Special Services

E komo mai! At Hawaiian Airlines, we strive to ensure that all of our guests arrive at  their destinations safely and comfortably – in true Hawaiian style. 

Hawaiian Airlines fully complies with the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), which prohibits discrimination by any U.S. and foreign air carrier on the basis of a physical or mental disability. Want to find out more? You can request a copy of the ACAA at any Hawaiian Airlines airport location or city ticket office, or through our Consumer Affairs Office. You may also print a copy of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations on Non Discrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel (14 CFR part 382).

If you run into any problems when traveling with us, feel free to ask our customer service personnel for a Complaint Resolution Official (CRO). Our CROs are trained in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and DOT disability regulations and will be glad to help with your questions or concerns. CROs are available at all airport locations or via telephone during our scheduled flight service times.

Finally, the DOT has a toll-free hotline to assist passengers with disabilities. To contact DOT or visit their website, click here.

Now let’s get back to you. From booking your flight to traveling with medical devices and service animals, you’ll find info about every step of your journey with us right here.

 

Making Your Flight Reservation

If you have special needs while traveling, you have a few options on how to book your flight. 
  1. Book your reservation online, and then call Hawaiian Airlines Reservation to provide additional information on how we can best accommodate your needs – OR –
  2. Call Hawaiian Airlines Reservations and they can assist you on booking your flight as well as accommodating your needs. 

Please be sure to tell our customer service agent how we can best meet your needs. In addition, let us know: 

  • If you are blind or have limited sight
  • If you are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf and blind
  • If you have a special seating request due to mobility needs or any other disability reason
  • If you are traveling with a Service Animal or Emotional/Comfort/Psychiatric Support Animal (Domestic Travel, International Travel) 
  • If you are traveling with a personal care attendant and need adjacent seating, or if a personal care attendant or medical equipment service company representative will be meeting you
  • If you need assistance to/from the ticket counter and departure gate
If you will be using any assistive devices, please let us know: 
  • If you are transporting and/or using a Personal Portable Oxygen Concentrator or any other Respiratory Assistive Device
  • If you will be traveling with a mobility or other assistive device
  • If you will be traveling with a motorized assistive device
If you are using a wheelchair, let us know:
  • Whether you can go up and down steps
  • Whether you can walk to your assigned seat
  • If you need assistance boarding and/or disembarking the aircraft
  • If you will be traveling with a personal care attendant to assist you
Lastly, let us know:
  • If you are traveling between Pago Pago, American Samoa to Honolulu, Hawaii and require:
    • Supplemental Medical Oxygen, or
    • Travel in a Stretcher 
  • If you need to make any other special request

 

Do You Need to Give Us Advance Notice?

Will you need any of the following? No problem—just give us at least 48 hours advance notice if you need:
  • Supplemental Medical Oxygen 
    • Only available on routes between Pago Pago, American Samoa and Honolulu, Hawaii, OR inter-island travel upon request from an approved third party medical provider. 
    • Note: only approved POC are allowed for use on all other routes. If the passenger requires oxygen, then a POC can be rented by a third party provider. These providers are not affiliated or partnered with Hawaiian Airlines. 
  • Accommodation for Travel in a Stretcher 
    • Only available on routes between Pago Pago, American Samoa and Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Transportation of your mobility or other assistive device that uses a gel cell or wet cell battery 
  • Reservations for a group of ten or more qualified individuals with a disability traveling as a group
If you cannot meet the requirements for advance notice or check-in, we’ll make every effort to provide your requested service if doing so will not delay the flight.

We do recommend that:

  • You check to make sure that a passenger boarding bridge or ramp lift for boarding accommodations will be available at each airport in your itinerary
  • You ask us about the type of aircraft intended for the flights on your itinerary. You should know what type of aircraft you will be flying on and if your particular flight can accommodate your special needs. If necessary, we’ll do our best to find alternatives.

 

Your Seating Accommodations

We understand that some conditions will need certain seating arrangements. Hawaiian Airlines will pre-assign you a seat at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure if you:
  • Will require assistance with a boarding chair to get to/from your seat
  • Will travel with a personal care attendant 
  • Will travel with a service animal 
  • Have a fused or immobile leg
We do require that you travel with a medical escort or personal care attendant if you:
  • Will need to Travel in a Stretcher 
    • Only available on routes between Pago Pago, American Samoa and Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Are unable to understand or respond appropriately to safety instructions from Hawaiian Airlines personnel because of a mental disability
  • Have a mobility disability severe enough that you would be unable to assist in your own evacuation of the aircraft in an emergency 
  • Are both deaf and blind, and you cannot establish communication with or are unable to respond appropriately to a safety briefing or safety instructions from Hawaiian Airlines personnel.
Do any of these situations apply to you? If the answer is yes, let us know by calling your local Sales Team. You will need to provide your own personal care attendant who must act as your Safety Assistant. Your attendant will need to pay the applicable fare when making his or her reservation. 

 

Your Mobility Needs

What’s an Assistive Device?

