Can You Take a Mobility Scooter on a Plane?
Short answer? Yes, but don’t stop reading just yet.
Long answer? It takes a little more preparation and coordination with your airline.
With travel season fast approaching, now’s a good time to understand how to get your mobility scooter to your destination by the rules and in one piece.
The Federal Aviation Administration and your airline have their own sets of rules and recommendations. You’ll need to follow both if you want to make your flight, any connections and arrive at your destination.
Let’s break them down together.
What are the federal rules for traveling with a mobility scooter?
All airlines must follow these, so it makes sense to start here. There are a few of them so it’s helpful to break them down into a list. They all concern safely transporting batteries and electronics, which can be dangerous if done incorrectly.
You’ll probably have to check your scooter
Unless it’s collapsible and uses lithium ion batteries — an option on the Go Go Folding Scooter 4-Wheel and standard on the iRide — you must check your mobility device so the baggage handlers can stow it in the cargo hold. Most battery types are allowed aboard the plane, so long as they pass safety checks.
You can take a backup battery, but it might be a hassle
You can take one spare battery with you, but that must go in your carry-on. For lithium ion batteries, you can take up to two as long as each does not exceed 160 watt hours.
The airline prefers to keep your batteries installed and connected
The crew will inspect your batteries and electrical connections to make sure they’re safe. If so, you won’t need to disconnect the batteries.
Your scooter also must have some safeguard against accidental activation. That’s no problem for most devices, which require a key to start. Scooters with an on/off switch, like iRide, are also acceptable.
Trivia: Did you know federal law requires the pilot to know, before departing, that your mobility scooter is on board and where it’s located?
What are my airline’s rules for traveling with a mobility scooter?
Most airlines let passengers take their mobility devices at no extra charge. They don’t count them toward luggage allowance either.
All airlines follow FAA rules, but some have their own preferences or requests. For example, they may ask you to fill out a form.
You’ll likely have to take removable parts into the cabin with you
If your scooter has extra pieces like cushions or a phone holder, be prepared to pop them off and take them with you. Our advice: plan ahead and bring a backpack that easily fits any removable accessories.
The crew may need to disassemble your scooter
Worst case scenario, your mobility device doesn’t fit into the baggage hold door. If this happens, the crew won’t leave it behind. Instead, they’ll take it apart. The best way to ensure you get it all back in one piece is to give disassembly instructions. If you’re traveling with basically any scooter from the Go Go lineup, your step-by-step list should be pretty short thanks to Pride’s exclusive feather touch disassembly system!
Save time, call ahead
Let your airline know at least 48 hours in advance that you’re bringing a scooter and have the dimensions handy.
Most don’t require this, but it helps to ease the boarding process with a little preparation.
| Individual Airline Rules for Traveling with Mobility Scooters |
| American Airlines |
| Delta Airlines |
| Southwest Airlines |
| Spirit Airlines |
| United Airlines |
Traveling by plane with a mobility scooter is absolutely possible and even enjoyable with the right level of planning.
Preparation could be the difference between sipping cocktails in the terminal restaurant before departure or scrambling to pack up your mobility device at the gate.
Which one sounds more relaxing to you?
I bought a scooter and it worked fine for awhile, then it wasn’t holding a charge, so company said I needed new batteries..got those and its the same, and they say it has to be looked at by a specialist and there’s none around me, so I would have to pay $300 per hr to get it checked, then buy the part and pay more for them to come back out to install it. Next time I will go local to buy one, thought pride stood behind there product, very disappointed customer.
Hi Karen, we’re so sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with your scooter. We’d be more than happy to try and do our best to help. Please feel free to give us a call or email us at info@pridemobility.com with your serial number. It will start with an “S” and be 14 characters long.
Is there a case for the go go scooter 3 wheel for the airplane?
Hi Tamara! We don’t currently offer a case for the Go Go Elite Traveller but we really appreciate your feedback. And we’ll be sure to let you know if anything changes in the near future.
I’m flying to Amsterdam in June on KLM airlines and I have a Pride GoGo Elite Traveler with a 12v battery. Do you know KLM’s rules for scooters and lead acid batteries? I’ve flown in the US on Delta with my scooter with no problem 3 years ago, but couldn’t find KLM’s rules!
Hi Karen!
