How Do I Request Wheelchair Access for My JetBlue Airlines Flight?

Traveling can be quite stressful, especially if you have any disability that requires you to use a wheelchair to move from one point to another. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 3.6 million Americans with travel-limiting disabilities cannot leave their homes because they are disabled or are housebound because of their condition.

Luckily, the Department of Transportation has guidelines that air travel service providers must obey to ensure that appropriate assistance is accorded to such persons.

JetBlue Airlines allows passengers with disabilities to request wheelchair assistance and has policies that accommodate persons wishing to travel with personal wheelchairs.

Below are steps to guide you when requesting for wheelchair access for your JetBlue Airlines flight.

How do I request wheelchair access for my JetBlue Airlines flight?

JetBlue Airline recommends that passengers requesting wheelchair access add a Special Service request when booking their flights. Here's how to go about it:

• Visit https://book.jetblue.com/.
• Log in to your TrueBlue account to access your flight reservation or proceed to create one then book a new flight, if you don't have a ticket.
• When locating your reservation details, check at the bottom left of the page for an icon that reads "Special Service Request."
• Click on the checkbox right next to it.
• A drop-down menu will appear with various options for persons with disabilities.
• Select the kind of assistance you need.

You can follow the same process if you're using the free JetBlue Airlines app to make a flight reservation. Wheelchair and mobility assistance services are available at all JetBlue Airline airports and these services cover:

• Boarding and deplaning assistance using airport wheelchairs, personnel, and transfer kits at your departure and destination airports.
• Making personal wheelchairs available upon arrival at the gate or as a bag claim depending on what you want.

If you have a personal wheelchair and you would like to travel, download and fill in the wheelchair information form to ensure comfortable and convenient travel. After you've filled it out, please attach it to your chair and ensure you tell the airport staff about it when you're there.

However, depending on the type of chair you're using, the airline has a few guidelines that customers with personal wheelchairs should pay attention to for guaranteed safety during travel. These guidelines are described as follows:

• JetBlue only accepts battery-powered wheelchairs and mobility items as checked items only.
• Only lithium-ion batteries are allowed in the cabin.
• Removed lithium-ion batteries should have the terminals well-protected when being moved to the cabin. The cells should have less than 300 watt-hours or 25 grams of lithium in this case.
• Passengers can carry up to two spare lithium-ion batteries provided they meet the above limitations.
• Non-rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are not accepted for travel.
• The airline takes spillable and non-spillable batteries for wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
• When traveling with assistive devices with batteries, ensure you label it clearly by indicating "Spillable" or "Non-spillable" where appropriate. This helps the assistance personnel to exercise proper handling procedures. If you don't mention this information, the airline resorts to the handling specifications given by in-house battery experts.
• Any battery with visible signs of damage may not be accepted on the aircraft because it doesn't meet the required safety standards.

Alternatively

If you're unable to request for wheelchair or mobility assistance online or when reserving your flight, you can call the JetBlue Airline customer care desk for further assistance. You can also talk to any JetBlue crew members available at the airport, and they'll help you.