Before Booking Flights
Your best chance of receiving the assistance you want and compliance with your special requests is to specify your needs to the airline agent when booking your flight(s).
In order to do this, you need to determine the following before booking tickets:
Determine what assistance and policies impact travelers with disabilities on the specific airlines you are using.
Air travel regulations differ between countries, therefore the assistance available to you will vary. In addition, specific services may vary with aircraft, route, and airport.
Information is available on airline websites. U.S. airlines differ significantly in accommodations offered to passengers with disabilities. Scroll through this document to determine what your airline may offer.
Here are some sample airline links for customer assistance:
Delta Airlines
Southwest Airlines
American Airlines
jetBlue
It is also worthwhile to explore whether enrollment in any of these airport security tools will facilitate your travel experiences.
Consider enrolling in MedicAlert and Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return or a comparable service before traveling. MedicAlert and Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return is a fee-based, nationwide, 24/7 emergency response service that facilitates the safe return of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia who wander or have a medical emergency. The Alzheimer’s Association, in collaboration with MedicAlert® Foundation, provides membership plans with 24/7 Wandering Support.
In order to do this, you need to determine the following before booking tickets:
- Can the person living with dementia travel alone? If a person cannot self-identify and advocate to some degree on their own behalf, it is best to be traveling with a companion.
- Do any of the travelers in your party require a Medical Clearance to Fly?
- Are any of the travelers in your party required to provide advance notice as a condition of traveling on the airline or receiving services?
Determine what assistance and policies impact travelers with disabilities on the specific airlines you are using.
Air travel regulations differ between countries, therefore the assistance available to you will vary. In addition, specific services may vary with aircraft, route, and airport.
Information is available on airline websites. U.S. airlines differ significantly in accommodations offered to passengers with disabilities. Scroll through this document to determine what your airline may offer.
Here are some sample airline links for customer assistance:
Delta Airlines
Southwest Airlines
American Airlines
jetBlue
It is also worthwhile to explore whether enrollment in any of these airport security tools will facilitate your travel experiences.
- TSA PreCheck
With a 5-year, $85 membership, you can speed through security and don’t need to remove your shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets. - GLOBAL ENTRY
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States - MobilePassport
Travelers may submit passport and declaration information via their mobile devices, then access separate, fast lanes in the inspection area. - CLEAR®
Touchless biometrics scan for identification at security checkpoint
Consider enrolling in MedicAlert and Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return or a comparable service before traveling. MedicAlert and Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return is a fee-based, nationwide, 24/7 emergency response service that facilitates the safe return of individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia who wander or have a medical emergency. The Alzheimer’s Association, in collaboration with MedicAlert® Foundation, provides membership plans with 24/7 Wandering Support.
