American Airlines Looks To Improve Travel Experience For Passengers With Disabilities

A major U.S. airline says it is taking a first-of-its-kind step to help people with disabilities.

American Airlines is starting to use automated tags to track mobility devices that are in its possession at airports where the airline and its regional partners operate.

The tags — long paper strips similar to those used for checked luggage — include information about the device’s weight, battery type, how many items have been removed from it and the traveler’s itinerary.

Traditionally, airlines have used manual tags containing more limited information for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. American Airlines said it is the first airline in the nation to roll out an automated version.

“American is committed to improving the travel experience for our customers who use wheelchairs and mobility devices,” said Julie Rath, senior vice president of airports, reservations and service recovery for the airline. “Streamlining the check-in and tagging process is an industry-leading effort that will help us further improve how we handle wheelchairs for our customers who entrust us to transport their devices on their journey.”

The additional details included with the new automated tags will ensure that workers handling mobility devices have more accurate and consistent information and “provide enhanced visibility of the devices throughout customers’ travel journeys,” the airline said.

Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that airlines mishandled 11,527 wheelchairs and scooters in 2023 alone and air carriers have been under increasing pressure to improve their handling of mobility devices.

A law passed in May requires airline workers to be trained before storing wheelchairs and other mobility devices. And, the Transportation Department proposed a regulation earlier this year giving passengers the right to receive a loner wheelchair and determine how their device is repaired or replaced if problems occur, among other changes.

For its part, American Airlines said it has provided hands-on training for team members and invested in wheelchair movers and lifts at many airports, leading to a nearly 13% improvement in its handling rate for mobility devices between early 2023 and early 2024.

Starting this fall, the airline said it will also allow travelers to save information about their mobility devices or service animals in their online profile to easily add those details to new itineraries.

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