Wheelchair assistance at Atlanta airport: how to arrange it with your airline
ATL says to ask for a wheelchair when you book or at your airline's ticketing counter. How Delta, American and United handle it, and where help is listed.
At ATL your airline arranges wheelchair assistance. ATL’s FAQ says you can request one when you book or at the airline’s ticketing counter when you arrive. If you bring your own chair, tell the airline its size, weight and type at booking. ATL’s pages don’t give hours or exact meeting spots for the service, so ask your airline where the help meets you.
How each airline takes the request
| Airline | How to book it | What its page says it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Delta | My Trips, the Fly Delta app or a representative, ideally at booking. For anything beyond My Trips, call 404-209-3434 (dial 711 for Relay Services) | An associate most often pushes the chair to your departing gate. It can be prearranged to connecting flights and other parts of the airport |
| American | Select Add special assistance when you book or manage your trip on aa.com or in its app. American recommends asking in advance | Travel to and from your gate, between gates on a connection and to baggage claim |
| United | My Trips, or the traveler information section when you book | Manual airport wheelchairs, and aisle wheelchairs for boarding and arrival |
United checks a personal wheelchair or mobility device free, on top of your checked bags. It asks you to arrive an hour before your minimum check-in time and check the chair at the ticket counter or the gate.
Where help meets you
ATL, American, Delta and United each name a different first stop:
- ATL’s FAQ: your airline’s ticketing counter
- American: a team member at the airport, on the day of travel
- Delta: its customer service personnel
- United: the ticket counter or the wheelchair assistance center in the lobby
ATL’s directory also lists wheelchair help in four places. Only Delta’s on Concourse B has an exact spot.
| Where | Listed |
|---|---|
| Domestic Terminal | Wheelchair Assistance, Delta Wheelchair Assistance and Wheelchairs & Strollers |
| Concourse A | Wheelchair Assistance and Delta Wheelchair Assistance |
| Concourse B | Wheelchair Assistance, and Delta Wheelchair Assistance next to gate B27 |
| International Terminal departures | Delta Wheelchair Assistance |
ATL also lists a wheelchair charging station on Concourse C. For directions, ask at an information desk or one of ATL’s Customer Experience Representatives.
Getting a companion through security
ATL’s security page says only ticketed passengers go through the checkpoint, and airlines may issue a gate pass that lets one adult accompany a disabled passenger. Each airline decides whether to issue one. Delta says that if you use its wheelchair service, your attendant escorts you through security.
Before you fly, Delta’s page gives the TSA Cares helpline as 855-787-2227. ATL’s security page asks passengers who need extra help to contact TSA Cares 72 hours ahead.
If it goes wrong
On Delta or United, ask any employee at the airport for the Complaint Resolution Official, who’s trained to resolve disability-related issues. If United loses or damages your wheelchair, its Assistive Device Desk takes claims at 1-866-261-2395.
Sources
- Our accessibility services page, information desks page, Delta Wheelchair Assistance listing and Wheelchairs & Strollers listing
- ATL’s FAQ and its passenger security page
- Delta’s accessible travel pages, American Airlines’ special assistance page and United’s wheelchair assistance page