Related Airlines
United Airlines Wheelchair Policy and Special Assistance Guide
United Airlines Wheelchairs - Wheelchairs and Assistance at the Airport
United Airlines has wheelchairs available for customers with disabilities to use at each of their airports. It's best to request a wheelchair in advance of the day of travel through your travel agent or the United Customer Contact Center. Upon arrival at the airport, notify a United representative or skycap (if skycap service is available at that airport) that you need a wheelchair for transportation to your departure gate. The usual width of these wheelchairs is 18 inches (45.7 cm). For your convenience, the following airports have assistance centers in their lobbies, which are located near: [AMZ asins='B07YNFD9LJ,B01L28ANI2,B074MW1MTW,B00RKJUPS6']
DEN – Terminal West, Level 6, between Doors 614-616
EWR – Terminal C, Level 2, Door 4
IAD – Main Terminal, Door 4B
LAX – Terminal 7, Door L2-10
ORD – Terminal 1, Door 1G
SFO – Terminal 3, Door 11
Accessible boarding
Some domestic and international airports may not have jet bridges available. In these stations, a passenger assist lift, mechanical lift, ramp or a stair chair physically carried by airline personnel (in international locations only) may be used for boarding and deplaning.
Wheelchairs On-Board the Aircraft
Onboard Wheelchairs
Every aircraft with more than 60 seats has an onboard wheelchair. These wheelchairs are specially designed to fit the aisle of our aircraft and may be used to access the lavatory. Our inflight personnel are trained in the use of this wheelchair and will assist you.
Aisle Wheelchairs
United Airlines offer aisle wheelchairs for transferring non-ambulatory customers to and from their seats on the aircraft.
Personal Wheelchairs On-Board the Aircraft
Customers who identify themselves for preboarding have priority to have their folding wheelchair stowed onboard upon request. All of United's aircraft have adequate space to accommodate at least one adult-sized wheelchair.
Your manual wheelchair can be checked for stowage in the cargo bin at either the ticket counter or gate. Please provide as much information about your wheelchair as possible to our employees so they can properly handle and load it. Detachable items such as seat cushions, removable sideguards and footrests can be carried in the cabin or tagged and stowed with the chair in the cargo bin.
Checking In Your Wheelchair on United Airlines
United Airlines accepts your wheelchair or other assistive device in addition to your checked baggage allowance at no additional charge. United Airlines accepts all types of wheelchairs and scooters, including folding, collapsible, non-folding, manual or powered. Excess, oversized and/or overweight baggage charges may apply for checking additional wheelchair(s) that are used for recreational purposes.
Advance notice of forty-eight (48) hours is required for powered wheelchairs and you must arrive an hour earlier than the published airport check-in processing time of your originating airport if you'll be traveling on an aircraft of 60 seats or less.
Your wheelchair can be checked at the ticket counter and/or gate. If you're traveling with a battery-powered wheelchair or other similar mobility device, you should arrive at the airport an hour before the published airport check-in processing time for your departure airport. This gives ample time to ensure proper handling of your equipment. For your convenience, the following airports have assistance centers in their lobbies, which are located near:
DEN – Terminal West, Level 6, between Doors 614-616
EWR – Terminal C, Level 2, Door 4
IAD – Main Terminal, Door 4B
LAX – Terminal 7, Door L2-10
ORD – Terminal 1, Door 1G
SFO – Terminal 3, Door 11
You may use an airport/United-provided wheelchair equipment after checking your personal wheelchair. Checking and returning your wheelchair at the gate can also be arranged. Please tell us in advance if you request use of your equipment at airports for connecting flights. In this case you will need to allow sufficient connection time to recheck your wheelchair, if required. Please note, we do our best, but damage does sometimes occur, particularly with heavier powered wheelchairs.
Helpful suggestion: Have written instructions for your device, which will help airport personnel as they load and unload it. You can design your own set of instructions or use our wheelchair information card. Fill out as much information as you can and attach the card to the device. Keep a copy for yourself and have it available in case the one on your device is lost.
