Wheelchairs, mobility aids and reduced mobility

Making a booking and planning your journey

We’re here to help make your journey a smooth one. Let us know if you require specific assistance with using a wheelchair, boarding the aircraft or getting to your seat. Whether you've booked through jetstar.com, our contact centre, or a travel agent, you will need to let us know the type of assistance you require and if you’ll be bringing any mobility aids.

Requesting your level of wheelchair assistance

Please let us know which level of assistance you require. We will apply the relevant IATA code – WCHR, WCHS or WCHC – to your booking so that throughout your journey our team members know the level of wheelchair assistance you require. All levels of wheelchair assistance include assistance from the aircraft to the baggage claim area at your destination. Of course, you are welcome to make your own way throughout the airport too. Please note that there can be some delays in providing wheelchair assistance, particularly during busy periods, so please factor this into your travel arrangements. If you haven’t requested specific assistance prior to travel, we might not be able to provide assistance on the day due to operational constraints and limitations.

Letting us know about your wheelchair or mobility aid

Please contact us. to let us know:
  • if your wheelchair or mobility aid is manual or battery-powered
  • the weight of your wheelchair or mobility aid
  • if your battery-powered wheelchair or mobility aid has a dry or wet cell or lithium ion battery
If your wheelchair or mobility aid weighs more than 32kg and is unable to stand in the upright position and operate in free wheel mode, we will not be able to carry it. Jetstar Asia flights - Customers who are not checking in a wheelchair but require the use of a wheelchair at the airport for Jetstar Asia (3K) flights will need to pay a wheelchair service and hire fee.

Travelling with an Accompanying Passenger

Let us know if you’re travelling with an Accompanying Passenger before you fly so we can seat you together.

Customer assistance checklist

You can also download and print a customer assistance checklist. It is not mandatory to complete but it will help us understand your needs on the day of travel.

Checking in your wheelchair

We take all reasonable care with mobility aids, but please note that our liability is limited for any damage caused during transit. You’ll need to make sure you have appropriate insurance to cover your mobility aid. For more information, please check our conditions of carriage. If your mobility aid requires re-assembly, you or an Accompanying Passenger need to be able to do this as our staff will not be able to assist. You should consider removing and securing any customisations to your wheelchair to reduce the risk of damage to them.

Seating

We will do our best to assign a seat towards the front of the cabin for customers who request specific assistance. Customers requiring wheelchair assistance will not be able to sit in emergency exit seating due to aviation safety requirements. If you need to have your leg extended during the flight, you won’t be able to sit in an extra leg room/exit row seat so you may need to purchase extra seats. Please contact us for assistance.. Find out more about the limits on assistance and mobility aids.

More important information about assistance

Limits on wheelchair assistance

We can only take two customers requiring wheelchair assistance on Airbus A320/A321 and domestic Boeing 787 flights. This means it is important that you request wheelchair assistance at the booking stage so that we can tell you if the limit has been reached on your preferred flight.

Find out more about flight limits on wheelchair assistance.

Limits on wheelchairs and mobility aids

There are limits on the number of mobility aids you can check in. Mobility aids include, but are not limited to, equipment such as manual wheelchairs, battery-powered wheelchairs and electric scooters.

Find out more about limits on checking in wheelchairs and mobility aids.

Maximum dimensions for mobility aids as checked baggage

Mobility aids and wheelchairs must be the following size or smaller:

  • flights on a Boeing 787 – 1.5m (width) x 1.6m (height) x 1.5m (length)
  • flights on an Airbus A320, A321 – 1.4m (width) x 1.0m (height) x 1.4m (length)

You can find your aircraft type on your itinerary or manage booking.

Find out more about maximum dimensions for mobility aids.

Maximum weight for mobility aids as checked baggage

Each item must be 32kg or less, except for wheelchairs or mobility aids that can travel in the upright position in freewheel mode (which may exceed 32kg).

Items above 32kg which cannot travel in the upright position in free wheel mode must be carried as freight at standard freight rates.

Find out more about maximum dimensions for mobility aids.

Mobility aids cannot be carried in the aircraft cabin as carry-on baggage

Mobility aids cannot be carried in the aircraft cabin as carry-on baggage. You may need to carry extra wheelchair batteries in your carry-on baggage and they may need dangerous goods approval to be carried.

