The Southwest wheelchair form is a one-page PDF, officially titled the Wheelchair / Mobility Aid Information Form, that you download from Southwest’s accessibility help page, print at home, and hand to the gate agent so the ramp crew knows exactly how to load, secure, and reassemble your device.1Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Information It takes about ten minutes to complete and covers battery type, weight, dimensions, and which parts should be removed before the chair goes in the cargo hold.
Where to Download the Form
Go to Southwest’s Help Center, open the article titled “I am bringing my own wheelchair or mobility aid,” and use the download link for the Wheelchair / Mobility Aid Information Form.1Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Information Print at least two copies. One goes to the gate agent. The other gets attached directly to the chair so the instructions stay with the device the whole way through loading.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form Southwest does not accept the form electronically, so a physical printout is required.
Filling Out Each Section
Nothing on the form is technically difficult, but every blank field forces the ground crew to guess, and guesses are how joysticks get snapped off. Work through it top to bottom.
Customer Information
Enter your full name, confirmation number, phone number, and an alternate phone number. The confirmation number links the form to your reservation so the gate agent can pull up your itinerary quickly. Verify the phone numbers carefully. If your device gets separated from you on a connection, those numbers are how the airline reaches you.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form
Battery Type
If your chair is motorized, this is the most important field on the page. It dictates whether the battery flies installed, packaged separately in the hold, or in the cabin with you. Check exactly one of three boxes:
- Wet cell or spillable battery. Southwest’s crew removes the battery from the device before loading and packages it separately to prevent acid leaks.
- Dry cell or non-spillable battery. The battery can stay installed as long as the power source can be isolated, meaning the key is turned off and removed, the power switch is secured in the off position, or the controls are disconnected.
- Lithium-ion battery. The battery must be removed and carried in the cabin. Lithium-ion batteries for mobility aids are allowed up to 300 watt-hours per battery. You may also carry one spare up to 300 watt-hours, or two spares up to 160 watt-hours each, in your carry-on.
The 300-watt-hour ceiling for mobility aids is much higher than the 100-watt-hour cap on ordinary passenger electronics.3Federal Aviation Administration. Wheelchairs and Mobility Devices If you do not know your rating, check the sticker on the battery itself or the manufacturer’s specs. Getting the battery type wrong can delay boarding or lead the airline to refuse the battery outright.
Manual Wheelchair Information
For non-motorized chairs, indicate whether the device is foldable or collapsible. A foldable manual chair is more likely to fit in the cabin’s designated stowage area, which can spare it the cargo hold entirely.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form
Removable Parts
The form lists common components with a checkbox next to each: headrest, leg rest, seat cushion, control stick, armrests, side protectors, chair back, tray, belts and straps, and wheels. For each one, mark whether it should stay on the chair or come off and travel with you in the cabin.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form Anything fragile or expensive, like a custom joystick or a molded seat cushion, is safer with you in the cabin. Whatever stays on the chair has to survive cargo handling.
Device Details
Enter the destination city, the brand name, the model name, and the manufacturer’s stated weight. Southwest’s acceptance limits are 45 inches wide by 34 inches high, with a maximum weight of 500 pounds.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form The form also gives you space to describe or attach a photo of the best lifting points on the chair. Use it. A quick picture with arrows pointing at the reinforced frame areas keeps someone from grabbing a plastic shroud that was never meant to bear weight.
Handing It Over at the Gate
Give one printed copy to the gate agent or ramp supervisor when you check the device at the departure gate. Attach the second copy directly to the chair so the instructions travel with it.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form Handing the form over face to face is your chance to flag anything unusual: a recline motor that sticks, an armrest release that only works at a specific angle, or a battery compartment with a tricky latch.
One boundary worth knowing. If you are traveling with a spillable battery or a power wheelchair on an aircraft with fewer than 60 seats, the Department of Transportation allows the airline to require up to 48 hours’ advance notice and check-in at least one hour before departure.4US Department of Transportation. General Travel Tips for Persons with Disabilities Miss those windows and the airline still has to make a reasonable effort to accommodate you, but it is not required to delay the flight.
Confirming Your Chair Fits
Southwest flies several Boeing 737 variants (737-700, MAX 7, -800, and MAX 8), all with a cargo door opening of 48 inches wide by 35 inches high.1Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair and Mobility Aid Information The stated acceptance limit sits just under that at 45 by 34 inches, leaving clearance for safe loading.2Southwest Airlines. Wheelchair Mobility Aid Information Form
If your device measures larger fully assembled, removing the headrest, folding the seat back, or detaching the footrests may bring it inside those limits. Write those disassembly steps into the removable-parts section so the crew knows what to take apart at the origin and how to reassemble it on arrival.
What the Form Protects You From
The form is your paper trail. Airlines are required to return your assistive device in the same condition they received it.5US Department of Transportation. Assistive Device – Stowage, Damage, and Delay Inspect the chair as soon as you get it back, at the gate if it is returned planeside or immediately at baggage claim. Look for cracked housings, bent frames, loose wiring, and missing parts.
If something is wrong, the airline must cover repair or replacement. On domestic flights, liability is based on the original purchase price of the device, not the lower standard baggage cap that applies to suitcases.6eCFR. 14 CFR 382.131 – Do Baggage Liability Limits Apply to Mobility Aids and Other Assistive Devices For a power wheelchair that cost $15,000 or more, that distinction is significant. On international flights, liability is governed by the Montreal Convention, and the reimbursement cap may be lower than the full cost of your device.5US Department of Transportation. Assistive Device – Stowage, Damage, and Delay
When you check the wheelchair into the cargo hold, the airline is required to notify you in writing that you have the right to contact a Complaints Resolution Official and the right to file a damage claim.7eCFR. 14 CFR 382.125 – Stowage of Wheelchairs in the Cargo Compartment Keep that notice, your completed Mobility Aid Information Form, photos of the device before and after the flight, and the original purchase receipt. Those documents are the backbone of any claim, and the completed form is what shows the airline received specific written instructions about how to handle your chair.