The answer is yes.
It requires a bit extra planning and liaising with your airline.
The travel season is almost here, so it’s important to know how to legally and safely transport your mobility scooter.
Both your airline and the Federal Aviation Administration have their own sets of regulations and suggestions. Both must be adhered to if you wish to catch your flight, any connections, and reach your destination.
Let us analyse these together.
What are the guidelines for taking a mobility scooter on a plane?
All airlines must adhere to these rules. thus, it makes logical to start here. It is useful to organise them into a list because there are plenty of them. They are all related to moving electronics and batteries securely, which may be risky if found to be defective.
Checking your scooter will be necessary.
You must check your mobility equipment for the baggage handlers to be able to store it in the cargo hold unless it is foldable and runs on lithium batteries, which is an option on the Go-Go Folding Scooter 4-Wheel and standard. Other battery types must pass safety inspections to be acceptable.
Is a backup battery permitted despite the inconvenience?
One spare battery must fit inside your carry-on luggage to be acceptable. Passenger can use up to two lithium batteries if each one does not utilize more than 160-watt hours.
The battery specifications should be according to the airline.
The staff will check your electrical connections and batteries to ensure their safety. If so, you can leave the batteries connected.
Furthermore, your scooter must have protection against inadvertent activation. Most gadgets, which need a key to start, do not have an issue with it. Scooters like the Pride IRide 3-wheel mobility scooter, Pride Quest S19 Deluxe Folding mobility Travel scooter, Pride Go-Go Ultra X3-wheeled mobility scooter and Pride Jazzy Passport Travel Power Chair are devices that are airline friendly.
What requirements does an airline have for using a mobility scooter while flying?
Most airlines do not charge extra for travellers to bring their mobility aids and not included in baggage allowance too. Although all airlines abide by FA regulations, some of them have their preferences or demands. For instance, they could ask you to complete a form.
You will need to bring detachable items into the cabin.
Be prepared to remove any additional components, such as cushions or a phone holder, from your scooter and bring them with you. Planning is important, and we suggest bringing a bag that can accommodate any detachable equipment.
The crew might have to dismantle your scooter.
In the worst circumstances, your mobility equipment might not fit through the cargo hold door. The crew will not abandon it if anything occurs. Instead, they will dismantle it. Therefore, give dismantling instructions for the best chances of getting everything back undamaged. Thanks to Pride’s unique feather touch disassembly technique, your step-by-step list should be quite short if you are travelling with any scooter from the Go-Go lineup!
Call ahead to save time.
Inform your airline that you will be carrying a scooter at least 48 hours in advance and have the specifications on hand.
Most do not require it, but a little planning makes boarding go more smoothly.
The best preparation can make flying with a mobility scooter both practical and pleasant.
By being prepared, you might be able to avoid rushing to pack up your mobility equipment at the gate and instead enjoy a few refreshments at the terminal restaurant before departure.
Which one do you think is more comforting and calming?
