One Airline Is Setting The Standard For Wheelchair Accessibility (Here's What Makes It Stand Out)

Flying with your mobility aid is not always easy. While you're entitled to assistance getting on and off the plane, carrying your luggage, and securing your wheelchair onboard, too many wheelchair users have their trips derailed by airlines not living up to these obligations. An InsureMyTrip study analyzed 2024 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, social media sentiment data from Brand24, and TripAdvisor airline reviews related to wheelchairs to assess which companies were most likely to give people traveling with wheelchairs a good experience. The overall winner was JetBlue Airways.

JetBlue is among the best airlines for legroom, snacks, and amenities and may even guarantee your vacation against rain, but it seems the company also knows how to ensure passengers with mobility aids leave satisfied. According to the study, JetBlue has an impressive 97% positive sentiment rating on social media. It mishandles very few wheelchairs and scooters, and just over half of the reviews that mentioned wheelchairs were five stars. Only 14% were one star. While there are never any guarantees about what your flight experience will be like, this data is certainly encouraging for wheelchair users flying JetBlue.

When planning a dream vacation with mobility issues in mind, you'll need to consider everything from where you'll stay to what routes you'll take between stops on your itinerary. One thing you don't want to have to worry about is your wheelchair being mishandled on the flight there. Unfortunately, that's something that still happens far too often. Aside from the obvious downside of having an expensive piece of property run late or get damaged, if the mobility aid is completely lost or broken, travelers can be left stranded, potentially ruining the trip of a lifetime. If you're trying to reduce the risk of this happening to you, you might want to try flying JetBlue or Delta.

Both JetBlue (which the InsureMyTrip study ranked as the absolute best for wheelchair users) and Delta (which the study said was the best at avoiding damage to wheelchairs and scooters) are great choices for trying to protect your equipment. While there's no way to guarantee your wheelchair isn't lost or damaged during transit, these airlines come close. JetBlue managed to safely return more than 98% of wheelchairs and scooters entrusted to them during a flight, while Delta kept more than 99% safe.