Special Concerns

Do you have special concerns or in-flight needs? Here's some information that can help. You can also visit the Special Needs FAQs for answers to some commonly asked special-needs questions. You can also learn more about the Department of Transportation Rule 14 CFR Part 382: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel.

Choose a topic: Select one Disability Seating Service Animals Medicine Onboard Medical Oxygen Assistive Devices Pregnant Travelers Peanut Allergies Portable Oxygen Concentrator Battery Requirements

Seating Accommodation for Individuals with Disabilities

We accommodate any request for seating that helps you manage your disability. It is our responsibility to provide you with any available seat in advance, which you are qualified to use. Additional accommodation may be made for:

• Passengers who uses an aisle chair to get on the aircraft and can't readily transfer over a fixed aisle armrest can be provided with a seat that has a moveable aisle armrest on aircraft equipped with this feature.
• Passengers traveling with an attendant helping them during the flight will be provided side-by-side seating
• Passengers traveling with a service animal will be accommodated with any available seat but will be provided a bulkhead seat if requested.
• Passengers with a fused or immobilize leg will be provided with any available seat they qualify for, on the side of the aircraft that appropriately accommodates their disability, and if requested, a bulkhead seat.

Return to top

Service Animals

We welcome service animals in the aircraft cabin, such as dogs and monkeys trained to assist passengers with mobility, visual, or hearing disabilities.

A service animal must be in the floor space where the passenger sits and may not get in the way of an aisle or any area that needs to remain clear for emergencies. (That's why we can't seat you in the exit row.)

Some locations (Hawaii, Great Britain, etc.) have quarantine laws for animals, or might not permit their entry at all. See Health Requirements for more information.

We, or your travel agent, will be able to help you find out what the requirements are for your destination. But remember, it's up to you to follow the regulations.

Return to top

Emotional Support Animals and Psychiatric Service Animals

Delta complies with the Air Carrier Access Act by allowing customers traveling with emotional support animals or psychiatric service animals to travel without charge with the following conditions:

Acceptance Guidelines

• May or may not be trained to perform observable functions. However, the animal must be trained to behave properly in public settings as service animals do.
• Emotional support animals travel free of charge and the animal is exempt from cabin allotment.
• Like service animals, emotional support animals can be transported in the cabin.
• Delta requires documentation (not more than one year old) on letterhead from a licensed mental health professional to be presented to an agent upon check in stating:
• Title, address, and phone number of mental health professional.
• The passenger has a mental health related disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - 4th Edition.
• That the passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger's destination.
• That the person listed in the letter is under the care of the assessing physician or mental health professional.
• A kennel is not required for emotional support animals if they are fully trained and meet same requirements as a service animal.
• Passengers should ask to speak to the Complaint Resolution Office (CRO) if they encounter any issues while traveling with emotional support animals.

Note: Passengers intending to travel with emotional support animals into England need to arrange PRE-APRROVAL CLEARANCE and pay a fee for processing. For London-Heathrow (LHR) you must contact Customs Animal Reception Centre on +44 208 745 7895, or +44 208 759 7002. For London-Gatwick (LGW) the Customs Animal Reception Centre contact number is 0044 1293 555580. For Manchester (MAN) processing is handled by Pets on Jets and the contact number is 44 161 209 7670.

Return to top

Medicine

You should always carry your medication with you in your carry-on luggage, and never in your checked luggage.

Our airplanes don't have refrigerators onboard, so be sure to plan for that.

If you use needles or syringes to take medication, you must have appropriate medical records with you that show your medical condition and need for the medical procedure, in case security officers have questions, or to satisfy foreign authorities when you're traveling outside the United States. Also, tell our cabin crew if you have used any needles during flight. They'll provide you with a disposal container.

You can't hang intravenous devices from the aircraft overhead, because they might interfere with our emergency oxygen masks.

Return to top

Onboard Medical Oxygen

Onboard medical oxygen may only be provided by portable oxygen concentrators (POCs). You may bring your own FAA approved portable oxygen concentrator or a rented POC. You may contact Delta's oxygen provider, OxygenToGo® or call them toll free 1-866-692-0040.

If you rent from OxygenToGo, their personnel will guide you through all the necessary steps. OxygenToGo rentals may be used for your entire air and land trip so you will not need any other equipment. However, you may rent equipment for just your onboard needs.

