All airlines North America
American Airlines
Powered chairs need the airline’s prior approval · carried free.
- Advance notice
- Not published
- Powered wheelchair
- Conditional
- Lithium, battery installed
- Not published
- Cost to carry
- Free
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhoneUSA — Special Assistance (accessibility arrangements)
- PhoneUSA — Hearing or speech impaired assistance
- PhoneUSA — Disability Team (issue on a previous trip), 24/724/7
- PhoneUSA — Reservations, incl. special assistance and oxygen paperworkAnytime
- Online form
- Relay / textDial 711 to be connected through the National Relay Service. AA also prints 800-735-2988 'for hearing or speech-impaired assistance'; it does not describe that number as a TTY line.National Relay Service
Complaint Resolution Officials (CROs) are stationed at airports during operating hours; a Corporate CRO is available 24/7. AA also calls them 'local complaint resolution officials (LCRO)' in its conditions of carriage.
Read it from the source
Powered wheelchairs & batteries
The part that goes wrong. Battery chemistry and watt-hours decide whether your chair flies, and the rules differ depending on whether the battery can be removed.
Motorised assistive devices are accepted, but AA tells customers with battery-operated mobility devices to contact Special Assistance first to make sure the battery type is approved for travel; electric wheelchairs with spillable batteries are listed as not allowed.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Lithium ion is one of the three battery types AA lists on the wheelchair-battery section; wheelchair batteries are dangerous goods and restrictions apply.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA publishes no watt-hour cap for a battery that stays installed in the chair; it directs customers to contact Special Assistance to confirm the battery type is approved.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA publishes no watt-hour cap specific to a wheelchair battery removed into the cabin.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No Wh ceiling published for a mobility-aid spare. AA's general Lithium batteries row says 'Less than 100 Wh: Up to 4 spare batteries in carry-on; 100–160 Wh: Up to 2 spare batteries in carry on; 160–300 Wh: Contact Special Assistance before traveling.' AA says nothing about spares above 300 Wh — it neither permits nor refuses them — so no cap can be recorded.
Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No mobility-aid spare count is published. The counts AA prints (up to 4 spares under 100 Wh; up to 2 spares of 100–160 Wh; 160–300 Wh 'Contact Special Assistance before traveling') are on the general Lithium batteries row of the restricted-items page; the wheelchair-battery section only tells you to have the battery type approved by Special Assistance.
Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA does not publish a general rule on whether a wheelchair battery must be removed; it says to contact Special Assistance to confirm the battery type is approved.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Non-spillable dry cell is one of the three battery types AA lists as acceptable labelling on a wheelchair; batteries must be labelled by the manufacturer with the battery type.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Refused: AA's restricted-items table lists 'Electric wheelchairs with spillable batteries' under Mobility devices with 'Allowed for travel? No'. The mobility page only requires the battery to carry a manufacturer label naming its type (lithium ion / non-spillable dry cell / wet cell) and points back to this same restrictions table.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA's general battery rules: 'Lithium batteries must be carried in carry-on bags only' and 'Spare batteries must be individually protected' (AA does not say against what); standard non-lithium batteries removed from devices go in the carry-on with spares in separate plastic bags. AA publishes no terminal-insulation rule specific to a wheelchair battery.
Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Batteries must be labelled by their manufacturer with the type of battery in the device (lithium ion, non-spillable dry cell, or wet cell). AA also recommends attaching written safe-handling and disassembly instructions to the device.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Cargo-door aperture, not a stated chair limit. Smallest single-door aircraft is the E145 (aft 30 x 39 in / 76 x 99 cm). 737-800 33 x 48 in (83 x 121 cm); A319/A320/A321 48 x 71 in (121 x 180 cm); 777/787 bulk 45 x 36–40 in (114 x 91–101 cm).
Planes — cargo compartment door dimensions by aircraft (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA publishes no maximum wheelchair weight. Its Planes page gives a cargo-compartment item maximum of 350 lbs / 158 kg on the A319/A320/A321 and 737 fleets and 500 lbs / 226 kg on the 777 and 787.
Planes — cargo compartment door dimensions by aircraft (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Non-collapsible wheelchairs, scooters and battery-powered wheelchairs can be checked at the ticket counter or the departure gate and claimed at the arrival gate free of charge; AA recommends checking the chair through to the final destination rather than reclaiming it at a connection.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
On AA's agency-reference site (SalesLink, 'Updated: December 2024') AA tells agents to 'Suggest that customers travel with their own device tool kit if they have one' and to encourage checking the device through to the final destination, because 'Reassembly and corresponding disassembly at the connection city may be impractical within the standard time frames'. This is agency guidance, not a rule published on aa.com's customer pages.
Manual wheelchairs
American Airlines and American Eagle accept motorised and non-motorised assistive devices for transport, and will disassemble and reassemble wheelchairs when necessary.
Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Planes with 100 or more seats have a closet that holds 1 collapsible wheelchair. AA provides storage for one passenger's collapsible manual wheelchair in the cabin of each aircraft, first-come first-served, with priority over other customers' carry-on baggage if the pre-boarding procedure is followed. Space cannot be pre-reserved.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA does not publish the closet's dimensions; it says only that planes with 100 or more seats have a closet that holds 1 collapsible wheelchair, and that carry-on wheelchairs must collapse to fit an overhead bin or under a seat.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA states 'maximum wheelchair dimensions depend on the cargo door measurements' and publishes a per-aircraft table. The smallest single-door aircraft is the E145: aft door 30 x 39 in (76 x 99 cm). Figures are the cargo-door aperture, not a stated maximum chair size.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Planes — cargo compartment door dimensions by aircraft (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA publishes no maximum wheelchair weight. Its Planes page gives a cargo-compartment item maximum of 350 lbs / 158 kg on A319/A320/A321 and 737, and 500 lbs / 226 kg on 777 and 787.
