Customer Personal Wheelchair Equipment

Customer's Personal Wheelchair

Northwest transports all types of customer personal wheelchairs including folding, collapsible or non-folding manual wheelchairs, electric/battery powered wheelchairs and electric powered carts.

Forty-eight (48) hours advance notice and one (1) hour check-in on day of departure is needed for any electrical equipment as we want to ensure meeting all dangerous goods handling requirements.

Cabin Stowage
Customers who take advantage of pre-boarding may request to stow their personal wheelchair onboard. Wheelchairs stowed onboard have priority over other carry-on items except those of through customers. Not all stowage locations accommodate all sizes of wheelchairs.

Checking Your Wheelchair
Your wheelchair can be checked at the ticket counter and/or the gate. Powered equipment that may require disassembly is appreciated being checked at the ticket counter so that proper handling can be arranged. You may use Northwest's wheelchair equipment after checking your personal wheelchair.

Checking and returning of personal wheelchairs at the gate area during departure and upon arrival can be arranged.

Please advise us in advance if you prefer to use your own personal wheelchair at your connecting airport. Due to time constraints and the reassembly and disassembly of your wheelchair, this service may not be feasible during your layover. We recommend that you take advantage of our wheelchair service instead.

Manual Wheelchairs
Customers' manual wheelchairs may be checked for stowage in the cargo compartment at the ticket counter or at the gate. Please provide as much information to our employees to ensure proper transportation. Detachable items such as seat cushions and footrests can be carried onboard or tagged and stowed with the wheelchair in the cargo compartment.

Customers who pre-board may request to have their chair stowed in any accessible closet. Northwest provides at least one (1) priority wheelchair stowage location in the cabin of all aircraft. Not all stowage locations accommodate all wheelchairs.

Powered Wheelchairs
Electric/Battery powered wheelchairs will not be disassembled, including leaving the batteries attached, whenever the wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door and be stowed upright. If the size of the aircraft cargo compartment door or cargo compartment itself prohibit this, our employees may ask you for instructions on how to disassemble your equipment. It is helpful to have the assembly/disassembly instructions with you along with the type of battery used.

Batteries
Batteries on powered wheelchairs will remain attached whenever the wheelchair will fit upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door and be stowed upright.

Batteries must be identified as either spillable or non-spillable so that our employees may establish correct dangerous goods handling procedures.

Spillable Batteries (Wet-cell)
Wet cell batteries are considered spillable. Special preparations must be made before being transported by air. The battery must be disconnected and terminals protected against electrical shorting. If the equipment cannot fit upright through our cargo compartment door or if the battery appears cracked or damaged the battery must be removed. It will be shipped in Northwest's battery box to meet all dangerous goods handling requirements.

Non-spillable Batteries (Dry-cell or Gel-cell)
Dry cell and gel cell batteries are considered non-spillable and fewer requirements are required for handling. Batteries will remain attached to the powered wheelchair when the equipment fits upright through the aircraft cargo compartment door. Northwest personnel will disconnect the battery post connectors and wrap each post connector with tape to prevent electrical shorts during shipping.