If you use a wheelchair, walker or crutches, or will after surgery, book assistance for every leg in both directions when you buy your tickets, decide whether to bring your own device, and ask the clinic and your transfer service specific access questions in writing. The return trip matters most: you may be less mobile going home than you were arriving.
This guide covers the parts outside your lodging. For rating where you’ll stay, see our recovery lodging accessibility score.
Plan for two different trips: arrival and return
Many medical travelers arrive walking and leave on crutches, with a walker, or in a wheelchair. Others already use a mobility aid and need it to work in a new city. Either way, the outbound and return trips usually need different support, so plan them separately.
| Item | Outbound | Return after surgery |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Your usual level | Often reduced; ask your surgeon what to expect |
| Airport help | May be optional | Wheelchair to and from the gate is often sensible even if you can walk short distances |
| Seating | Standard needs | Ask your surgeon about leg room, aisle access, or positions to avoid |
| Luggage | You may manage it | Plan for someone else to lift and carry everything |
| Equipment | Your own, if any | Possibly new items from the clinic (walker, crutches, cushion) that also need to fly home |
Ask your surgeon before booking flights: “What will my mobility likely be on the day I fly home, and do you have any seating or movement restrictions for the flight?” Build the return around that answer.
Airline assistance: request it early, both directions
Airlines provide help getting through the airport and on and off the aircraft, but the experience is smoother when they know in advance. Add the request when you book, then reconfirm.
- Add assistance at booking
Use the airline’s special assistance option or call. Request help on every flight segment, including connections, for both the outbound and the return.
- Be specific about what you need
Whether you can walk short distances, manage steps, or need help to your seat. Airlines often use different codes for each level of need, so describe it plainly.
- Update the return after surgery
If your needs change after the procedure, call the airline to update the return booking. Don’t assume the outbound request carries over.
- Reconfirm before each flight
Call or check your booking a few days before departure, and tell the check-in agent again on the day.
- Arrive early
Leave extra time for check-in, security and any device handling. Ask the airline how early you should arrive with your device.
Hello, I'm booked on [booking reference]. I will be traveling for a medical procedure and need mobility assistance on all segments in both directions. Outbound: I can walk short distances but need a wheelchair through the airport and to the aircraft door. Return: after surgery I may need help to my seat as well. Please note this on my return segments. I will travel with [my own manual wheelchair / a folding walker / crutches]. Please confirm in writing how it will be carried and whether it can be returned to me at the aircraft door. Thank you.
Why: a written request with your booking reference gives you something to show at check-in if the assistance isn’t noted.
US Air Carrier Access Act basics
If you’re flying between the US and Colombia, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the US Department of Transportation’s rules under it (14 CFR Part 382) generally apply to US airlines and to foreign airlines on flights to or from the United States. In broad terms, those rules prohibit disability discrimination, require airlines to provide assistance with boarding, deplaning and connections, and set rules for carrying passengers’ wheelchairs and other assistive devices. Mobility devices generally do not count toward your baggage allowance on covered flights.
Airlines generally can’t require advance notice for basic assistance, but they may require it for certain services, and asking ahead is always smoother. Every covered airline must also have a Complaint Resolution Official (CRO) available; if something goes wrong at the airport, ask to speak to one.
The US Department of Transportation updated its wheelchair rules for air travel in late 2024, with provisions phasing in over time. Check DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection pages for current rights and how to file a complaint. Flights that don’t touch the US fall under other rules, so ask that airline for its policy in writing.
Traveling with your own mobility device
Bringing your own wheelchair or scooter means you’ll have a device that fits you in Colombia. It also means planning for how it flies.
Before you fly with your device
- Write down its make, folded and unfolded dimensions, and weight
- For powered devices, know the battery type and how to disconnect it; ask the airline for its battery rules
- Photograph the device from all sides before check-in and after you get it back
- Remove or secure loose parts (cushions, footrests, bags) and carry them on if allowed
- Attach simple instructions for folding or handling it, in English and Spanish
- Ask whether you can use it to the aircraft door and have it returned there
- Know how to report damage at the airport before you leave it
If your device is damaged in transit, you may be without it in a city you don’t know. Report damage before leaving the airport, and ask the clinic or your coordinator in advance whether a loaner could be arranged in an emergency.
Questions for the clinic
Don’t assume a medical facility is fully accessible. Entrances, consultation rooms, imaging rooms and restrooms can differ inside the same building. Ask specifically.
- Is there step-free access from the drop-off point to reception, consult rooms and the recovery area?
- Are elevators available and large enough for a wheelchair plus companion?
- Is there an accessible restroom near where you’ll be waiting and recovering?
- Can the drop-off point accommodate a vehicle where you transfer from a wheelchair?
- After surgery, will you leave with crutches, a walker or a wheelchair? Does the clinic lend, rent or help you arrange these, and what does it cost?
- Will someone show you how to use new equipment safely before you leave?
If you’ll get new equipment in Colombia, ask whether it can fly home with you or whether you should return it locally. Plan both your luggage and your return-flight assistance request around the answer.
Transfers: the right vehicle
A standard sedan may work for someone on crutches; it may not work for a non-folding wheelchair or a person who can’t bend a newly operated knee or hip. Tell your transfer provider what you need, not just how many passengers.
Car with a large trunk or a van
Ask for trunk space that fits the folded device plus luggage, and a vehicle with easy seat height.
Van or larger vehicle
More room to extend a leg or recline. Ask your surgeon how you should sit during the ride.
Accessible vehicle with ramp or lift
Ask your coordinator early; these may need advance booking and confirmation of dimensions.
Driver help and timing
Confirm the driver will help with the device and bags, and allow extra time at pickup.
Our guide to booking ground transport and airport transfers covers how to confirm pickups, payment and backups.
The companion’s role
A companion makes a mobility-limited trip much safer, especially on the way home. Agree on who handles what before you leave.
| Moment | Companion handles |
|---|---|
| Airport check-in | Bags, documents, confirming assistance is noted, device tags |
| At the gate | Reminding staff about the device and gate return |
| Arrival | Checking the device for damage, finding the transfer driver |
| Clinic visits | Navigation, questions, and written instructions for new equipment |
| Return day | Packing, timing, medications in carry-on, extra help at each airport |
For more on choosing and preparing a companion, see our companion planning guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to request wheelchair assistance in advance?
Airlines on flights covered by the US Air Carrier Access Act generally cannot require advance notice for basic assistance, but requesting it when you book and reconfirming before each flight makes things smoother. Request help for every segment in both directions.
Does the Air Carrier Access Act apply to flights to Colombia?
It generally applies to US airlines and to foreign airlines on flights to or from the United States. Check the US Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection pages for current details, and ask other airlines for their policy in writing.
Should I bring my own wheelchair to Colombia?
If you already use one, bringing it means you have a device that fits you. Record its dimensions, weight and battery type, ask the airline how it will be carried, photograph it before check-in, and report any damage before leaving the airport.
What should I ask the clinic about accessibility?
Ask about step-free access from drop-off to consult and recovery areas, elevator size, accessible restrooms, and whether the clinic lends, rents or helps arrange crutches, walkers or wheelchairs after surgery.
What kind of transfer vehicle do I need?
It depends on your device and mobility. A car with a large trunk may work for a folding chair or crutches, while limited leg bending may need a van, and a non-folding chair may need a ramp or lift vehicle. Tell the provider exactly what you need.
Plan the booking side
Planning a trip with a mobility aid?
Tell us what you use now and what you may need after your procedure. We review each inquiry and help you plan the booking side. No pressure, no promises on price or outcome.
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