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American Airlines announced today that it is the first US airline to launch an automated tag for mobility devices. This is part of the airline’s ongoing commitment to improve wheelchair and mobility device handling.
New automated tags will replace the previous handwritten tags and feature customer- and device-specific data like itineraries, delivery points, device weight, battery type, and the number of items removed and taken on board. These new tags will provide consistent information to both the airline and customer in real time.
American has updated multiple initiatives to deliver a more seamless travel experience for customers with wheelchairs and mobility devices. American’s handling rate for mobility devices improved nearly 13% from the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024. Processes fueling this improvement include:
- Hands-on training for team members: American offers in-person mobility device training to its airport customer service and customer operations teams and vendor partners.
- Investing in airport infrastructure: Wheelchair movers have been deployed and lifts are being installed at the airline’s hubs and other airports with high mobility device traffic.
- Streamlining the traveler experience: American has made it easier for customers to add and maintain wheelchairs and other mobility devices as part of their travel profiles. Starting this fall, customers can conveniently access their saved travel preferences, such as traveling with a mobility device or service animal and apply their details to any upcoming trip when managing a reservation on the airline’s site.
American is committed to improving the travel experience for our customers who use wheelchairs and mobility devices. Streamlining the check-in and tagging process is an industry-leading effort that will help us further improve how we handle wheelchairs for our customers who entrust us to transport their devices on their journey.”
Anthony’s Take: It’s great to see American lead the way in its handling of mobility devices. These are vital to the people who rely on them and being able to track them more efficiently gives much greater peace of mind.
(Image Credits: American Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
