To help us provide you with the necessary service for your needs, please let us know how we can help. You can find all the information you need to get the right assistance so you can have a stress free journey.
Flights operated by our airline alliance or franchise partners may have their own restrictions so please contact us before you fly.
Mobility and wheelchair assistance
If you would like assistance between check-in and your departure gate, please let us know at least 48 hours before you travel, so that we can arrange this for you. Depending on the airport, this will either be by electric buggy or airport wheelchair.
If you have any seating requirements due to your disability please contact us as soon as possible after your booking is made.
Some wheelchairs and mobility aids contain ‘non-spillable’ (gel electrolyte), ‘spillable’ (wet) or Lithium batteries. Whilst spillable batteries are becoming less common, all types can be transported providing certain conditions are met.
To assist with the safe stowage of your wheelchair, please provide us with sufficient information at least 48 hours before you travel. The type of wheelchair you have will determine how we are able to load your wheelchair on to the aircraft.
Regardless of the type of battery your mobility aid or wheelchair uses, please give us the following information at least 48 hours before you travel:
To protect the wheelchair/mobility aid from inadvertent activation, please remove the key, deactivate using the joystick or deactivate using an isolation switch or buttons, or other isolation mechanism (such as Neutrik plug).
To protect the wheelchair/mobility aid from inadvertent operation, please remove the key, deactivate using the joystick or deactivate using an isolation switch or buttons, or other isolation mechanism (such as Neutrik plug).
In the unlikely event that the wheelchair cannot be stowed in the upright position in the hold, special measures will need to be taken to ensure safe carriage – this will include the removal of the battery and the protection of the battery terminals against short circuit.
To ensure safe carriage of your wheelchair/mobility aid it would be very helpful if you brought the manufacturers instructions (re: disconnection of batteries) with you to the airport.
Please note that you cannot travel with wet-cell batteries for any purpose other than for powering wheelchairs.
You can choose whether to give us your wheelchair when you check in or use it until you reach the departure gate. If you choose to surrender your wheelchair at check-in, an airport wheelchair can be provided to assist you to the departure gate.
You are welcome to board the aircraft at your leisure; however if you would like to, you will be able to board first. A pre-boarding announcement will be made at the departure gate.
If you would like assistance between check-in and your departure gate, please let us know at least 48 hours in advance of travel, so that we can arrange this for you. Depending on the airport, this will either be by electric buggy or airport wheelchair.
In the event of loss or damage, any mobility aids or any equipment relating to your disability that is placed into your luggage and checked in for travel in the hold are not covered for anything more than the maximum liability under the Montreal Convention. Please make sure you have suitable travel insurance for any equipment you are travelling with.
If you are unable to do any of the following:
you will need to travel with a safety assistant to help you do this.
All our aircraft have a number of seats with moveable armrests for ease of access. Unfortunately, we will not be able to seat you in emergency exit rows due to safety regulations.
All our aircraft have wheelchairs to assist you on-board. Please ask our cabin crew if you would like any help to stow your hand luggage, to move between your seat and the toilet or if you need help to open any parts of your onboard meal. Our cabin crew are unable to assist you with personal care during your flight.
If your wheelchair has been stowed in the hold, we will make every effort to return it to you as near to the aircraft door as possible. If this is not possible for safety reasons, we can arrange assistance between the aircraft and the Arrivals hall if you would like this service. Depending on the airport, this will either be by electric buggy or airport wheelchair.
We can arrange assistance between the gate and the Arrivals hall if you would like this service. Depending on the airport, this will either be by electric buggy or airport wheelchair.
Visually impaired
If you would like assistance, please let us know when you make your booking, or at least 48 hours before you travel. This is so we can notify the airport authority or service provider of any assistance you might need, to ensure you have the best possible service.
You can reserve your seat, for free, at any time after your booking is made.
If you are travelling on your own, we can arrange for an escort to guide you through the terminal from when you check in through to the aircraft door. We understand that everyone likes to be guided differently so please let us know on the day how we can help.
If you would prefer, we can provide individual safety briefings before the flight departs. Please ask our cabin crew if you would like any help to stow your hand luggage, to move between your seat and the toilet or if you need help to open any parts of your onboard meal. Our cabin crew are unable to assist you with personal care during your flight.
