All airlines Europe
French Bee
Powered chairs need the airline’s prior approval · carried free · 72 h notice · 300 Wh installed-battery cap.
- Advance notice
- 72hours before departure
- Powered wheelchair
- Conditional
- Lithium, battery installed
- 300watt-hours maximum
- Cost to carry
- Free
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhoneUSA — call centre and Complaint Resolution Officer (CRO); in the menu select "Direct Customer" then "CRO"Published hours disagree: the Contact page says Mon-Sat 07:00-01:00 and Sun 14:00-01:00 Miami time; the Passenger assistance page says Mon-Sat 07:00-22:00 CST; the Passenger Assistance Guidebook says Mon-Sat 08:00-17:00 San Francisco time
- PhoneFrance, Europe and Reunion Island — call centre (€0.20/min)Mon-Sun 08:00-20:00 Paris time on the Contact page; the Passenger assistance page says Mon-Sun 07:00-20:00 Paris time
- PhoneFrench Polynesia — call centre (local call)Mon-Sat 08:00-17:00 Tahiti time
- PhoneCanada — call centre (toll free from Canada)Mon-Sat 07:00-01:00, Sun 14:00-01:00 local time
- EmailMedical clearance department — send the completed INCAD form here at least 48 h before departure (the only "special transport" address the airline prints; the lithium mobility-aid guidance requires approval via the "transports spéciaux" service but gives no address of its own)
- EmailCustomer support — questions and compliments, reply within 24 h
- EmailWebsite accessibility feedback (digital accessibility of frenchbee.com, not travel assistance) — reply within 72 h
- Online form
- Relay / textThe Contact page offers a "Contact us on WhatsApp" link but prints no number. No TTY, text relay or video relay service is published anywhere on the site.WhatsApp
French bee flies to the USA (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami) and publishes a Complaint Resolution Officer, reachable only through the US toll-free call centre — there is no separate CRO number, e-mail or web page. The three published sets of opening hours for that one number contradict each other.
Read it from the source
- Passenger assistance — the main accessibility page (opens in a new tab)
- Guidance: mobility aid devices powered by lithium batteries (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Passenger Assistance Guidebook (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8(b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (opens in a new tab)
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.
Electric wheelchairs are carried, but only after the carrier's prior agreement (General terms Art. 8(b)) and only with an accepted battery type. The guidebook warns: "some battery types are not allowed on board of our flights. To make sure yours will be allowed onboard, please contact our Call Center." The lithium guidance adds that airline approval is required via the "transports spéciaux" service.
General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
The mobility-aid guidance accepts lithium-ion mobility aids: a removed lithium-ion battery of max. 300 Wh travels in the cabin in strong rigid outer packaging, with a NOTOC to the pilot in command; airline approval via "transports spéciaux" is required. WARNING: the General terms of carriage flatly contradict this — "For motorized wheelchairs, only those with dry cell batteries can be transported on board the Carrier's aircrafts". Confirm in writing before travelling.
GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Wheelchairs powered by batteries over 300 Wh are NOT accepted on board French blue Aircrafts" (the guidance still uses the airline's former name, French blue). The 300 Wh figure is printed against the removed-battery row of the table, but this sentence is unqualified and applies to the wheelchair however the battery travels, so 300 Wh is the safe reading for a battery left installed too.
Table row "Not contained in equipment (Lithium ion) Max. 300Wh": terminals insulated, strong rigid outer packaging, carried in the cabin, protected against falls, NOTOC to the pilot in command.
Not published for a wheelchair spare. The only Wh figures on the airline's lithium sheet for loose batteries are the general portable-electronics rules (spares under 100 Wh: 5 permitted in carry-on; 100-160 Wh: 2 permitted in carry-on; over 160 Wh forbidden; never in checked baggage). The airline does not say that a spare wheelchair battery is treated under those rules.
Not published for a wheelchair. The sheet's "5 spare batteries/cells per passenger, of which at most 2 between 100 and 160 Wh" is the general portable-electronics-device allowance and is not stated to apply to a mobility aid.
Removal is not required: the guidance table's first row is "Contained in equipment" — the battery stays in the chair, terminals insulated, battery securely attached, device carried in the cargo hold, position protected against falls, NOTOC required for lithium. Ground staff will "unplug the battery by using the main switch". Removal is the alternative route, and a removed lithium-ion battery (max 300 Wh) then travels in the cabin.
GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Gel / non-spillable batteries are covered by the same guidance and the same "airline approval required via 'transports spéciaux' service" condition. If left in the chair the device goes in the cargo hold; if removed it must be in strong rigid outer packaging and also travels in the hold. The general terms say motorised chairs with dry cell batteries can be transported.
GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
The lithium guidance covers "mobility aid devices powered by spillable (wet-cell) and non-spillable (gel) batteries (with acid)" and states "Airline approval required via 'transports spéciaux' service". A battery left in the chair travels in the hold with terminals insulated and the battery securely attached; a removed one needs strong rigid outer packaging. The general terms are stricter and say only dry-cell chairs are carried, "as well as hydraulic battery powered wheelchairs under certain conditions" — get written confirmation.
GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Every row of the acceptance table requires "Terminals are insulated to prevent short circuits". A battery left installed must also be securely attached to the device and positioned to prevent falls; a removed battery (gel or lithium-ion) must be in strong rigid outer packaging. Ground staff disconnect the battery at the main switch.
GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No battery spec sheet, MSDS or manufacturer label is demanded of the passenger in writing. The general terms do require the passenger to tell the carrier the type of wheelchair and battery at least 72 h before departure, and the airline files a NOTOC with the pilot in command itself.
No maximum dimensions published; the airline states that size restrictions on a passenger's own wheelchair are non-applicable.
"Restrictions regarding the weight or size of your wheelchair are non-applicable" — stated for regular and electric wheelchairs alike.
Not published. Only priority delivery of the wheelchair on arrival is mentioned, with no statement about where it is returned.
Two French bee documents disagree about lithium-ion power chairs. The mobility-aid lithium guidance (linked from both the Passenger assistance page and the Prohibited items page) accepts them up to 300 Wh; the General terms of sale and carriage say "only those with dry cell batteries can be transported". The guidance PDF also still calls the airline "French blue", its pre-2018 name. Anyone flying a lithium power chair should get the acceptance confirmed in writing by the call centre or the "transports spéciaux" service before departure.
Manual wheelchairs
Carried free as checked baggage, but General terms Art. 8(b) makes the carriage of a passenger with reduced mobility "subject to the prior agreement of the Carrier", with a "limited number of wheelchairs per flight", and the carrier may require a travel companion (compulsory for passengers whose disability prevents them from participating in their own evacuation; paraplegic, paralysed and upper-limb-absent passengers may travel unaccompanied).
General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Wheelchairs can only be held as checked luggage, we do not have the possibility to transport your wheelchair in the cabin." Canes, crutches and walkers are separately allowed in the cabin as medical equipment, stored in designated priority stowage, overhead bins or under the seat.
No in-cabin stowage dimensions, because no wheelchair may travel in the cabin at all — French bee says it has no possibility to transport a wheelchair in the cabin.
No maximum dimensions: "Restrictions regarding the weight or size of your wheelchair are non-applicable." No hold-door or hold-compartment figure is published either.
"Restrictions regarding the weight or size of your wheelchair are non-applicable." French bee states explicitly that no weight cap applies to a passenger's own wheelchair — this is not the same as the general 23 kg / 32 kg checked-baggage limits, which apply to ordinary bags.
Not published. The guidebook says only that on arrival "your baggage and wheelchair (if this has been placed in the hold), as well as any personal mobility device, will be delivered with priority, if necessary" — it does not say the chair is returned at the aircraft door or jet bridge.
Ground staff prepare a checked wheelchair by removing all loose parts, lowering the seat back, unplugging the battery at the main switch and folding a manual chair; passengers with their own preparation requirements are told to brief the staff. Guide dogs and their cages accompanying passengers with reduced mobility are carried free of charge in addition to the free baggage allowance (General terms Art. 10(g)).
Booking & cost
General terms of carriage Art. 8(b): the passenger "must inform the Carrier of his or her situation at the Reservation or at the latest seventy-two (72) hours before departure and provide information on the type of wheelchair and battery used, due to operational restrictions (limited number of wheelchairs per flight)". The Passenger assistance page separately says assistance requests must be submitted "at least 48 hours prior (with the required documentation)"; groups of 10+ needing wheelchair assistance and oxygen (INCAD) requests are also 48 h. 72 h is the strictest.
General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger assistance — how to book assistance, 48 h deadline, call-centre numbers, CRO, "Wheelchairs and other electric mobility aids: please see the document here" (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Choose "Special Assistance" for a wheelchair from check-in to the boarding area, or "Special Attention" if you are hearing or visually impaired. The same services can be added to an existing booking through Manage my booking or through the call centre; airport ticketing counters at Paris Orly and Reunion can also add them. For any other type of assistance, or to reach a CRO, call +1 833 376 7158.
