Accessibility
Flying with a disability or mobility aid
Assistance is not an optional extra you tick at checkout. It is a coded service request attached to your reservation, and the difference between one that was properly filed and one that was merely mentioned is the difference between a wheelchair waiting at the gate and nobody knowing you were coming.
On this page
What US law entitles you to
The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 and the rules made under it at 14 CFR Part 382 prohibit airlines from discriminating on the basis of disability. In practical terms, on flights to, from and within the United States:
- Assistance is free. Airlines may not charge for wheelchair assistance through the airport, for help boarding and deplaning, or for carrying your mobility device.
- You cannot be required to give advance notice as a condition of travelling. A carrier may not make prior notification of your disability a condition of carriage or of receiving accommodation.
- Mobility devices travel free and do not count against your baggage allowance.
- You may pre-board if you need extra time or assistance to reach your seat.
What to request, and when
Wheelchair assistance through the airport
Requests are coded by how far you can walk: assistance to the aircraft door, assistance to the seat, or assistance for a passenger who cannot manage stairs. Being specific matters, because the code determines what equipment and staffing is arranged. Tell us honestly what you can and cannot do, including whether you can walk up the aerobridge and whether you can transfer to an aisle chair.
Travelling with your own wheelchair or mobility scooter
Give us the make, model, dimensions, weight, and above all the battery type — dry cell, gel, or lithium-ion. Battery chemistry determines how the device must be handled and packaged, and it is the single most common cause of a device being refused at the gate. A device travelling in the hold should be labelled with handling instructions.
A December 2024 DOT rule strengthened airline obligations around the safe handling of wheelchairs, with provisions phasing in through 2025 and into June 2026. Parts of it remain subject to ongoing regulatory activity, so we check the current position for your specific carrier at the time of booking rather than relying on a summary.
Service animals
US rules recognise trained service dogs. Airlines are permitted to require DOT forms attesting to the animal's training, health and behaviour, and generally require them in advance of travel. Emotional support animals are no longer treated as service animals under US rules and travel as pets. We will tell you what your carrier requires and by when.
Medical oxygen and medical devices
Airlines do not generally supply oxygen. Most permit an approved portable oxygen concentrator, subject to advance notification, battery-duration requirements that usually exceed the flight time by a margin, and a physician's statement. This genuinely needs arranging in advance, and it is the clearest example of a booking that cannot be self-served.
Seating and escorts
If you need a bulkhead seat, a movable aisle armrest, or to be seated next to a travelling companion who is assisting you, that is an accommodation request rather than a paid seat selection, and it should be recorded as one.
Why book this by phone
Comparison sites cannot file a service request. At best they collect a note that may or may not reach the airline's reservation record. When we book, the request goes onto the reservation, we get it confirmed back, and you have a reference showing it was made. If it then goes wrong at the airport, you have evidence rather than a recollection.
We also reconfirm assistance requests before travel, because they are lost more often than anyone would like — particularly after a schedule change or a rebooking, which can drop them entirely.
Practical advice from bookings we have handled
- Allow more connection time than the minimum. Assistance depends on staff availability at both ends and a 45-minute connection is not a realistic one.
- Get everything in writing before you fly. Take the confirmation showing the request with you.
- Reconfirm after any change. A schedule change often generates a new reservation, and requests do not always follow.
- Photograph your wheelchair before check-in. If it is damaged in transit, dated photographs make the claim straightforward.
- Report a problem before you leave the airport where you can. Each airline has a Complaints Resolution Official available to passengers with disabilities.
Common questions
Do I have to pay for wheelchair assistance?
No. Under US rules airlines must provide assistance through the airport, with boarding and deplaning, and with your mobility device, free of charge.
Does my wheelchair count as baggage?
No. Mobility aids are carried in addition to your baggage allowance and without charge.
How much notice do I need to give?
You are not required to give notice in order to travel. For some services, such as medical oxygen, a stretcher, hazardous-materials battery packaging or a power wheelchair on a small aircraft, the airline may ask for up to 48 hours notice and earlier check-in. We recommend giving notice at booking regardless.
Can I bring an emotional support animal?
Under current US rules emotional support animals are not treated as service animals and travel as pets, subject to the carrier's pet policy and fees. Trained service dogs are treated differently and usually require DOT forms.
What if the assistance I booked does not turn up?
Ask for the airline's Complaints Resolution Official at the airport, which every US carrier is required to make available. Report it before you leave if you can, and tell us so we can support the complaint.
Can you book assistance for a group?
Yes, though note that a group of ten or more passengers with disabilities travelling together is one of the categories where an airline may ask for 48 hours notice. Talk to us early.
This page is general information about US rules and is not medical or legal advice. For your own circumstances, check the current position with your airline and with the US Department of Transportation.
Tell us what you need
Describe the assistance required and we will make sure it is on the booking, not just mentioned in passing.