wheelair

All airlines Europe

Discover Airlines

IATA 4Y ICAO OCN Germany · www.discover-airlines.com (opens in a new tab)

Powered chairs need the airline’s prior approval · 72 h notice · 160 Wh installed-battery cap.

Advance notice
72hours before departure
Powered wheelchair
Conditional
Lithium, battery installed
160watt-hours maximum
Cost to carry
Not published

Who to contact

Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.

The most useful document is the 'Information on Electric Mobility Aids' PDF (s5): it is the only place Discover publishes the full battery matrix (WCLX removable, WCLB permanently installed, WCBD non-spillable/dry, WCBW spillable wet) and it carries an international toll-free number, 0800 8384267, that appears nowhere else on the site. Discover asks you to keep the completed form with you, printed or digital, for the whole journey and to reuse it on later trips. Complaints Resolution Officials (CROs) are available during operating hours at every Discover US destination and at Frankfurt — ask any crew or ground staff. DOT disability hotline +1 800 778 4838 (voice) / +1 800 455 9880 (relay), Mon–Fri 07:00–17:00 EST; formal 14 CFR 382.65 complaints to the Air Consumer Protection Division/C-75, US DOT, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington DC 20590, +1 202 366 2220 (voice) / +1 202 366 0511 (relay).

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.

Powered chairs accepted
Conditional

Accepted only with prior approval: 'A transportation permit from the airline is required for wheelchairs and mobility aids.' You must send the manufacturer's technical data sheet or manual plus the completed 'Information on Electric Mobility Aids' form to mobilitydevices.discover-airlines@lufthansa-group.com no later than 48 h before departure, 'to be checked and approved'. Restrictions apply to battery output, total weight and the size of the device.

Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Lithium-ion batteries
Conditional

Lithium-powered chairs are accepted only with prior clearance: "Transport approval required" — "A transportation permit from the airline is required for wheelchairs and mobility aids." Send the manufacturer's technical data sheet or manual plus the completed electric mobility aid form no later than 48 hours before departure "to be checked and approved". A wheelchair with permanently-installed/non-removable lithium batteries is limited to max 2 batteries of 160 Wh each (WCLB); removable batteries (WCLX) travel in the cabin.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — battery stays in the chair
160 Wh

Battery that stays in the chair (WCLB, permanently installed by the manufacturer's design / non-removable): 'a limit of max. 2 batteries with max. 160 Wh each', and the battery 'must be protected from damage and secured by the design of the device'. Effective 1 October 2025; wheelchairs confirmed, or journeys started, before that date are still carried as booked.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — battery removed into the cabin
300 Wh

WCLX removable battery: 'Removeable batteries and spare batteries must be carried in the passenger cabin. For those the following limit is applicable: either max. 2 batteries up to 300 Wh each, incl. 1 spare battery — or max. 4 batteries up to 160 Wh each, incl. max. 2 spare batteries.' 300 Wh is the cap only in the two-battery configuration.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Watt-hour cap — spare battery
300 Wh

A spare travels in the cabin and counts inside the same allowance: 'max. 2 batteries up to 300 Wh each, incl. 1 spare battery' or 'max. 4 batteries up to 160 Wh each, incl. max. 2 spare batteries'. One spare may therefore be up to 300 Wh; if you carry two spares, each is capped at 160 Wh.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Spare batteries permittedmaximum number under any published configuration
2

Maximum two, at the lower rating: 'max. 2 batteries up to 300 Wh each, incl. 1 spare battery' or 'max. 4 batteries up to 160 Wh each, incl. max. 2 spare batteries'. For non-spillable chairs the limit is 'Max. 1 spare wet, non-spillable battery or 2 spare nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) or dry cell batteries', and those spares go in checked baggage.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Battery must be removed
Conditional

Depends on the battery. If it is removable (WCLX), 'Removeable batteries and spare batteries must be carried in the passenger cabin.' If it is permanently installed (WCLB) it stays in the chair, capped at 2 x 160 Wh. For non-spillable/dry cells (WCBD) a removed battery and its spares are accepted 'in checked baggage only'.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Non-spillable batteriesgel, AGM, sealed lead-acid, dry cell
Conditional