Passenger assistance — how to book assistance, 48 h deadline, call-centre numbers, CRO, "Wheelchairs and other electric mobility aids: please see the document here" (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"If you are traveling with your own wheelchair, you can take it along on your French bee flight, free of charge." The general terms add that a passenger with reduced mobility in possession of their own wheelchair "will be able to transport it free of charge as Checked Baggage". Canes, crutches and walkers are treated as medical equipment and carried free.
Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published per passenger. The general terms mention a "limited number of wheelchairs per flight" as an operational restriction, but give no figure and do not state how many devices one passenger may bring.
General terms Art. XVII: "the Carrier's liability in the event of Damage shall be limited to 1 519 SDR per Passenger" for checked baggage (and the same figure for unchecked baggage where the carrier's fault is proved, and for delay in delivery of checked baggage). A Special Declaration of Interest may be made before the check-in deadline for a surcharge. Mobility aids are not singled out, and no US ACAA full-value undertaking is published even though French bee serves the USA and has a CRO.
On board
"For your convenience, all our aircrafts are equipped with an aisle wheelchair enabling you to move about easily during the flight. They are designed to circulate in aircraft aisles and access the restrooms during the flight. Our crew on board will guide you through the aisles or to the restrooms."
Not published as such. The guidebook says the on-board aisle chair is designed to reach the restrooms, but no accessible-lavatory specification is given and "for safety and security reasons, our crew members are not allowed to assist you in the restrooms".
Assistance code WCHC is defined as "assistance from check-in to your cabin seat" — i.e. the passenger is taken all the way to the seat. WCHS is assistance to the aircraft door and WCHR to the boarding area. Crew guide passengers to the aisle chair in flight but may not assist inside the lavatory.
Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Passenger assistance — how to book assistance, 48 h deadline, call-centre numbers, CRO, "Wheelchairs and other electric mobility aids: please see the document here" (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. No movable-armrest, bulkhead or accessible-seat policy appears on the site. The general terms only state that the carrier may require a travel companion, who must be over 18, fully autonomous and may accompany only one passenger with reduced mobility.
Fleet detail. Every French bee aircraft carries an on-board aisle wheelchair. No hold-door aperture or hold-compartment dimension is published; the airline instead states that weight and size restrictions on a passenger's own wheelchair are "non-applicable", while limiting the number of wheelchairs per flight.
Worth knowing
Three things a human should re-check. (1) The lithium mobility-aid guidance PDF and the General terms of carriage contradict each other: the PDF accepts lithium-ion mobility aids up to 300 Wh (removed battery carried in the cabin), the terms say "only those with dry cell batteries can be transported on board". (2) That PDF was uploaded in January 2020 and still says "French blue Aircrafts" — the airline's former name — yet it is the document linked from both the current Passenger assistance page and the current Prohibited items page. (3) The single US call-centre number is published with three different sets of opening hours across three French bee pages. Also note the advance-notice split: 72 h in the conditions of carriage for a wheelchair user, 48 h on the assistance page for an assistance request. The airline explicitly says it cannot carry stretchers, cannot take a wheelchair in the cabin, and that no weight or size limit applies to a passenger's own wheelchair.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 Passenger assistance — how to book assistance, 48 h deadline, call-centre numbers, CRO, "Wheelchairs and other electric mobility aids: please see the document here" (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 GUIDANCE: MOBILITY AID DEVICES POWERED BY LITHIUM BATTERIES / Lithium batteries transport conditions (PDF, 2 pp.) — acceptance table and the 300 Wh cut-off (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 Passenger Assistance Guidebook, English version V7 (PDF, 10 pp.) — WCHR/WCHS/WCHC checklist, travelling with your own wheelchair, aisle wheelchair, CRO (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s4 General terms of sale and carriage — Art. 8 (b) Passengers with Reduced Mobility (72 h notice, prior agreement, battery types, travel companion); Art. 5.4 Special Declaration of Interest; Art. XVII liability limits (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s5 Contact — call-centre numbers and opening hours for the USA, Canada and France/Europe; customer-support e-mail (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s6 Accessibility Statement — WCAG 2.2 AA partial conformance for frenchbee.com and the accessibility feedback address (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s7 Prohibited items — "Lithium batteries: conditions of acceptance please see the document here" (links the mobility-aid lithium guidance) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s8 Baggage — checked-baggage size and weight limits and the separate rules for battery-powered sports equipment (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence high · 8 official sources · 9 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.