To ensure the comfort of all its passengers, American Airlines accepts a variety of assistive devices for travel in the cabin, such as walkers, crutches, canes, braces as well as some types of ventilators and respirators. Please contact Reservations prior to your flight to provide a description of your device and get approval for transportation
All approved assistive devices within the allowed size for carry-on baggage will be carried on free of charge
Although it is safe to use battery-operated devices during the flight, most will need to be switched off upon take-off and landing. Please check with Reservations if you are relying on an assistive device that must be switched on at all times
Please note that seat power ports cannot be used for assistive devices
American Airlines can provide therapeutic oxygen onboard to passengers who suffer from breathing difficulties. If you need to request oxygen, contact Reservations at least 72 hours before departure for your international flight or 48 hours for your U.S. domestic flight
For safety reasons, it is not possible to bring your own oxygen onboard. Oxygen units can be purchased for a charge of $100 per flight at adjustable flow rates of 0.5 - 6 LPM. A medical certificate will be required to either verify the flow rate or to clarify if you can travel without oxygen. It is also possible to carry empty oxygen tanks onboard. Please contact Reservations for more information
Therapeutic oxygen is not provided on American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights within North America. Contact Reservations for more information.
Portable oxygen concentrators (POC) approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) are accepted on American Airlines and American Eagle/American Connection flights upon presentation of a medical certificate. Contact Reservations for more information
Whether you need wheelchair assistance at the airport or wish to bring your own manual or battery-operated wheelchair with you, our dedicated staff will do the utmost to make your journey as comfortable as possible. To ensure that all necessary arrangements are made for you, please contact Reservations at least 72 hours prior to departure for your international flight or 24 hours for your U.S. domestic flight.
Wheelchair assistance can be requested at the airport. It can only be provided at check-in through security and up to the boarding gate
Wheelchair users will receive priority boarding. Just ask an American Airlines agent at the gate
Wheelchair assistance will also be provided for connections between American Airlines flights or from an American Airlines flight to another airline. Please ask at check-in for assistance to be arranged at your connection
Please note that we do not provide electric carts. Airport buggies are available in some airports for transportation to the gate. Please ask at check-in for availability
Please note that our staff cannot stay with the passenger at all times or guarantee supervision at all points of the journey
Passengers Travelling With Their Own Wheelchair
American Airlines welcomes customers that wish to travel with their own manual or battery-operated wheelchair. Both types of wheelchairs can be checked in as baggage in the main terminal at no additional cost
Manual wheelchair users also have the option to check their wheelchair at the departure gate. Your wheelchair will then wait for you at the aircraft door on arrival. When storage space is available, folding wheelchairs can be stowed in the cabin on some type of aircraft. Contact Reservations for more information
In most airports, battery-operated wheelchairs must be checked in the main terminal. To ensure that all necessary arrangements are made on your day of travel, please contact Reservations to provide a description of your wheelchair at least 72 hours prior to departure for your international flight or 24 hours for your U.S. domestic flight
If you check your wheelchair in the main terminal, our staff will provide a wheelchair to escort you from check-in through security and to the gate
Wheelchair users will receive priority boarding. Just ask an American Airlines agent at the gate
Wheelchair assistance will also be provided for connections between American Airlines flights or from an American Airlines flight to another airline. Please ask at check-in for assistance to be arranged at your connection
If you need to be carried or lifted to your seat or need assistance to deplane the aircraft on arrival, please contact Reservations that will arrange assistance for you at least 72 hours prior to departure for your international flight or 24 hours for your U.S. domestic flight
Please note that our staff cannot stay with the passenger at all times or guarantee supervision at all points of the journey
In-Flight Wheelchairs And Facilities
In-flight wheelchairs are available on all American Airlines jet aircraft, including all transatlantic flights from Europe and India. Our flight attendants will be happy to assist you if you need to use an in-flight wheelchair to go to the toilets during your flight
All of our transatlantic flights are equipped with handicap toilets. Please note that our flight attendants can only assist to push the in-flight wheelchair to and from the lavatory door. Passengers must be able to lift themselves in and out of the wheelchair and use the toilets on their own, or travel with a personal care attendant to provide assistance
Visually or hearing impaired customers can be escorted from check-in through security to the gate or an American Airlines Transfer desk where they may wait on their own. Wheelchair assistance can also be requested. Please contact Reservations to arrange assistance at the airport
Guide and assistance animals are welcome to travel in the cabin on most international and U.S. domestic flights – learn more
Please note that our staff cannot stay with the passenger at all times or guarantee supervision at all points of the journey
Visually AND Hearing Impaired Passengers
Passengers that are both visually and hearing impaired can travel unaccompanied on any flight providing they can read Braille or communicate with the flight crew. Please contact Reservations to arrange assistance at the airport
Passengers unable to read Braille or to communicate with crew members will need to be accompanied with a guardian travelling on their own ticket