Special Rules for Electric Wheelchairs and Batteries on United Airlines
Powered equipment will not be disassembled and the batteries will be left attached whenever the scooter and/or wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft bin door. If the size of the aircraft bin door prohibits this, airport personnel may ask you for instructions on how to disassemble your equipment. It is helpful to have the assembly/disassembly instructions with you, along with the type of battery used. We encourage you to take advantage of our wheelchair information card, which provides our staff with information about your device.
Batteries on powered equipment will remain attached whenever the scooter and/or wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft bin door. Batteries must be identified as spillable, non-spillable or lithium ion so the ground staff can establish proper dangerous goods handling. Dry cell and gel cell batteries are considered non-spillable and fewer handling requirements are necessary. It is helpful if you have this information ready and available for our employees. Battery packs showing cracks and/or damage will not be accepted for transportation.
Spillable batteries on United Airlines
Wet cell batteries are considered spillable, and special preparation must be made before being transported by air. The battery will be accepted for transportation if the following conditions are met:
The battery has no obvious defects upon visual inspection, which includes removal of the battery where necessary
The battery is disconnected, and terminals are insulated to prevent short circuits
The wheelchair or mobility aid can be loaded, stowed, secured and unloaded in an upright position
If the battery is removed, it must be carried in a strong, rigid battery box approved by United Airlines under the following conditions:
The packaging must be leak-tight and impervious to battery fluid. An inner liner may be used to satisfy this requirement if there is absorbent material placed inside of the liner and the liner has a leak-proof closure.
The battery must be protected against short circuits, secured upright in the packaging and be packaged with enough compatible absorbent material to completely absorb liquid contents in the event of rupture of the battery.
Non-spillable batteries on United Airlines
Dry cell and gel cell batteries are considered non-spillable, and fewer requirements are necessary for their air transportation. If your wheelchair or mobility aid is powered by a non-spillable battery and can be stowed upright in the cargo bin of the aircraft, the battery should not need to be removed providing the following:
There must be at least one effective means designed into the wheelchair or mobility aid to prevent accidental activation or possible short-circuiting
If no effective way of preventing accidental activation of the device can be determined, then the battery cables will be removed, and the battery terminals will be insulated to prevent short circuits.
The battery must be securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility aid and fully enclosed in a rigid housing that is properly marked
Lithium Ion Batteries on United Airlines
Lithium ion batteries are classified independently of other battery types. Lithium batteries may overheat and ignite in certain conditions and, once ignited, may be difficult to extinguish. Lithium batteries are considered a hazardous material for which the following restrictions apply:
There must be at least one effective means designed into the wheelchair or mobility aid to prevent accidental activation or possible short-circuiting.
If you have a collapsible mobility device, the battery must be removed and can’t exceed 300-watt hours. A maximum of one spare battery not exceeding 300-watt hours or two spares not exceeding 160-watt hours each must be carried on.
If you have a non-collapsible device, federal regulations allow for one large lithium ion battery to be transported installed in the device and one spare battery not exceeding 300-watt hours or two spares not exceeding 160-watt hours in carry-on bags. There is no watt-hour limit for the battery installed in the device.
The watt-hour rating is a measure by which lithium ion batteries are regulated. If you are unsure of the watt-hour rating of your lithium ion battery, contact the manufacturer of your device. Lithium ion batteries manufactured after January 1, 2009, are required to be marked with the watt-hour rating.
Spare or loose lithium batteries must be carried on. Spare batteries must be effectively protected against short-circuiting by:
Packing each battery or each battery-powered device in a fully enclosed inner packaging made of non-conductive material (such as a plastic bag)
Separating or packing batteries in a manner to prevent contact with other batteries, devices or conductive materials (e.g., metal) in the packaging
Ensuring that exposed terminals or connectors are protected with non-conductive caps, non-conductive tape or by other appropriate means
Lithium metal batteries (non-rechargeable) with more than two grams of lithium content are forbidden on commercial passenger aircraft
United Airlines Wheelchair Contact Info
United Airlines Accessibility Desk Phone Number: 1-800-228-2744
Comments / Discussion / Questions
Let us know your personal experience or ask any questions here in the comments section below. You will need to login using your Emote or Google account. Be sure to upvote any helpful comments for other travellers preparing for their trip :-)
[AMZ asins='B07YNFD9LJ,B01L28ANI2,B074MW1MTW,B00RKJUPS6']