If you have your own equipment, you may use that equipment by completing the steps below:

• Complete your travel plans and purchase your ticket.
• Verify that you or your FAA approved portable oxygen concentrator supplier will have the FAA required 150% of battery time for your cumulative flight times. (Note that if you carry the POC on board but do not intend to use it while in flight you are still required to follow the FAA battery requirements. You can call OxygenToGo for details. See Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) FAA Battery Requirements below.
• At least 48 hours prior to travel, have your physician complete the Physician's Statement and fax or email a scanned Statement it to OxygenToGo at the number/email listed on the statement. Failure to submit the Physician Statement at least 48 hours prior to travel may result in delays or refusal to board.
• If you do not receive a telephone confirmation from OxygenToGo that they have received the completed Physician's Statement, it has not been received.
• You must bring the completed Physician's Statement from your doctor to the airport to confirm the need for oxygen during flight and the required flow rate.  This should be carried on your person or carry on luggage.

Delta Provided Oxygen Service

Delta no longer provides compressed medical oxygen. Passengers may use their own Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC) if on the FAA approved list.

For those without their own equipment, Portable Oxygen Concentrators may be rented from Delta’s exclusive concentrator provider, OxygenToGo, at www.oxygentogo.com or toll free 1-866-692-0040.  OxygenToGo will provide approved equipment for your entire trip (both air and ground) and make sure all the paperwork is completed.

Customer-owned Oxygen Units

We accept the following portable oxygen concentrators on Delta, Delta Connection, and the Delta Shuttle®. If your Delta ticketed flight is operated by another airline, contact them directly for their policy regarding medical oxygen requests or OxygenToGo.

• AirSep FreeStyle
• AirSep LifeStyle
• Delphi/Oxus, Inc. RS-00400
• DeVilbiss Healthcare iGo
• Inogen One
• Inogen One G2
• Invacare SOLO2
• International Biophysics/Inova Labs LifeChoice
• Invacare XPO100
• Oxlife Independence Oxygen Concentrator
• Respironics EverGo
• SeQual Eclipse

If you would like to use any of these units, please make note of the following important points:

• The AirSep Lifestyle device must have a sticker affixed to the inside cover stating “RTCA/DO—1600 21 category M Compliant” to indicate that it has been modified for air travel. If your AirSep Lifestyle device does not have this sticker, it will not be accepted for use on board.
• Portable oxygen concentrators can't be used when seated at an exit row or bulkhead seat.
• Portable oxygen concentrators do not count towards your carry-on baggage limit.

You will not be able to use other portable oxygen concentrators on board. They will be permitted as carry-on or checked baggage only under the following conditions:

• It must be empty and free of pressure.
• The battery should be removed and packaged separately if not in use
• It should have a recessed battery terminal and the packaged battery terminals should not contact any metal objects.

Personal oxygen systems containing liquid oxygen are not accepted on board any Delta or Delta Connection flights.

Return to top

Assistive Devices

If you need an assistive or non-oxygen-generating life-support device, like a respirator, nebulizer, or ventilator, you can bring it in the cabin for use during the flight, as long as it fits in an FAA approved storage location. You'll need to purchase an extra seat at the lowest available fare if you need it for your equipment.

We can't permit wet-cell batteries in the aircraft cabin for safety reasons. We recommend you use a dry-cell battery for your equipment, since electrical outlets are not available on our aircraft.

Oxygen concentrators, other than those we've approved, CPAP and BiPap machines will only be accepted if they have been tested by the manufacturer to comply with FAA safety regulations and display a label indicating that the machine is approved for use on an aircraft. Additional review of testing data must be provided to Delta for approval prior to travel.

Return to top

Pregnant Travelers

We don't have restrictions for pregnant women, so you don't need a medical certificate to travel.

However, keep in mind that ticket change fees and penalties aren't waived for pregnancy. If you're traveling after your eighth month, it's a good idea to check with your doctor to be sure it will be ok.

Return to top

Peanut Allergies

When you notify us that you have a peanut allergy, we'll create a buffer zone of three rows in front of and three rows behind your seat. We'll also advise cabin service to board additional non-peanut snacks, which will allow our flight attendants to serve these snack items to everyone within this area.

Gate agents will be notified in case you'd like to pre-board and cleanse the immediate seating area. We'll do everything we can, but unfortunately we still can't guarantee that the flight will be completely peanut-free.

Return to top

Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) FAA Battery Requirements

The FAA requires that a portable oxygen concentrator user must have 150% of their actual flight time in battery time regardless of how long the user may choose to use the device if take as a carry on item.

The appropriate number of batteries should be calculated using the manufacturer's estimate of the hours of battery life while the device is in use and the information provided in the physician's statement (e.g., flow rate for the POCs). The expected maximum flight duration is defined as the carrier's best estimate of the total duration of the flight from departure gate to arrival gate.

You can call OxygenToGo at 1-866-692-0040 to discuss your specific battery needs. OxygenToGo rents batteries for most portable oxygen concentrators.

Return to top