available to board at least 30 minutes before departure.
• When you arrive at the airport, let the airline check-in staff know that you require wheelchair assistance. They should have a wheelchair ready for you.
• If you have not requested assistance in advance, you can still request it when you arrive at the airport. However, you may have to wait for an attendant to become available.
• If your airport has skycaps at the departures curb, you can request a wheelchair from them to help you through security and to your gate.
• After checking in, you can arrange with a gate agent to have a wheelchair or cart available at your transfer point or final destination.
• If you are travelling with a companion, they will usually be allowed to walk next to the wheelchair and wait with you at the designated waiting spot before boarding.
• You are entitled to stay in your own wheelchair until you reach the gate. At the gate, your wheelchair will be taken from you, and 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 need assistance with carry-on luggage or moving within the aircraft, inform the flight attendants.
• If you are using a wheelchair service, you will be the last person to disembark the plane.
• It is customary to tip wheelchair attendants $3 to $5, or $2 to $3 for an electric cart.

Frequently asked questions