An escort can be provided on your arrival at your destination to guide you through the terminal. If you would like an escort to accompany you, please contact British Airways, we’ll be pleased to organise this for you.
Deaf or hard of hearing
If you would prefer, we can provide individual safety briefings before the flight departs. When we use the onboard screens for our safety information, this is displayed with subtitles. The headphones provided in the seatback pack are compatible with hearing aids switched to the 'T' position. This will increase the volume and improve sound clarity.
Guide/assistance dogs
Certified Assistance Dogs for blind, deaf or disabled passengers travel free of charge in the aircraft cabin on all British Airways services within the UK.
In addition Assistance Dogs that are compliant with the Pet Travel Scheme may be carried, in the cabin of the aircraft on certain international routes.
Learning disabilities
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help you.
If you are travelling on your own, we can arrange for an escort to guide you through the terminal, from when you check in to the aircraft door. We understand that everyone likes to be guided differently so please let us know on the day how we can help.
Other disability assistance and useful information
Not everyone will need mobility assistance or an escort to assist them through the airport – some disabled customers have requirements linked to their disability that require other assistance or special seating requirements. Please contact us for any advice regarding this.
Should you require any additional assistance please let us know at least 48hours in advance.
The divider we use between Club Europe and EuroTraveller means that the seats at the front of EuroTraveller are not bulkhead seats – and are less accessible than normal seats.
In order to give you the best possible service, we ask that you arrive at the airport at least two hours before your flight’s scheduled departure time.
On arrival go straight to the assistance desk where we can arrange appropriate help for you at the boarding gate.
At London Heathrow, there are hosted assistance desks at the following locations:
You can complete all security screening and take advantage of pre-boarding the aircraft ahead of our other customers if you wish.
We strongly recommend you advise us at least 48 hours before you travel if you need any assistance, in order for us to notify the airport operator or service provider with this information.
If you have arranged to meet assistance staff at a particular time may we request that you keep to this time to avoid any delays during the airport process. If you no longer need assistance, then please just let us know.
We know that at times you might need to travel at short notice or your plans may change. If you have not been able to notify us in advance of your journey we will do our best to help you as much as possible when you arrive at the airport. During busy periods there may be delays, so please allow as much time as you can at the airport.
We recommend the following miunimum times to transfer between flights at London Heathrow:
If you require assistance these times will increase according to your needs so please bear in mind the following information.
In order to respect your privacy and for safety reasons we will ask you to leave the arriving aircraft after our other customers have disembarked. This could be 15 – 20 minutes after the aircraft doors are opened.
For the same reasons you may also prefer to pre-board your onward aircraft ahead of the other customers.
If you have a wheelchair in the hold we can arrange to deliver it to the aircraft door if you would like to use this for the transfer. You will have to allow extra time for this to be done and also extra time for it to be loaded into the hold of your next aircraft.
If you are using an electric wheelchair this process will take longer as the battery will need to be reactivated on arrival and then disabled before loading onto the next aircraft.
In Terminal 5 you may need to transfer between our satellite buildings, and we can usually arrange for you to travel in an electric buggy. The journey can take 10 – 15 minutes depending on the arrival and departure gates.
If your connection is between terminals then accessible buses or a train service are available.
Whilst we will do everything we can to help you to your onward flight, please be aware there might be a delay in assisting you during busy periods. We would always advise you to factor in delay times when making your travel plans.
In the event of loss or damage, mobility aids or any equipment relating to your disability, placed into your luggage and checked in for travel in the hold is not covered for anything more than the maximum liability under the Montreal Convention. Please make sure you have suitable travel insurance for any equipment you are travelling with.
British Airways is covered by this rule for any flight that begins or ends at a US airport. A full copy of the rule is available for viewing on request at our airports serving the US.An accessible copy of the rule can also be obtained from the US Dept of Transport directly using the following methods:
It is now the responsibility of the airport operators, within the EU to assist anyone with a disability during their time at the airport. This includes intellectual disability or impairment, age or any other cause of disability.
Airlines should provide the airport operator with advance information so that the appropriate service can be offered. To enable us to pass your request to them, where possible, please contact us 48 hours in advance.