Wheelchairs and other mobility aids
Air travel with mobility support and/or a personal mobility aid requires a bit more preparation, not just for you, but for WestJet, too. If you are requesting mobility services and/or bringing your own mobility device, everything you need to know is right here.
We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate you and your mobility aid, and mobility aids are always handled as a priority. When necessary, we will remove cargo or baggage to accommodate mobility aids.
Verifying the acceptance of your assistive device is an important step and is recommended before making each new reservation, even if you have previously traveled with the device on WestJet or another airline. Although some mobility aids and assistive devices are marked by the manufacturer as “Airline Approved” or “Safe for Air Travel”, this does not automatically mean it can be accepted for travel with WestJet.
General
To provide the best travel experience for guests with reduced mobility, please carefully note the following:
Seat assignment
Airlines must follow strict safety regulations regarding emergency exit row seating, and guests with reduced mobility may not be seated in emergency exit rows. Guests with reduced mobility will be re-assigned to non-exit rows when required.
It may also be necessary to ensure seating with moveable armrests to properly accommodate guests with reduced mobility. As not all aircraft rows have moveable armrests, seat assignments may be adjusted when necessary.
Personal attendant
Subject to applicable laws, a support person will be needed if, because of a disability, a guest, after departure and before arrival, needs:
- Assistance with eating meals, taking medication, using the washroom;
- Assistance with transferring to and from a passenger seat;
- Assistance with orientation or communication; or
- Physical assistance in the event of an emergency, including in the case of an evacuation or decompression.
WestJet will assist before and after the flight in transferring you between your wheelchair or mobility aid to our wheelchair and also to the aircraft seat. WestJet aircraft are equipped with an onboard wheelchair and our cabin crew will also assist you with transferring you between your seat and the washroom, including offering you stability as you enter and exit the washroom. However, cabin crew members are not permitted to assist within the washroom or with personal hygiene.
For guests who require support beyond that provided by WestJet, more information is available on our personal attendant page.
If you still have questions, please contact us so we can help.
Wheelchairs & scooters
Batteries
Batteries are classified as dangerous goods for air travel, and therefore there are strict safety regulations for air travel with a battery- or battery-operated equipment, including powered mobility aids. We take the handling of batteries very seriously, including only accepting batteries which are both permitted and are properly prepared for air transport as required by safety regulations.
Please confirm you are able to travel with the battery type your mobility aid uses before you arrive at the airport. To identify your battery type, check your user manual or check with your mobility aid’s manufacturer. Once you know the details of the battery your mobility aid uses, please review the information about batteries on our restricted items page, including any required arrangements such as disconnection, removal, or placing in an approved travel case which you provide.
To avoid your battery being denied for your flight, please check our restricted items site for information specific to your battery type, including key details such as:
- Limitations on the number of batteries you are permitted to bring for your device.
- Whether the batteries must be removed from the device and/or deactivated.
- Whether removed batteries are permitted as carry-on or checked baggage.
- How removed batteries must be prepared for air transport, such as placing them in an approved travel case or ensuring that all battery terminals must be either recessed or packaged to protect them and prevent contact with metal objects (short circuit), including the terminals of other batteries.
For items such as wheelchairs and mobility aids, we can assist you with battery deactivation or removal if you provide the manufacturer’s instructions or owner’s manual, as well as any required tools.
Although there are charging ports on the aircraft, you may not use them to charge medical devices or batteries used for medical devices or mobility aids as they are not designed for this use. WestJet is not liable for any injury, harm or damage to the equipment caused by a guest attempting to use this power supply for batteries or portable medical electronic devices.
As batteries cannot be recharged on board the aircraft, please ensure you bring an adequate supply of approved batteries to meet your specific needs. As applicable, this may include, the duration of the flight, all ground time (before and after flight and during connections) and any unexpected delays in the terminal, during the flight or before landing; a good practice is to calculate this full amount of time and bring batteries sufficient for 1.5 times that total time.
If you still have questions, please contact us so we can help.
Canes, walkers, etc.
Medically required mobility devices (for example braces, canes, etc.) will be accepted free of charge and in addition to the pieces permitted according to the fare purchased.
These devices are accepted in the cabin if they are within the specifications for permitted carry-on baggage and otherwise are accepted as checked baggage.
We do not require advance notice for travel with items of this nature.
If you still have questions, please contact us so we can help.
OPDs and restraint systems
Other items
Damaged or delayed mobility devices
We care for our guests and recognize the importance of a mobility device.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, items including mobility devices may be damaged or delayed. When this happens, we do our best to care for your mobility needs in the interim, at our expense.
In the event of damage or delay, we will work to reunite you with your mobility device as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will make every reasonable effort to provide you with an equivalent model. This may be challenging in some destinations or in the case of highly customized or sophisticated devices. Our team will work with you to deliver the best possible solution.
If a damaged aid cannot be repaired or is delayed and cannot be located within a reasonable period of time after arrival, we will replace it with a comparable item, or work with you to bring the matter to a mutual resolution. We will also reimburse you for any expenses you may incur because your mobility aid was damaged, destroyed or lost or if it was not made available to you at the time of your arrival at your destination.
We take the delay or damage of a mobility device very seriously, and we follow up on every reported case to understand the causes and work to prevent future occurrences. In some respects, we are regulated in how we manage these situations. For details you can review this information in our Tariffs.
Canada’s Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDRs) require us to offer the option to make a special declaration of interest under Article 22(2) of the Montreal Convention or under Article 22(2) of the Warsaw Convention. However, because the repair or replacement of the mobility aid does not require a special declaration to be covered, we deem this option unnecessary.
Please be aware that wheelchairs used for sporting events are considered to fall within WestJet’s limits of liability for sporting equipment.
You may wish to consider the purchase of travel insurance for items with values exceeding WestJet's maximum liability.
If you still have questions, please contact us so we can help.