American unveils an innovative approach to label wheelchairs and mobility devices

American Airlines is making strides to facilitate travel for individuals with mobility devices.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline announced this week the introduction of automated tags for wheelchairs and other mobility aids. These tags contain traveler and device-specific details, such as itineraries and routing, alongside the device's weight and battery type.

With all this information automatically integrated into a tag, ground staff will have a clear understanding of how to handle each device.

In the past, these tags were manually inscribed for each checked device, making this transition a time-saver and a potential way to minimize the mishandling of mobility devices.

American is the pioneering U.S. airline to implement these automated tags, created by the airline's in-house technology team.

"American is dedicated to enhancing the travel experience for our customers using wheelchairs and mobility devices. Optimizing the check-in and tagging procedures is a leading initiative that will help us improve the way we manage wheelchairs for our customers who rely on us to transport their devices during their travels," stated Julie Rath, American's senior vice president of airports, reservations, and service recovery.

These tags are now accessible at all airports where American and its regional affiliates operate under the American Eagle name.

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This is merely the latest enhancement in American's approach to managing mobility devices. The airline has recently implemented new hands-on training for ground staff and customer service representatives responsible for these devices, alongside their existing online training.

Additionally, the airline has increased the number of wheelchair movers and lifts at various hubs and outstations with significant mobility device traffic, reducing the risk of damaging equipment or injuring staff.

Starting this fall, American will enable travelers to save and apply their travel preferences on the booking page. This means American Airlines AAdvantage profiles will include indicators for whether you intend to travel with a mobility device or service animal, allowing you to easily apply these preferences for future trips on American's website.