special needs

Passengers with Disabilities and Special Needs

AirTran Airways strives to ensure all our passengers receive Caring Customer Service and enjoy a pleasant travel experience. For passengers with disabilities or special needs, we offer a variety of services to assist you. For more details, please review the information here, or call us to speak directly with an AirTran Airways representative at 1-800-AIR-TRAN (1-800-247-8726) or, in the Atlanta area, please call 678-254-7999 between 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

On this page you will find information about:

Booking Your Reservation
If making your flight reservation through one of our reservation centers, please advise the Crew Member booking your travel of any request(s) you may have for assistance.

When booking online, after receiving confirmation, please call one of our reservations Crew Members, provide your confirmation number and advise the type of assistance you are requesting. They will be glad to document your record appropriately.

Again, our reservation centers can be reached by calling 1-800-AIR-TRAN (1-800-247-8726) or, in the Atlanta area, please call 678-254-7999 between 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

You are not required to advise us of any special needs you may have prior to travel. However, it is beneficial, as your request(s) can then be more readily accommodated. We welcome advance notice if the passenger will:

  • Require a wheelchair
  • Need assistance making a connection
  • Need assistance to the baggage claim area
  • Need assistance getting in and out of the aircraft seat
  • Travel with a personal care attendant and require adjacent seating
  • Be traveling with a service animal
  • Need assistance due to specific disability
  • Be traveling with a battery-powered respirator or ventilator
  • Need any other special services provided by AirTran Airways

Pre-reserved Seating
An advance seat assignment is available to any self-identifying passenger with a disability. We recommend you indicate your seating preference when you make your reservation, e.g., bulkhead, left aisle, right aisle, etc.

For customers with a disability traveling with a personal care attendant, seats can be arranged side by side. For passengers who have limited mobility, there are seats with moveable aisle armrests. If you have a fixed or immobilized leg or you are traveling with a service animal and desire to be assigned to a bulkhead seat, please advise us when you make your reservation.

Service Animals
AirTran Airways welcomes service animals trained to assist our passengers with disabilities. A service animal may accompany the passenger in the cabin, provided the animal can be accommodated without blocking an aisle or other area used for emergency evacuation. There is no fee for service animals used by passengers with disabilities. Please note, some destinations may have quarantine laws that prohibit or restrict entry of these animals. Your reservation agent or travel agent can help you check regulations for your destination.

Medications
All passengers are entitled to bring one carry-on and one personal item with them into the cabin. We recommend you include any medications you require in your carry-on luggage. You should NEVER put your medications in checked luggage. Our aircraft do not have refrigerators onboard.

If you use needles to inject medication, checkpoint security policy is that you must have in your possession medication requiring the use of a needle or syringe that has a professionally printed label identifying the medication or a manufacturer's name or pharmaceutical label.

Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Effective January 15, 2009, AirTran Airways accepts AirSep FreeStyle, AirSep LifeStyle, Delphi RS-00400, Inogen One, Invacare XPO2, Respironics EverGo, or SeQual Eclipse Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) medical device units for onboard transport and use (Ref: 14 C.F.R. 121 SFAR No. 106).

  • Portable Oxygen Concentrators assist passengers with breathing by seperating oxygen from the normal air supply in order to increase or concentrate the amount of oxygen that a person breathes.
  • A POC is considered an assistive device and is permitted in addition to the free baggage allowance.
  • All POCs must be in the off position and stowed (in an overhead bin or under the seat in front of the customer traveling with the POC) for movement on the surface, taxi, takeoff and landing.
  • A POC may be carried on-board for use in the cabin or transported as checked luggage
  • Carry enough fully-charged batteries to power the device throughout the entire journey, including all ground time (between connections), the duration of the flight, and for any unexpected delays.
  • All batteries must be transported in carry-on baggage, and must be packed in a manner that protects them from physical damage and short-circuits.
  • Aircraft electrical plugs are not available for use with any electronic device.
  • Present a completed Portable Oxygen Concentrator Passenger Acknowledgement Form and a letter from your physician on letterhead with an issue-date of no more than one year prior to flight departure date. The physician’s letter must state:

    • Whether the user is able to operate the device and recognize and respond appropriately to its alarms, and if not, that the user is traveling with a companion who is able to perform these functions.
    • Physician and customer understand that the device can not be used during taxi, takeoff and landing.
    • The maximum flow rate corresponding to the pressure in the cabin under normal operating conditions. (Cabins are pressurized at an altitude of 8,000 feet.)
    • The Portable Oxygen Concentrator Passenger Acknowledgement Form is presented in PDF format, which can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. (You may download the free Acrobat Reader here).

AirTran Airways will refuse to transport a customer requiring the following medical equipment or services, which are not authorized or cannot be accommodated on AirTran Airways’ aircraft:

  • Medical oxygen for use on board the aircraft,
  • Incubators, respirators/ventilators that must receive power from the aircraft’s electrical power supply, or
  • Persons who must travel on a stretcher.