Assistive devices such as walking sticks, canes and crutches can be carried in the aircraft cabin as carry-on baggage – see more information about assistive devices.

Find out more abouttravelling with your mobility aid.

At the departure airport

If you request assistance from us in advance, we can assist you from the airport check-in counter to the departure gate. If you have not requested assistance in advance, you may not be able to travel as planned due to operational constraints and limits which may apply to the number of customers we can provide wheelchair assistance to on each flight. We will provide a slide board and our staff will assist with transfers between wheelchairs and into your aircraft seat. We do not use an eagle lift, hoists or manual lifting for customer transfers. If you need or prefer that level of assistance, you may need to travel with an Accompanying Passenger to assist you, or you may need to travel with another airline. Find out more about slide board transfers. During busy periods, we ask for your patience and there may be delays before assistance can be provided.

More important information about wheelchairs

Jetstar wheelchairs

We have two types of wheelchairs to assist you with moving around the airport terminal and getting on and off the aircraft. Find out more about Jetstar wheelchairs.

Checking in your manual wheelchairs

Where possible, Jetstar will offer the choice of when you are transferred to a Jetstar airport wheelchair (i.e. at check-in or at the boarding gate/aerobridge) for customers travelling with manual wheelchairs. Find out more about using your manual wheelchairs.

Checking in your battery-powered mobility aids and dangerous goods approval

All battery-powered mobility aids (including manual wheelchairs with a detachable battery) must be checked in at the check-in counter and cannot be checked-in at the boarding gate. Find out more about using your battery-powered mobility aids.

On your flight

Please make yourself known to our staff at check in so that we can assist you. You’ll generally be one of the first to board your flight and will be provided with an individual safety briefing on board. Jetstar staff are trained to undertake the slide board transfer method only so please consider if this will meet your needs. Find out more about slide board transfers.

On-board aisle wheelchairs – Boeing 787 only

There is an aisle wheelchair available on-board all Boeing 787 aircraft for use during your flight. Generally, this is the type of aircraft we use for all our long-haul international flights. Slide boards are not available for use during your flight so you will need to be able to transfer yourself between your aircraft seat and the aisle wheelchair. Our crew can assist with the use of an aisle wheelchair to the toilet door. Crew cannot assist with personal hygiene needs or with transfers within the toilet. There are no aisle wheelchairs available on Airbus A320 and Airbus A321. You will need to meet our Independent Traveller Requirements and you should consider your personal needs when making your booking – including whether you need or want to travel with an Accompanying Passenger to assist you. You can find your aircraft type on your itinerary or manage booking.

On-board accessible toilets – Boeing 787 only

There is one wheelchair accessible toilet located behind row 42 on the Boeing 787 aircraft. All toilets on our Boeing 787 aircraft are fitted with handrails. On Jetstar’s narrow body aircraft (A320, A321), there are no accessible toilets due to size restrictions on the aircraft. As there are no accessible toilets or aisle wheelchairs on these aircraft, you will need to be able to make your way to the toilet independently or with your Accompanying Passenger or be able to self-toilet (e.g. with a catheter) if required. Our staff may confirm this with you on the day. You can find your aircraft type on your itinerary or manage booking.

At your destination

On arrival at your destination, we will make a Jetstar wheelchair available for you to use from the aircraft until the baggage claim area, where you’ll be able to collect and use your own mobility aid. If required, our staff will assist you to the baggage claim area and with transfer from the Jetstar wheelchair to your mobility aid using a slide board. Where possible, they will also assist with the collection of your baggage and mobility aid. If your mobility aid requires re-assembly, you or an Accompanying Passenger need to be able to do this as our staff will not be able to assist. We’ll return your wheelchair or mobility aid to you at the baggage claim area after your flight. If you require assistance with onward travel – including to connecting flights – please make sure you arrange for someone to meet you as we’re not able to assist beyond baggage claim. Generally, we do not through-check baggage including mobility aids onto other flights, so you will need to collect all your baggage at the claim area. In some instances, we do through-check baggage where you have multiple flights on the one Jetstar booking. Find out more about baggage transfers. US flights only – for flights to and from the US, your mobility aid will be returned as close as possible to the door of the aircraft, unless you request that your items be returned to the baggage claim area.
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