Mission
Qantas is committed to the carriage of customers with specific needs in a safe, non-discriminatory manner with dignity, whilst ensuring the health and safety of Qantas staff.
Vision
Qantas is the airline of choice for customers with specific needs, providing a travel experience that is comfortable and hassle free, whilst ensuring the safety of Qantas staff and achieving the company's commercial objectives.
The following information may assist passengers travelling with, or requiring the assistance of, mobility aids.
| Mobility Aids and Wheelchairs | Service Dogs |
| Walking Canes, Crutches and Walking Frames | Stretchers |
| Travelling with an Escort or Carer | Passengers who are Deaf or hearing impaired |
Mobility Aids and Wheelchairs
The following information may assist passengers with specific needs.
- You may surrender your mobility aid at check-in or at the departure gate where appropriate assistance will be provided to you.
- You may choose to have your mobility aid delivered to you at the gate lounge upon arrival or you may collect it from the baggage collection area.
- One (1) Mobility Aid per person will be carried free of charge generally, provided it is for your own use. If you have two or more Mobility Aids, generally you will be charged excess baggage for these additional Mobility Aids if your general baggage allowance is exceeded.
- When travelling on narrow-bodied aircraft, your mobility aid will need to meet the specified size dimensions when adjusted or broken down for that aircraft type.
Note: Whilst all reasonable care will be taken, you remain responsible for obtaining insurance in relation to the carriage of your mobility aid.
See our Mobility Aids and Wheelchairs page for more information about making a booking, mobility aid size restrictions, medical clearance and airport procedures.
Walking Canes, Crutches and Walking Frames
Walking canes and crutches may be carried in the aircraft cabin. You may use your cane or crutches to the departure gate and carry it on board the aircraft where it will be stowed in an overhead locker or alternative storage space.
If your walking frame is collapsible and cabin crew can stow it safely, your walking frame can be stowed in the aircraft cabin. For safety reasons, non-collapsible walking frames are not permitted in the aircraft cabin. You can surrender your walking frame at check-in. You will then be transferred to the departure gate in a Qantas wheelchair or people mover. Alternatively, you can use your frame to the departure gate where it can be surrendered for stowage in the aircraft hold.
Travelling with an Escort or Carer
In certain circumstances, Qantas requires an escort or carer to accompany customers who are unable to care for themselves during a flight. An escort or carer may be needed if:
- the passenger is unable to self-toilet,
- the passenger needs or wants to eat and drink during the course of the flight but is unable to do so without assistance,
- the passenger will require medication during the flight but is unable to administer it themselves, or
- the number of passengers in a group travelling with an escort or carer exceeds Qantas Group cabin crew limits.
The escort or carer must be self-reliant, and mentally and physically able to assist the passenger with the following if required:
- toilet and sanitary requirements both on the aircraft and on the ground,
- inflight and ground emergencies,
- carriage of carry on baggage and/or equipment,
- medicating and medical procedures,
- food and beverage consumption,
- immigration and customs procedures, and
- boarding and disembarkation.
For Qantas domestic travel within Australia and New Zealand, customers who require a carer to travel are eligible for a reduced fare for both themselves and their carer, provided that the customer holds:
- a Carer Concession photographic identification card issued by the National Information Communication Awareness Network (NICAN); or
- a Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card with blind entitlement; or
- a Travel Pass for Person with Vision Impairment issued by either New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania or Northern Territory.
Service Dogs
Service Dogs are specially trained to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities. Service Dogs can include Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Mobility Assistance Dogs or any other assistance dog that assist a person with a disability.
All Service Dogs carried by Qantas in the aircraft cabin must be registered as a service animal.
Qantas allows Service Dogs to travel in the aircraft cabin on all domestic and single-sector international flights. From 1 March 2006, as a result of changes to UK quarantine regulations, Qantas also allows the carriage of Service Dogs to the United Kingdom, via Singapore or Hong Kong only.
See our Service Dogs page for more information about quarantine, fares for service dogs, making a booking and travelling to the United Kingdom.
Stretchers
Qantas can provide stretchers onboard most aircraft^. All charges (including the cost of ambulance transfers, change fees and cancellation fees etc) are the responsibility of the passenger.
Customers requiring stretcher services are required to:
- Request the service in advance.
- Contact Qantas Special Handling at your local Qantas office for medical clearance.
- Supply all medical equipment required to travel safely (including, but not limited to, medical equipment and/or medication that is vital for your safe carriage, for example respiratory devices). This medical equipment must have the approval of Qantas Special Handling.