Thank you so much for reaching out, you may want to contact the airline you’re flying with directly and have some product information on hand that you can send them if they ask. Here are some resources that may help:
Brochure: https://www.pridemobility.com/pdf/brochures/gogo/gogoelitetraveller.pdf
Specification Sheet: https://www.pridemobility.com/pdf/owners_manuals/us_scooter/infinfb3208_elite_traveller_universal_specifications.pdf
Owner’s manual: https://www.pridemobility.com/pdf/owners_manuals/us_scooter/us_go_go_om.pdf
It would be great if Karen H would return with her experience. We used a vehicle with lithium batteries flying Detroit to Genoa (AF then KLM on same ticket). All worked well as I had to keep the batteries with me since we had to check that vehicle. We have a more compact, foldable Rascal-type (MM19P) with SLA batteries that we’ve used domestically gate-to-gate with Delta. Our next trip is MCO-BOS–on Delta then BOS-GOA on KLM. The Delta flight was booked separately. Months ago, KLM said that the device had been “approved” and that we would see it on our reservation in 48 hrs. That didn’t happen. I do wonder if the agent meant 48 hrs BEFORE the flight. I will have to follow-up with a call. Our flight is not until end of October. KLM is particularly strict (understandably so with their own lithium experiences) about these things.
For anyone reading a year or more later, we took our Rascal 19MMP on KLM in October ’23. We checked it in via AirFrance at Boston Logan. Although the lead acid battery had been approved by KLM (I had to re-request as original request had been canceled months earlier per the agent, but all info was in the system so it wasn’t difficult) . The agents at the desk could not figure out if it was lithium or not. We had about 10 min back and forth at which point I requested a screw driver so I could show them the cells. One agent asked if the battery could be removed. “Yes, but not like lithiums as, unlike lithiums, the battery pack is heavy.” I pulled off the battery pack and they were very satisfied–happy, even. We’d already arranged for carrier service at BOS, AMS and GOA. Which, by the way, were EXCELLENT in Europe–extremely fast through immigration, also! When we arrived in Genoa, accessible services took over. They pushed my husband right to luggage pick-up; took the scooter and battery pack off the belt (both were wrapped in plastic and the scooter had a belt around it to keep the fold tight. The gentlemen assisting us took us outside AND got a taxi for us. We were blown away. A year and a half before, we’d flown to Genoa with the SuperHandyScoot. We had not requested assistance as my husband had enough mobility to walk through the airport. As a result, I was left with the task of getting it off the belt–not to mention, grabbing a taxi that could hold that awkward device.
I purchased a Pride Go Go Endurance scooter with an upgraded lithium 16AH battery. Can I travel on an airplane with this scooter? If no, why not?
Hello Azad! Thank you for reaching out to us. The 8 Ah battery is the airline compliant version, the 16Ah Maxx battery does not meet airline requirements. For further assistance please feel free to reach out to info@Pridemobility.com. We look forward to offering any insight and help we can.
WE are flying on Austrian Airlines and they are asking for a certificate for air travel from Pride
I have an CS336
Hello for further assistance please contact:
61 3 8770 9600
http://www.pridemobility.com.au
Customer Service/Product Inquiries:
prideaustralia@pride-mobility.com.au
We are flying with Southwest Arilines this Saturday and their form wants to know how many “spillable” or “non-spillable” batteries. I have a GoGo UltraX
Hi Jon, that unit uses a qty of 2 non-spillable 12v 12 amp batteries.
Is Shoprider a Lithium battery
Hi David, we’re sorry we cannot answer that question as it is a product from another manufacturer. We recommend reaching out to the manufacturer of that unit who will be able to assist you further.
I will be flying on Delta, Sun Country, and Southwest this year and have a Pride Go-Go Elite Traveler Plus. Are the Plus batteries compliant for airline travel? It has 2 12v 18ah batteries.
I will be flying internationally on Air Canada and Lufthansa and cruising on Silversea. I would like to get a letter/certificate for air travel and cruise travel for my Pride Gogo Elite 4-wheel scooter. While I realize I need to fill out each airline’s form (which I have done), I prefer to also have a piece of paper that says FDA/FAA approved under such and such regulations. I find internationally a letter whether official or not goes a long way to not getting hassled. I leave the day after tomorrow so need letter ASAP, please. Thx Steve