Wheelchair Services

We offer wheelchair services at the airport and on board the aircraft. We are also happy to accommodate most types of personal wheelchairs.

Delta Wheelchair Services
Personal Wheelchair Services
Cargo dimensions on Delta Connection Carriers

Delta Wheelchair Services

Airport Wheelchairs

We have wheelchairs available for use at airport locations. Request this service when making reservations; and upon arrival at the airport notify one of our passenger service personnel that you require a wheelchair for transportation to the departure gate.

Aisle Chairs

We also have available a specially designed wheelchair for our non-ambulatory passengers to use in reaching their seat when boarding and deplaning our aircraft. We call these special wheelchairs "aisle chairs" or "boarding chairs." We suggest you request this service when making reservations so we can have the equipment available at your departure gate.

Onboard Wheelchairs

Every one of our mainline aircraft has an onboard wheelchair. These wheelchairs are specially designed to fit the aisle of our aircraft and may be used by our passengers to move to and from the lavatory. Our flight attendants are trained in the operation of this wheelchair and will assist you with its use. However, they are not required to lift or carry you. Since this onboard wheelchair is not used outside the aircraft, it will always remain onboard. Arrangements can be made for you to use an airport chair at any connecting point.

Alternative Boarding Devices

In some instances stairways are used for boarding instead of loading bridges. If you are unable to ascend or descend steps, let us know, and we will provide an alternative boarding method.

Delta Electric Cart Service

Electric carts are available at some major airports such as in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City, and New York (JFK Airport). These carts are available for use by our semi-ambulatory passengers who have difficulty walking long distances. The carts will pick-up and drop-off passengers throughout the terminal or concourses.

Return to top

Personal Wheelchair Services

We transport all types of personal wheelchairs. This includes folding, collapsible, and non-folding manual wheelchairs, electric/battery-powered wheelchairs and electric-powered carts and scooters, one additional wheelchair battery, crutches, braces, or other prosthetic devices on the same flight with the passenger who is dependent on the device.

Give us at least forty-eight hours advance notice, and be sure to check in at the ticket counter at least one hour ahead of departure if you need to check any battery-powered equipment. We need this time to ensure your equipment meets all federal "dangerous goods" handling requirements.

Cabin Stowage

If you have a collapsible personal wheelchair you can ask to have it stowed onboard when you are pre-boarded. We can stow it if it meets the size and weight restrictions for the approved storage space on the aircraft. We limit the number of personal wheelchairs to one personal wheelchair per flight. Not all aircraft stowage locations accommodate all sizes of wheelchairs. Wheelchairs stowed onboard have priority over other carry-on items except those of through passengers.

Checking Your Wheelchair

You can check your wheelchair at the ticket counter or the gate. We appreciate your checking powered equipment that may require disassembly at the ticket counter so we can arrange for proper handling. You may use our wheelchair equipment after checking your personal wheelchair. Detachable items such as seat cushions and footrests can be carried onboard or checked with the wheelchair in the cargo compartment.

We will not need to disassemble your electric/battery-powered wheelchair and will leave the batteries attached if the wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door or if it can be stowed upright in the cargo compartment.

If we do need to disassemble the wheelchair, our employees may need instructions. Attach assembly/disassembly instructions and your wheelchair's specific battery type to the wheelchair. For help identifying your specific battery type, see Batteries below.

You can arrange to have us check your personal wheelchair at the departing gate and return it at the destination gate when you arrive, or at a connecting airport. Let us know in advance if you prefer to use your own personal wheelchair at your connecting airport. However, you should be aware that the time between connecting flights may be insufficient to provide this service during layover, especially if disassembly and re-assembly of your wheelchair is required. If time is a factor, we recommend that you take advantage of our wheelchair service instead.

Federal Regulations allow the Acceptance of Battery Powered Wheelchairs without Disconnection

Delta and Delta Connection Carriers allow customers with battery powered wheelchairs to check these assistive devices at the gate without having to disconnect the battery before transport. In order to transport your wheelchair or scooter without disconnecting the battery, your wheelchair or mobility aid must possess a defect-free battery in a rigid compartment that is integral to the device.  The equipment must also have an effective method of preventing accidental activation during transport.  This would include:

• Inserting charger (effectively disengages power to the battery)
• Turning key off, removing the key (Note—the key may be required to transport the chair to the ramp for loading on the aircraft)
• Turning a kill switch
• Removing a power arm
• Taping a switch in closed position (see owner's manual if available)

There are still circumstances that require the battery be disconnected. If you have any questions prior to travel please contact Reservations and ask to be connected to the CRO Desk. At the airport, ask any Delta representative for assistance. Further information concerning battery types is listed below.

Batteries

Help us by identifying your wheelchair batteries as either spillable, non-spillable, or lithium-ion so that our employees may establish correct federal Dangerous Goods handling procedures.

Wet-cell ("Spillable")
Wet-cell batteries are considered spillable, so we need to make special preparations to transport them by air. We have to disconnect the battery and protect the terminals against electrical shorting. We have to remove the battery if we cannot fit your wheelchair equipment upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door. The battery will be shipped in Delta's battery box to meet all federal "dangerous goods" handling requirements. We cannot transport damaged or leaking batteries by air.

Dry-cell ("Non-spillable")
Dry-cell and gel-cell batteries are considered non-spillable and have fewer requirements for handling. We can leave powered wheelchair batteries attached when the equipment fits upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door. Our personnel will need to know that your device can be stowed in the aircraft without accidental activation or they will be required to disconnect the battery post connectors and wrap each post connector with tape to prevent electrical shorts during shipping.

Lithium-ion
Lithium-ion batteries that power mobility devices and are within the federal restrictions listed below are allowed on passenger aircraft. Customers will be allowed two (2) spare batteries that power the mobility device.

Lithium-ion Battery Restrictions

• Each battery must contain less than 25 grams of Lithium content (300 Watt Hours).
• The battery terminals must be protected from short circuiting.
• The battery must have been tested per UN Part III, Section 38.3.
• If the battery is not fully encased and protected within the mobility aid to prevent short circuit, the battery must be removed and transported in the cabin of the aircraft.

Return to top

Cargo Dimensions on Delta Connection Carriers

Due to the size of the cargo compartment doors on regional jets and other smaller aircraft operated by our Delta Connection partners, some wheelchairs may not fit into the cargo compartment. Customers traveling with wheelchairs on Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair, Compass, Mesaba, Pinnacle, Shuttle America, and Skywest are encouraged to review the dimensions below to determine whether their wheelchairs will fit into the cargo compartment, and to provide their wheelchair dimensions (height x width x depth) to Delta Reservations, or their travel agent in advance for inclusion in their travel record.

To determine whether a wheelchair is within these specifications, removable parts such as footrests, headrests, cushions, removable armrests, etc. may be removed prior to measuring.

 

Return to top