Wheelchairs and mobility devices
Delta's own guidance, in plain English. Confirm current details at delta.com.
Airport wheelchair assistance and checking your own wheelchair, scooter, walker or cane are free and don't count against your checked-baggage allowance. Request assistance about 48 hours ahead for the smoothest service, though airport help can often be arranged the same day.
On larger aircraft, one collapsible manual wheelchair can be stowed in the cabin on a first-come basis, with priority over other passengers' carry-ons. If it can't be stowed inside, it's checked and returned to you — ask for it at the aircraft door rather than baggage claim.
An electric wheelchair or scooter travels in the cargo hold. Delta asks that you check in at the ticket counter about an hour earlier than usual so the crew can prepare the chair and safely handle its battery for loading.
Aisle chairs are available to help you board and deplane, and on larger aircraft an onboard wheelchair helps you reach the lavatory. Staff assist with getting on and off the aircraft; a personal-care attendant may be needed for in-flight personal needs like eating or the restroom.
Oxygen and medical devices — the strict part
This is where advance notice is non-negotiable. Get it wrong and the device doesn't fly.
You may bring and use an approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC), but Delta requires 48 hours' advance notice and a medical certificate authorizing its use (or confirming your condition won't need extraordinary medical assistance in flight). Bring enough charged batteries for your whole journey, including connections and ground time.
The FAA prohibits personal compressed or liquid oxygen tanks on board — this isn't a Delta preference, it's federal. If you rely on tank oxygen today, a POC is the path, and it's worth sorting out well ahead of travel.
Assistive medical devices like a CPAP are generally allowed and don't count as carry-on, but if you'll use a battery-powered device in flight, the same advance-notice and battery-planning logic applies. Tell Delta — or us — the specific device early.
Medical accommodations such as POC use can also be arranged by calling Delta Reservations at 800-221-1212. We can handle the whole setup and confirm the paperwork window with you.
Why a call beats clicking a box
Accessibility requests are where the details decide whether the day goes smoothly.
A wheelchair request added online is easy to lose in a busy airport; a POC without its certificate submitted in time simply won't be cleared. We put the request on the reservation, confirm the 48-hour deadlines for oxygen and battery devices, note that your own chair should come back at the aircraft door, and make sure a tight connection — say through Atlanta or Detroit — leaves enough time for an aisle-chair transfer. If your trip runs to Latin America, we'll also flag that assistance and equipment handling can vary at the destination airport.
Tell us the equipment and your route, and we'll build the assistance around it so you're not renegotiating it at the counter.
Start the oxygen paperwork the day you book. The single most common accessibility failure is a portable oxygen concentrator that shows up without the 48-hour notice and the medical certificate. Everything else can flex; that one can't. Tell us the device up front and we'll get the certificate window and notice locked in.
Frequently asked
Does Delta charge for wheelchair assistance?+
Can I bring my own oxygen on Delta?+
How does my powered wheelchair get on the plane?+
Can I keep my wheelchair with me on board?+
Contact options
Reach Delta directly, or let us arrange your assistance.
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