Wheelchairs and mobility devices
United's own guidance, in plain English. Confirm current details at united.com.
A checked wheelchair or mobility device, manual, electric, scooter, walker, cane or crutches, travels free on United. It's handled separately from your checked-baggage allowance, so bringing your own equipment doesn't cost you a bag or a fee.
United provides airport wheelchairs to get you through the terminal and to the gate, plus an aisle chair to help you board and deplane if your own device is stowed. This is separate from the equipment itself, it's the physical assistance getting you from one point to the next.
Once you're in your seat, United provides an onboard wheelchair so you can reach the lavatory during the flight. It's a genuinely useful detail that some other airlines don't advertise, and worth knowing about before a long flight rather than discovering it, or not, once you're airborne.
This is a United / US-disability-rules provision that can change, confirm the current process at united.com or with the accessibility desk.
What sets United apart here
The one detail worth calling out on its own.
Airport wheelchairs and boarding help are close to standard across major US airlines, but an onboard wheelchair for lavatory access is a step further than some carriers publish. If a long flight, say a transcontinental route or a longer trip toward Latin America, has you worried about mobility mid-flight, that's a genuine, real answer, not a workaround. It doesn't replace the need for a companion if you can't transfer independently, but it's worth knowing it exists before you assume you'll have to manage without any help once you're seated.
Service animals
One category, defined narrowly, and different from an emotional-support animal.
United recognizes a service animal as a trained dog only. Up to two service dogs per passenger travel free. Age rules differ depending on where you're flying: a dog traveling domestically must be over 4 months old, while a dog entering the US internationally must be over 6 months old.
Your dog belongs in the floor space directly in front of your seat, not out in the aisle, and not spilling into a neighboring passenger's foot space. A small dog may sit on your lap instead if it's more comfortable there, but it still isn't permitted to occupy the aisle or another passenger's area.
Emotional-support and therapy animals don't qualify as service animals on United. They travel under United's ordinary pet rules instead, carrier-size limits, the banned-destination list, and the pet fee all apply, exactly like any other pet. If you're not sure which category yours falls into, don't guess at the airport; call us and we'll set it up correctly ahead of time. For the full carrier-size and route rules for pets, see our pet policy guide.
Service-animal policy carries real rules that vary and change; United sets and updates them. Always confirm current requirements at united.com.
Oxygen and medical devices
The rule that trips people up isn't whether it's allowed, it's the 48-hour call.
A personal FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC), CPAP machine, ventilator or respirator is free to use during the flight. This is equipment you're already using, not something United charges extra to accommodate.
You must call United's accessibility desk at least 48 hours before travel to arrange use of the device. This isn't something you can sort out at check-in or at the gate, the call has to happen ahead of time, so build it into your pre-trip checklist the same way you'd confirm a seat.
If the 48-hour window is tight or you're not sure which number to call, tell us your device and travel date and we'll help you get the accessibility desk on the phone with time to spare.
Medical-device rules are set by United and the FAA and can change; confirm your exact device and timing at united.com or with the accessibility desk before you travel.
Pregnancy, no hard cutoff, but a note kicks in at 36 weeks
The single most important thing on this page to get right, and the one place we won't sound more certain than we are.
United doesn't publish a hard cutoff week for pregnancy travel the way some airlines do. That doesn't mean there's no rule, it means the rule depends on two things: how far along you are, and whether your pregnancy is considered high-risk. Treat everything below as what to confirm, not a substitute for confirming it.
No special documentation is required. If your pregnancy is progressing normally and you're under 36 weeks, United doesn't ask for a doctor's note or advance clearance.
A doctor's note is required, and it has to be dated within 72 hours of your departure, a note from earlier in your pregnancy won't satisfy the requirement. If your due date or a high-risk diagnosis puts you in this window, plan the note into your pre-trip timeline, not as a last-minute errand.
If you're anywhere close to 36 weeks, or your pregnancy has been flagged as high-risk at any stage, talk to your doctor and confirm with United before you pay for a ticket. Finding out at check-in that you need documentation you don't have means a lost fare on top of a disrupted trip.
This is United's own guidance, not a DOT or FAA rule, and it can change or be applied differently case by case. This is high-stakes: always confirm your exact situation with United, call Reservations at 1-800-864-8331 or the accessibility desk at 1-800-228-2744, and with your own physician. We can help you make the call, but only United and your doctor can clear you to fly.
Why a call beats clicking a box
Accessibility and pregnancy requests are where a missed detail turns into a lost flight.
A wheelchair note added online can get lost on a busy connection; a personal oxygen device without the 48-hour call made in advance can mean a scramble right before your flight instead of a confirmed plan. We put the request on your reservation, confirm the accessibility desk has what it needs for your POC or CPAP, make sure your service dog's paperwork and age requirements line up with your route, and, if you're pregnant and near the 36-week mark or flagged high-risk, help you get United and your doctor lined up before you pay for anything.
Tell us your situation and your route, and we'll build the request around it instead of leaving it to chance at the counter, for a service fee, quoted before you're charged.
Before you fly, the checklist
A few minutes now can prevent a denied boarding later.
- Add the request to the booking, don't rely on arranging anything medical at the airport
- Call the accessibility desk ≥48 hours ahead for a POC, CPAP, ventilator or respirator
- Service dog over the age minimum, 4 months domestic, 6 months international
- 36+ weeks pregnant or high-risk? Get a doctor's note dated within 72 hours of departure
- Confirm your wheelchair/device handling at the aircraft door, not baggage claim
If you use a personal oxygen device or you're pregnant near the 36-week mark, call before you book, not after. Everything else on this page can usually be fixed with a phone call and some paperwork. The accessibility desk needs 48 hours' notice, and a pregnancy doctor's note has to be dated within 72 hours of departure, leaving either to the last minute risks the trip and the fare.
Frequently asked
Is a wheelchair or mobility device free on United, and where does it go?+
Can I bring a service dog on United, and where does it sit?+
Can I use a portable oxygen concentrator or CPAP on United?+
Can I fly on United while pregnant, and do I need a doctor's note?+
How do I arrange special assistance on United?+
Contact options
Reach United directly, or let us add the request and confirm it's set.
Contact United Airlines directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
These are United's own channels; confirm current disability, device and pregnancy-travel rules at united.com.
More United Airlines help
Related guides.