Last updated: 31 October 2026.
American helps customers with disabilities, pregnant women and children travelling alone. Before the trip a coordinator gets in touch to confirm your arrangements.
48 hoursapproval needed before the flight for a service animal
4 weeksbefore due date when a doctor's certificate is required
5 to 14ages for which the Unaccompanied Minor service is required
USD 150each way plus taxes
Wheelchairs and disability help
- Ask while booking, through the Add special assistance option on the passenger details step, or afterwards from the Special Services area of your trip on the website or app. Telling staff at the airport on the day also works, though earlier is better.
- A wheelchair can take you to and from the gate, between gates on a connection, and on to baggage claim.
- Hearing, vision, cognitive and developmental needs are supported: open captions on safety videos, help getting to the gate, and board, deplane and connection help. A safety assistant can be required where a passenger cannot follow staff directions, the safety briefing or crew orders, manage personal needs, wait alone for an escort or take a hotel room alone in a weather delay; without one the passenger cannot fly.
- For seating, pick seats while booking, or phone Reservations, particularly when an assistant travels with you.
- Service animals must be approved two days or more beforehand.
Pregnancy
- Should your due date fall inside four weeks of your flight, bring a certificate from a doctor who recently examined you and says you can fly.
Children travelling alone
- 0 to 4
- Cannot travel alone
- 5 to 7
- Service required; non-stop flights only
- 8 to 14
- Service required; non-stop, or connecting through Charlotte, Washington Reagan, Dallas Fort Worth, New York JFK or LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago O'Hare, Philadelphia or Phoenix
- 15 to 17
- Service optional, but the fee applies if requested; same routing as 8 to 14
- The fee is USD 150 each way plus taxes (7% inside the USA); brothers and sisters on the same flight are included.
- Not allowed on other airlines including codeshare and oneworld partners, with ground or co-terminal connections, on the last flight of the day from the connecting city, or on connections that involve a night's stay.
- Booking is by phone. There is no online or kiosk check-in for these children: come two hours ahead and see a ticket agent with proof of age, the adult's ID and the name, address and phone of the person meeting the child.
- An adult walks the child to the gate and waits until take-off. Service includes early boarding, kids-only lounges at hubs, an escort at the airport for connections, and handover to the named adult on arrival; cabin crew cannot watch the child the whole time.
- Children aged 2 to 14 can travel as accompanied minors with someone aged 16 or over.
Questions travellers ask us
How do I request a wheelchair?
When booking or in your trip's Special Services, or at the airport.
When do I need a doctor's note for pregnancy?
When the due date falls inside four weeks of the flight.
At what age can a child fly alone?
From five, and the service is compulsory up to fourteen.
Baggage Allowance is an independent information site and is not part of American Airlines. Check the airline's own pages before you travel.
1 question and answers
The airline does have Main Cabin Extra seats for normal passengers who are looking for more comfortable journey but these are paid ones. You shall seek details on seats for special needs passengers from airline as it depends on airplane type.