- Supply medical equipment that is compliant with Qantas aircraft, for example equipment with compatible voltage.
- Accept responsibility for arranging ambulance transfers.
If any of the above requirements (including stipulated time frames) have not been complied with by you, Qantas reserves the right to deny you uplift or carriage on the relevant flight until all Qantas policy requirements have been met. For example, by mistake you bring electrical equipment with the incorrect voltage.
Qantas is able to provide limited medical equipment for your travel. You should inform Qantas Special Handling of your requirements in this regard with a minimum of five days for international travel and three days for domestic travel prior to your departure. Qantas Special Handling will confirm whether or not the equipment is available.
All international stretcher passengers must be booked via a medical repatriation organisation, for example organisations used by medical and travel insurance companies. Qantas will not uplift passengers requiring stretcher services on international sectors where the travel has been booked by an individual, rather than by a professional organisation. Domestically, stretcher passengers will be evaluated by Qantas Special Handling on a case by case basis.
Passengers with any unstable vertebral conditions, due to the risk of spinal cord damage during the transportation process, will not be accepted for travel on Qantas services.
Qantas will not accept liability or responsibility for any costs associated with the denial of carriage, for example hotel or hospital costs. However you, and any accompanying passengers, will be able to use any unused portions of your ticket on a future date, subject to availability and only once all applicable policy requirements have been met.
Passengers who are Deaf or hearing impaired
Making a Booking
If you require assistance during your travel with us, let us know the level of assistance you require at the time of booking. If you book at qantas.com, contact your local Qantas office immediately after you have made your booking to advise any specific requirements. Alternatively, you can Email us.
- You are not required to travel with a carer unless you have specific requirements. If you do need to travel with a carer, you may be eligible for discounted airfares. Read Travelling with an Escort or Carer for more information regarding when a carer is required and eligibility for discounted fares.
- If you would like to travel with your accredited Service Dog contact your local Qantas office.
- Customers who are deaf or who have a hearing or speech impairment can call Qantas for information and reservations via the National Relay Service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
| - TTY users phone 133 677 (or +61 7 3815 7799 if calling from outside Australia) then ask for 13 13 13. - Speak and listen (speech-to-speech relay) users phone 1300 555 727 (or + 61 7 3815 8000 if calling from outside Australia) then ask for 13 13 13. - Internet relay users connect to the NRS (see relayservice.com.au for details) then ask for 13 13 13. |
- You are not required to notify Qantas if you wish to bring onboard hearing aids, special headsets for use with our in-flight entertainment system, audio receivers or other battery operated assistive listening devices that do not require aircraft power.
- If you plan to bring onboard a transmitting device or assistive listening device that requires aircraft power, advise us at the time of booking so we can check that it is compliant with our safety requirements.
- A Meet and Assist Service can be provided if you need assistance within the airport. Advise us of this requirement at the time of booking.
At the Airport
- At all Qantas terminals within Australia, we may provide kerbside assistance subject to the availability of staff. Upon arrival at the airport, you must be accompanied by someone who can advise Qantas staff that you require assistance kerbside.
- Due to aviation safety regulations you will not be allocated an exit row seat if you are deaf or hearing impaired.
- A Meet and Assist Service can be provided if you need assistance to and from the aircraft gate. You must request this at the time of booking.
- Advise us, for example, whether you lip read or would like staff to use a pen and paper or to speak louder, as we would like to provide you with the best service possible.
- We provide hearing loops in some airport terminals and airport lounges. Signage will be visible to indicate where this is available.
- We provide captioning on some television programs in some airport terminals and some airport lounges.
On the Aircraft
- You will board first and be provided with an individual safety briefing.
- Text messaging capability will be available in-flight on some aircraft types to assist deaf or hearing impaired customers with some in-flight announcements. The messages display the International Symbol for Deafness in the right hand corner of the screen.
- Where text messaging services are not available, a Flight Attendant will provide individual updates to you during the flight when announcements are made.
- Our standard inflight headsets are compatible with the t-switch found on most hearing aids. Activate your t-switch to obtain the benefits of this technology.
- We provide captioning on some of our inflight entertainment programs and movies.
- Qantas offers three subtitled or captioned English language, English movies on all Qantas services that have Audio Visual On Demand (AVOD) in-flight entertainment systems. This is in addition to a number of foreign language films with English subtitles available on aircraft that are equipped with AVOD.
On Arrival
At your request, we can assist you with flight connections and the transfer of your baggage.