WCBD: 'Non-spillable or dry cell battery, e.g. gel, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, sealed-lead-acid battery.' Max 1 spare non-spillable wet battery, or 2 spare NiMH or dry cell batteries, with 'Acceptance of removed battery and spare battery/batteries in checked baggage only'. Carriage still needs clearance: "A transportation permit from the airline is required for wheelchairs and mobility aids", the form and datasheet reaching Discover no later than 48 hours before departure.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Wet / spillable batteries
Conditional

WCBW spillable wet cell: 'Only accepted as checked baggage provided the device can always be loaded, stowed, secured and unloaded in an upright position.' The US page adds that Discover 'accepts both leak-proof and non-leak-proof batteries for battery-powered mobility devices', that batteries must be clearly labelled 'LEAK-PROOF' or 'NOT LEAK-PROOF', and that batteries showing signs of damage or leakage may be refused.

Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Terminal protection & immobilisation
Yes

No wheelchair-specific disconnection wording is published, but the rule Discover states for loose and spare batteries — where a removed chair battery ends up — is: 'For all batteries, the connections must be individually isolated to avoid short circuits ... original packaging, covering exposed terminals with adhesive tape or packing each battery in a separate plastic or protective bag.' A permanently installed battery 'must be protected from damage and secured by the design of the device'.

Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Paperwork the airline wants
Yes

'Please send us ... the required details (manufacturer's technical data sheet or manual) for your wheelchair or mobility assistance and send the completed form ... to be checked and approved.' The form asks for manufacturer, model, weight in kg, folded length/width/height, battery type, Wh rating, whether the battery is removable and how many spares. Keep the completed form with you, printed or digital, for the whole journey.

Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Size limit for a powered chairCargo-hold door opening — not a stated chair limit
95 cm wide · 63 cm high

Door apertures, not a stated maximum chair size. Smallest published opening is the A330-200/-300 bulk door, 63 cm / 24.8 in high by 95 cm / 37.4 in wide. Full table: A320 cargo door 120 x 182 cm (47.2 x 71.7 in), bulk door 70 x 95 cm (27.6 x 37.4 in); A330-200 and A330-300 cargo door 166 x 272 cm (65.4 x 107.1 in), bulk door 63 x 95 cm (24.8 x 37.4 in).

Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Weight limit for a powered chair
Not published

Not published. Discover says only that 'due to reasons of safety and loading in the airplane, there are restrictions regarding ... the total weight and the size of the wheelchair or the mobility aid', and asks for the weight on the form, without printing a limit.

Returned at the aircraft door
Not published

Not published — Discover does not say where a powered chair is returned. It says only that if you cannot register the device in advance, 'our airport staff will be happy to assist you with its safe stowage on the aircraft.'

Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Battery-powered personal transport devices — hoverboards, e-bikes, pedelecs, e-scooters, electric mono wheels, electric baggage rollers, dive scooters, Segways, electric strollers, e-skis and e-snowboards — are prohibited outright, 'regardless of their power capacity and whether the batteries are permanently installed or removable'. Wheelchairs and mobility aids are handled separately, via the transport-permit route. If your mobility aid cannot be loaded and you have to take a more expensive Discover flight the same day between the same airports, Discover refunds the fare difference through its contact form on production of the device's dimensions and both ticket prices.

Manual wheelchairs

Manual chairs accepted
Yes

The online assistance form lets you declare a 'Manually-propelled wheelchair', 'Foldable wheelchair' or 'Non-foldable wheelchair'. 'Destination airports and Discover Airlines will provide assistance to passengers with wheelchair needs with boarding and disembarking, both on the non-gate position and on board.'

Register assistance requirements online — assistance request form (wheelchair type, oxygen, US bulkhead seat request) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Folding chair may travel in the cabin
Not published

Not published — Discover asks whether the chair and its backrest fold, but publishes no rule on whether a folding manual chair may be stowed in the cabin.

In-cabin stowage limit
Not published

Not published — Discover gives no in-cabin wheelchair stowage dimensions.