Wheelchairs and Other Mobility Assistive Devices

  • Wheelchairs
    AirTran Airways accepts and transports most wheelchairs, including folding, collapsible, non-folding manual, and electric/battery-powered wheelchairs, as well as electric-powered carts.

    Each aircraft has room for one collapsible wheelchair onboard, and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, some wheelchairs can collapse to fit in the overhead bin or underneath a seat.

    Non-collapsible and electric wheelchairs are accepted as checked baggage. You may check your wheelchair at the ticket counter or gate, and we will return it to you when your flight lands, either at the gate or baggage claim, as you specify.

    For battery-powered wheelchairs and carts, we ask you to check in at the ticket counter at least one (1) hour prior to departure, so we can prepare the chair for loading. Some batteries are subject to dangerous goods handling. To help ensure the proper handling of your wheelchair and its components, we always appreciate written instructions and any special tools we may need that you wish to provide.


  • Carry-On Assistive Devices
    Canes, walkers, and other assistive devices capable of being collapsed small enough to fit in overhead bins or underneath a seat are welcome inside the cabin and will not count toward your carry-on limit.

Airport Assistance

  • Airport Courtesy Wheelchair Assistance
    Courtesy wheelchair service is available at the airport to transport you to your departure gate and during your connection, if applicable. Please let us know if you will need this assistance when making your reservation. (Although you can arrange to claim your chair at the connecting city, we recommend that it be checked through to your final destination. The additional time required to claim and re-Check your chair at the connecting city may compromise your ability to make your connection.)

    It is also a good idea to remind the airport agent that you will need a wheelchair or other mobility assistance at your destination or connecting city. Although not required, advance notice and confirmation of arrangements helps us to provide you with timely service.


  • Airport Electric Carts
    Some airports offer electric carts to assist customers. These vehicles are available for all customers and may not be pre-reserved.


  • If you have a hearing disability:
    If you have a hearing disability, please advise an AirTran Airways agent so that they may alert you to important information. Additionally, airports feature signage designed to help you navigate the airport. There are also Departure and Arrival screens throughout the airport and information displays behind each gate counter.


  • If you have a vision disability:
    If you have a vision disability, please advise an AirTran Airways agent so they may assist you. Whether you would like a courtesy wheelchair, prefer arm assistance or directions only, you can request this when making your reservation or you may request it at the airport.

Boarding Assistance
If you would like pre-boarding assistance due to a disability, please advise the AirTran Airways agent. The agent will help you pre-board, allowing you to be seated prior to general boarding.

Aircraft Accessibility
Moveable Aisle Armrests - All AirTran Airways aircraft have a selection of seats with moveable armrests for easier access to seats for passengers with special needs.

Lavatories - With America's youngest all Boeing fleet, our lavatories are equipped to provide many accessibility features. Consistent with single aisle aircraft requirements, our onboard wheelchair is available to assist to or from the lavatory entry.

Inflight Services
Safety Briefings - individual safety briefings are given to any customer upon request. Included in the briefing is an explanation of exit locations.

Stowage of Carry-On Items - Assistance with loading and retrieval of carry-on items and small assistive devices stowed aboard the aircraft is furnished upon request.

Onboard Wheelchair - flight attendants will provide assistance to customers in getting from their seats to the aircraft lavatory and back during flight by using the onboard wheelchair. Every jet aircraft has a collapsible chair available, custom-designed for onboard use. Customers must be semi-ambulatory and able to transfer themselves into and out of these chairs.

Additional Resources
The FAA's website provides a good source of information for air travelers with disabilities, including an overview of and the full text of the Department of Transportation regulations on Non Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (14 CFR part 382).

Contact Information

By Phone
To speak directly with an AirTran Airways representative, please call us between 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

  • Reservations
    1-800-AIR-TRAN, or in Atlanta, call 678-254-7999.
  • TDD (Telecommunication Device for the Deaf)
    Call us toll free at 1-800-868-8833.
  • Customer Relations
    1-866-247-2428

At the Airport
If you encounter problems while traveling with AirTran Airways, please ask one of our Crew Members to put you in contact with a Complaint Resolution Official (CRO). Our CROs have been specially trained and are aware of applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) disability regulations. Our CROs are available at all airport locations, and they will be glad to respond to your concerns.

Corporate Complaint Resolution Officer
If you have further concerns, please contact the AirTran Airways Corporate Complaint Resolution Officer.

To contact the Corporate CRO for AirTran Airways, please:

Call the CRO at 800-965-2107, extension 6042.
Or email the CRO at CCRO@airtranweb.com.

You may also contact AirTran Airways via the Contact Form on our website.

Department of Transportation
To contact the DOT regarding air travel and disabilities, please call them at:

Voice: 1-800-778-4838
TDD: 1-800-455-9880

The DOT hotline is staffed seven days a week from 7:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. Eastern time.
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