Planes — cargo compartment door dimensions by aircraft (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA offers a wheelchair service that lets you check the chair at the departure gate and claim it at the arrival gate free of charge. Ask the gate agent for a gate delivery tag and attach it before boarding.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA accepts carry-on wheelchairs provided they collapse to fit in an overhead bin or under a seat; in-cabin stowage cannot be pre-reserved.
Booking & cost
No hour figure published for wheelchairs. AA says 'make your special assistance requests as far in advance as possible' and requires advance notice for mobility devices on transatlantic travel without stating how long; the 48-hour rule it does publish applies only to service animals and portable oxygen concentrators.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Conditions of carriage (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Add special assistance on the passenger details page when booking, or via Special Services in an existing booking. For battery-operated mobility devices AA says to contact Special Assistance to make sure the battery type is approved for travel. Have the chair's measurements and weight ready.
Special assistance (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA's agency reference: 'Non-collapsible wheelchairs or scooters are accepted as checked baggage free of charge.' Customer pages: checking a wheelchair at the departure gate and claiming it at the arrival gate is 'free of charge', and assistive devices approved for cabin transport do not count toward the checked or carry-on allowance.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 SalesLink (AA agency reference) — Special Assistance, page states 'Updated: December 2024' (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA does not publish a number of mobility devices carried free; it states only that assistive devices do not count toward the checked or carry-on baggage allowance.
Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA inspects and documents pre-existing damage at check-in, provides a temporary replacement and repairs damage caused in its care; if the device is damaged beyond repair or lost it is replaced with the same or a comparable model. Report deadlines: delay 24 h domestic / 21 days international; damage 24 h domestic / 7 days international; claim with documents within 7 days of receiving the device.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
On board
A special aisle chair is available. Flight attendants can assist with transfers between your seat and an onboard wheelchair and with moving it to and from the bathroom door, but cannot lift you in or out of the chair or into the bathroom.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
AA does not publish which aircraft have an accessible lavatory; it states only that the onboard wheelchair is taken to and from the bathroom door.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Flight attendants assist with transfers between your seat and the onboard wheelchair; they will not lift you in or out of the chair or assist inside the bathroom — if you cannot do that yourself you must travel with someone who can.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Some seats have movable armrests, marked on the seat map when booking or managing a trip; AA states all its jet aircraft have specially designed seats with moveable aisle armrests. A limited number of seats is blocked for customers who identify as having a qualified disability.
Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Fleet detail. AA publishes cargo-compartment door height x width and an item maximum weight per aircraft: A319/A320/A321 fwd & aft 48 x 71 in (121 x 180 cm), bulk 30 x 37 in (76 x 93 cm), 350 lbs/158 kg; 737-800 fwd & aft 33 x 48 in (83 x 121 cm), 350 lbs/158 kg; 737 MAX 8 fwd 35 x 48 in (88 x 121 cm), aft 33 x 48 in (83 x 121 cm); 777-200/300ER bulk 45 x 36 in (114 x 91 cm), 500 lbs/226 kg; 787-8/-9 bulk 45 x 40 in (114 x 101 cm), 500 lbs/226 kg; CRJ700/CRJ900 fwd 20 x 42 in (50 x 106 cm), aft 33 x 43 in (83 x 109 cm); E145 aft only 30 x 39 in (76 x 99 cm); E170/E175 fwd 35 x 43 in (88 x 109 cm), aft 30 x 39 in (76 x 99 cm).
Worth knowing
AA's restricted-items table states that electric wheelchairs with spillable (wet-cell) batteries are 'not allowed for travel', while the mobility page still lists 'wet cell' as one of the three battery labels it recognises — a genuine contradiction on aa.com; confirm with Special Assistance (800-237-7976) before relying on it. AA publishes no watt-hour cap for the battery installed in a wheelchair and no maximum chair weight or size — the binding constraint is the per-aircraft cargo door on the Planes page. If a chair will not fit the plane you must book, AA refunds the fare difference for a more expensive flight that does fit (same city pair, same day, same number of connections, both AA-operated). Complaint Resolution Officials are at airports during operating hours with a Corporate CRO 24/7. Two statements travellers rely on — that a non-collapsible chair or scooter rides as checked baggage 'free of charge', and the advice to carry your own device tool kit — appear only on AA's agency-facing SalesLink site (s8, marked 'Updated: December 2024'), not on the customer pages; the customer pages support free carriage indirectly (gate check/claim 'free of charge'; assistive devices excluded from the baggage allowance).
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 Special assistance (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 Mobility and medical devices (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 Restricted items (batteries; mobility devices) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s4 Contact Special Assistance (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s5 Customer service plan — customers with disabilities / CROs (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s6 Conditions of carriage (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s7 Planes — cargo compartment door dimensions by aircraft (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s8 SalesLink (AA agency reference) — Special Assistance, page states 'Updated: December 2024' (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence high · 8 official sources · 6 contacts · 63% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.