Size limit for a checked manual chair
Not published

Not published as a maximum chair size. The only dimensions Discover publishes are cargo- and bulk-door apertures — recorded under electric.max_dimensions and aircraft_hold_note with basis 'hold_door'.

Weight limit for a manual chair
Not published

Not published for wheelchairs. The mobility device form asks for the device's weight in kg and the dangerous-goods page says restrictions exist on 'the total weight', but no figure is given. The conditions of carriage cap a single item of ordinary baggage at 32 kg, which Discover does not state applies to a mobility aid.

Returned at the aircraft door
Not published

Not published — Discover does not say whether a chair is returned at the aircraft door or on the arrivals belt. It warns only that 'parking positions directly at the gate cannot be guaranteed' and that boarding may be by stairs from a remote stand.

Register assistance requirements online — assistance request form (wheelchair type, oxygen, US bulkhead seat request) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Crutches, walking aids and other manual aids are not addressed separately; everything is routed through the WCHR/WCHS/WCHC assistance categories.

Booking & cost

Advance notice requiredhours before scheduled departure
72h

Strictest published deadline: for travel to and from the USA, 'Please phone us at least 72 hours before your flight on 1-800-645-3880 so we can discuss and plan your additional assistance requirements.' Elsewhere: register assistance 'at least 48 hours before departure', and send the electric mobility device form 'no later than 48 hours before departure'. Assistance is guaranteed only if it was registered 48 h ahead AND you reach the counter 60 min before departure.

Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible travel with Discover Airlines — notice deadlines, check-in 60 min, Medical Operation Center, EC 1107/2006 and US DOT Part 382 (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

How to request assistance
Register online with the assistance form or phone the Service Center +49 69 86798200; for a powered chair also e-mail the 'Information on Electric Mobility Aids' form to mobilitydevices.discover-airlines@lufthansa-group.com

'Please notify us of any assistance required before your flight, either by telephone via the Discover Airlines Service Center at +49 (0) 69 86 798 200 ... from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., or online.' For a battery-powered chair: book the flight first, then submit the form — 'We will check whether it is possible to transport your power wheelchair based on the information you provide.' US travellers should call 1-800-645-3880 at least 72 h ahead.

Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Charge for carrying the aid
Not published

Not published as such. Discover says it 'offers passengers with limited mobility or sensory impairments a range of complimentary assistance services at the airport and on board', but nowhere states whether carrying your own wheelchair or mobility aid is free of charge or outside the checked-baggage allowance; mobility aids do not appear on the baggage or special-baggage pages at all.

Accessible travel with Discover Airlines — notice deadlines, check-in 60 min, Medical Operation Center, EC 1107/2006 and US DOT Part 382 (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Baggage — free baggage allowance by fare and cabin (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Mobility devices carried free
Not published

Not published — Discover does not state how many mobility devices it will carry per passenger.

If they damage your chair
SDR 1,519 (approx. EUR 1,800) per passenger for destruction, loss or damage of checked baggage under the Montreal Convention; higher only with a declared interest and surcharge at check-in

Conditions of carriage art. 13.3.2. No mobility-aid-specific liability rule and no US ACAA full-value statement appear on Discover's site. It does publish two remedies: compensation for a damaged or delayed mobility aid via the contact form, and a refund of the fare difference if your device cannot be loaded and you rebook onto a costlier Discover flight the same day between the same airports. Damage must be notified within 7 days of receiving the baggage.

General terms and conditions of carriage — art. 8 baggage, art. 13 liability (SDR 1,519 baggage limit) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible travel with Discover Airlines — notice deadlines, check-in 60 min, Medical Operation Center, EC 1107/2006 and US DOT Part 382 (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

On board

On-board aisle chair
Not published

Not published — Discover says it assists 'with boarding and disembarking, both on the non-gate position and on board', but never mentions an on-board aisle chair on its A320 or A330 aircraft.

Accessible lavatory
Not published

Not published — Discover makes no statement about accessible lavatories on any aircraft type.

Crew help you transfer
Yes

WCHC is bookable: 'Wheelchair assistance to/from the airplane seat (WCHC) - If you are unable to walk', described in the online form as assistance 'from the moment I arrive at the airport until the end of my flight, including leaving the airport or reaching my connecting flight'.

Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29  Register assistance requirements online — assistance request form (wheelchair type, oxygen, US bulkhead seat request) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Seating & movable armrests
Bulkhead seat can be requested up to 48 hours before departure on flights to/from the USA for a braced leg or an assistance dog

'Seat request for flights to/from the USA: Passengers who have a braced leg and/or are traveling with an assistance dog can request a seat in front of the partition (bulk head) up to 48 hours before departure.' No movable-armrest or general accessible-seating policy is published.

Register assistance requirements online — assistance request form (wheelchair type, oxygen, US bulkhead seat request) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29

Fleet detail. Discover publishes a per-aircraft door table on its US accessible-travel page: A320 cargo door 120 x 182 cm (47.2 x 71.7 in) and bulk door 70 x 95 cm (27.6 x 37.4 in); A330-200 and A330-300 cargo door 166 x 272 cm (65.4 x 107.1 in) and bulk door 63 x 95 cm (24.8 x 37.4 in). These are openings, not stated maximum chair sizes — 'We will do our best to accommodate your mobility device. To ensure it fits through the cargo door, please refer to the door dimensions of our aircraft.' The smallest aperture in the fleet is the 63 cm high A330 bulk door.

Worth knowing

Discover Airlines is a wholly owned Lufthansa Group leisure carrier and routes medical and special-services work through Lufthansa Group desks, but every fact here comes from a discover-airlines.com page or PDF, not from lufthansa.com. THE BATTERY RULES ARE NOT ON THE ACCESSIBILITY PAGE: the wheelchair page publishes only the 2 x 160 Wh non-removable limit; the full matrix (removable 2 x 300 Wh incl. 1 spare or 4 x 160 Wh incl. 2 spares; non-spillable spares in checked baggage only; spillable wet only if the device stays upright) exists solely in the 'Information on Electric Mobility Aids' PDF. TO RE-CHECK: (1) the Medical Desk hours are printed as 09:00-17:00 CET on the accessible-travel and dangerous-goods pages but as 09:00-17:00 EST on the US page — a six-hour discrepancy; (2) Discover nowhere states that carrying a wheelchair is free or outside the baggage allowance, unusual for an EU carrier bound by EC 1107/2006, which its own page says it complies with; (3) no maximum device weight or size is published, only door apertures, and the binding 63 cm A330 bulk-door height would stop most power chairs — confirm which hold your chair would actually be loaded into; (4) no on-board aisle chair is mentioned anywhere, including for the A330 long-haul fleet; (5) the 1 October 2025 tightening to 2 x 160 Wh for non-removable batteries grandfathers bookings confirmed before that date.

Sources

Every figure above traces to one of these.

  1. s1 Passengers requiring wheelchairs — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC, 48 h notice, battery-powered wheelchair booking (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  2. s2 Accessible travel with Discover Airlines — notice deadlines, check-in 60 min, Medical Operation Center, EC 1107/2006 and US DOT Part 382 (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  3. s3 Accessible travel to and from the US — 72 h notice, TRS relay, cargo/bulk door dimensions per aircraft, CRO, 14 CFR Part 382 complaints (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  4. s4 Dangerous goods — Electronic devices and batteries: wheelchairs and mobility aids, transport approval, 160 Wh non-removable limit (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  5. s5 Electric mobility device information form (PDF) — WCLX/WCLB/WCBD/WCBW battery matrix, weight and folded dimensions, toll-free number (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  6. s6 Register assistance requirements online — assistance request form (wheelchair type, oxygen, US bulkhead seat request) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  7. s7 Customer Service & Contact — Service Center phone, WhatsApp, contact form (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  8. s8 General terms and conditions of carriage — art. 8 baggage, art. 13 liability (SDR 1,519 baggage limit) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  9. s9 Discover Airlines in the USA — Disability Bill of Rights, Customer Service Plan, accessible travel hub (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
  10. s10 Baggage — free baggage allowance by fare and cabin (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29

Record quality

Record status researched · confidence high · 10 official sources · 12 contacts · 71% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.