American Airlines will provide escort from the check-in area through security and to the gate. Wheelchair assistance can also be requested
Guide and assistance animals are welcome to travel in the cabin on most international and U.S. domestic flights – learn more
Passengers will be escorted airside through security to the gate or an American Airlines Transfer desk where they may wait on their own. Please note that our staff cannot stay with the passenger at all times or guarantee supervision at all points of the journey
American Airlines welcomes guide and assistance animals in the cabin on most international and U.S. domestic flights. All trained guide and assistance animals travelling with a passenger with a disability can travel free of charge. You must contact Reservations at least 72 hours prior to departure for your international flight or 48 hours for your U.S. domestic flight
An identification card or any other written documentation to confirm that the animal is a guide and assistance animal must be presented at check-in. Alternatively, the presence of harnesses or markings on harnesses, tags or the credible verbal assurances of the owner will be considered as sufficient proof that the animal is a guide and assistance animal
All guide and assistance animals must be clean, well behaved, remain with the owner at all times, and cannot exhibit disruptive behaviour or pose a threat to the other passengers or other animals
Guide and assistance animals are accepted on connecting flights. If you are connecting between an American Airlines flight and another airline, you must contact the other airline to check their policies regarding the transportation of guide and assistance animals. Escort can be provided from the arrival gate to the other airline transfer desk or gate at the connecting point
Guide And Assistance Animals For Emotional Support
American Airlines also accepts animals assisting passengers with a mental or emotional disability for travel in the cabin at no additional cost
If you need to travel with an animal for emotional support, you will be required to forward a letter from a licensed mental health professional to our Special Assistance Team. Please contact Reservations for more information. A copy of the letter will need to be presented at check-in
Please note that therapy animals, used to provide comfort to patients in hospitals, nursing homes or other facilities are not considered guide and assistance animals. The regular pet policy and charges apply.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Please note that the transportation of guide and assistance animals from / to and through some countries is subject to the additional regulations listed below:
Switzerland
Please contact Reservations at least 72 hours prior to departure to enquire about the transportation of guide and assistance animals from / to Switzerland.
Travel From / To And Through The European Union*
All guide and assistance animals travelling from / to and through the European Union must have a number tattooed or chip implanted by a veterinarian that matches the number on the animal's vaccination card
Animals without a tattoo or chip will not be allowed to enter the European Union and will be sent back to the United States or could be quarantined or possibly destroyed
Travel from / to Ireland: guide and assistance animals are allowed in the cabin on American Airlines flights from and to Ireland. Approval from the Irish Department Of Agriculture must be obtained
* European Union (E.U.) countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom
Guide and assistance animals are allowed in the cabin on American Airlines flights from and to the U.K., providing the guidelines outlined below are followed
You will also need to contact the Animal Reception Centre of your arrival U.K. airport (London Heathrow or Manchester) at least one week prior to departure to obtain a pre-approval letter
Copies of your animal’s health documentation and of the pre-approval letter must be presented at check-in
Hawaii Quarantine
Guide and assistance animals travelling to Hawaii must connect through Honolulu as their first point of entry
Quarantine may also apply - please contact Reservations for more information
Passengers With Cognitive And Developmental Disabilities
Passengers with intellectual or developmental disabilities that are able to complete all phases of their flight alone are welcome to travel unaccompanied on American Airlines flights. The passenger or relatives must contact Reservations to provide information about their condition and ensure that they will be able to request assistance at every stage of their journey
If needed, wheelchair assistance can be requested. Passengers will be escorted airside through security to the gate or an American Airlines Transfer desk where they may wait on their own. Please note that our staff cannot stay with the passenger at all times or guarantee supervision at all points of the journey
Our gate personnel will also be on call to provide assistance with boarding and deplaning the aircraft and to connect between flights. Please ask an agent
at check-in
For international flights, it is not possible for parents or guardians to accompany the passenger to the gate or meet them at the gate on arrival
This is allowed for U.S. domestic flights. At some airports, a boarding pass must be requested at check-in to gain entry into the gate area
A variety of special meals can be requested for customers with specific dietary requirements or medical conditions such as diabetes. These need to be pre-ordered at least 24 hours prior to your flight. Please contact Reservations
Please note that we cannot remove nor add specific ingredients from our on-board meals
You can bring your own food onboard for U.S. domestic flights. For international flights, most food will be confiscated at security after check-in and cannot be brought onboard – contact Reservations for more information
Please note that food cannot be heated or chilled onboard the aircraft
Peanut And Other Nut Allergy
If you are suffering from nut allergies, please ensure you discuss peanut exposure with your doctor prior to accepting in-flight products served onboard
Although American Airlines do not serve peanuts onboard, we cannot guarantee that your flight will be peanut-free as mixed nuts and other nuts products are available, and some meals and snacks may contain peanut ingredients, such as peanut oil. Additionally, other customers may bring peanuts on board
