How do I ask for a wheelchair assistance at the airport?

Call your airline and request wheelchair assistance at least 48 hours before your trip begins. If possible, call earlier. The customer service representative will put a “requires special assistance” note in your reservation record and tell your departure, arrival and transfer airports to provide a wheelchair.

How does a wheelchair work at the airport?

If customers wish to use their own wheelchair at the airport, they are permitted to do so up to the aircraft, whereupon it will be stored in the baggage hold area. Customers with a disability may use their own manual powered wheelchair till the aircraft door.

Do you have to pay for airport assistance?

Special assistance at the airport is free. Individual carriers and airports independently determine the time when they should be informed about the need for special assistance. For example, some airports ask for contact at least 72 hours before the flight, and others – 48 hours before the flight.

How do disabled passengers get on a plane?

Getting on the plane To board the aircraft, wheelchair users will have to come out of their wheelchair into a transfer chair that can be manoeuvred down the aisle, and from there transferred into a seat.

Can I get assistance at airport?

Can you stay in your wheelchair on a plane?

Nearly 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, planes still lag behind many buses and trains. Regulations prohibit passengers from sitting in their own wheelchairs on commercial flights. Indeed, regulations prohibit passengers from sitting in their own wheelchairs on planes.

How do I request wheelchair assistance on an airplane?

Call your airline and request wheelchair assistance at least 48 hours before your trip begins. If possible, call earlier. The customer service representative will put a “requires special assistance” note in your reservation record and tell your departure, arrival and transfer airports to provide a wheelchair.

What is wheelchair and guided assistance assistance at the airport?

Wheelchair and Guided Assistance Assistance at the Airport When a passenger with a disability requests assistance from an airline to move through the airport, the airline is required to promptly provide the requested assistance.

Why are wheelchairs so common at airports?

As airports have grown and the population has aged, demand for wheelchairs and carts has increased, and that can overwhelm the system. At Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest, passenger requests for wheelchair service have doubled in the past year, notes Steve Mayers, the airport’s director of customer experience.

Where do airlines have to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities?

When providing assistance to passengers with disabilities who are navigating the airport, airlines are also required to provide assistance to passengers in the key function areas of the airport (ex. ticket counters, baggage claim, etc.).