Assistive devices are:

  • Any piece of equipment that helps a passenger with a disability to cope with the effects of the disability. Assistive devices help people hear, see, communicate, maneuver, or perform other functions of daily life, and may include medical devices and medication
  • Wheelchairs, motorized scooters, walkers, crutches, Segways, canes, braces, portable toilets, and other devices, equipment or items that help people with disabilities.

Traveling with a Wheelchair?

To help make your journey with us as comfortable as possible, please complete the Wheelchair Description Form , print a copy for yourself and submit the request prior to your scheduled flight so that we are able to assist with any special handling needs. 

Do Baggage Fees Apply?

We want to make your journey as easy as possible! Your primary assistive device is free of charge and will not count toward your baggage allowance. There’s also no weight limit for assistive devices. You can bring your assistive device aboard as cabin baggage or check it in, as long as Hawaiian Airlines personnel determine that it can be safely stowed at the time of check-in. Keep in mind that if you pack an assistive device in a suitcase with other items, it will not be exempt from baggage charges. 

At the airport during check-in, a Hawaiian Airlines representative will determine if your assistive device qualifies for transport free of charge. Your primary assistive device will be free, but additional assistive devices not used as a primary assistive device are subject to standard baggage rules and fees. 

Once on board, if we cannot find space in the cabin for your assistive device and you won’t need it during the flight; we’ll tag it for special handling and place in the cargo hold as you board the aircraft. 

 

Day of Travel Tips

Travel days are always a bit of a rush. Please review the information below to make your experience with Hawaiian Airlines a little more relaxing. 

At Curbside 

If you need an airport wheelchair, help with your own wheelchair, or other special assistance, please ask the skycap or porter for assistance, where available.

At the Ticket Counter / Check-in

These tips will help get your journey off to a smooth start:
  • Give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport. Plan your arrival at the check-in counter so that you can get to your departure gate at least one hour prior to your scheduled departure time. If you need help with your mobility device, being at the departure gate at least one hour before departure will let you take advantage of pre-boarding. 
  • Tell us about your special needs at check-in so we can give you proper assistance without delay.
  • If you’d like to stow your wheelchair onboard, let our gate agents know during pre-boarding. All Hawaiian Airlines aircraft have enough space in the passenger cabin to stow one standard-size manual personal wheelchair. Except on through flights, this will give your wheelchair priority over other carryon items. Otherwise we’ll tag the wheelchair for special handling and stow it in the cargo hold of the aircraft.
Let us know if you need any special assistance. In particular, tell us:
  • If you are traveling with an assistive device or mobility aid
  • If you are traveling with a mobility device that requires assembly and disassembly. We ask that you provide written instructions on the proper way to assemble and disassemble your mobility device. We recommend that you complete the Wheelchair Description Form. Please print a copy for yourself and submit the request prior to your scheduled flight to help us assist you with any special handling needs. 
    • Note: If you are traveling with a battery-powered wheelchair, please provide us with your own tools to help us properly disconnect the battery
  • If you require extra time while boarding the aircraft
  • If you require the use of an aisle chair while boarding
  • If you are traveling with a companion who will assist you
  • If you wish to be seated near an accessible lavatory
  • Any other information about your special needs so we can help you properly

At the Gate 

Please let the gate staff know if you have a vision or hearing disability. Let us know where you will be sitting in the boarding area so that we can keep you informed about important announcements before the flight departs or assist you at boarding.

When You Board the Aircraft

If you need extra time or help to board your flight, we’re happy to help. Let us know at the check-in counter or gate. If you need one, we even have a special boarding chair to get you to your seat—it’s much narrower than a standard wheelchair and can maneuver through the aircraft aisles. 
We can help you with transfers as well, as long as you give us clear instructions on how you wish to be transferred from the aisle chair to the aircraft seat. 

During the Flight

At Hawaiian Airlines we strive to do our best to assist our guests with special needs however, there are things we cannot do. We are not qualified to provide certain types of medical assistance or administer or dispense medication. We cannot help with eating or lavatory functions. But, we can provide information about the availability of emergency medical services.

When You Deplane

Do you need extra time exiting the aircraft? A wheelchair waiting at your destination or transfer point? Help with deplaning or getting through the terminal? We can help with all of this. Please let a flight attendant know your request at least 45 minutes prior to landing so we can arrange the help you need before you arrive at your destination.

We’ll need to ask for a bit of patience on your part. To better assist you and for the safety of everyone, we ask that you remain seated until the main flow of passengers has left the aircraft. At that point, it will be much easier for a Hawaiian Airlines representative to come on-board to help you. 

These final notes on mobility devices may also make your trip easier:

  • Canes and Walkers – Feel free to bring these on-board as carry-on items. Just remember to stow them in the overhead storage compartment or under the seat in front of you when you’re not using them. 
  • Wheelchair Service – We have wheelchairs available at all airport locations to transport you between the ticket counter and gate. Ask a representative for assistance if you need this service.
  • Electric Carts - Electric carts are available at some of our airport locations to transport passengers between concourses within the same terminal. Ask a representative for assistance.
  • Inflight Passenger Aisle Chair (IPAC) – All Hawaiian Airlines aircraft have an IPAC for use in the cabin during your flight. Our flight attendants can help you to/from the lavatory.
Please understand that, during certain travel periods, airport wheelchairs are in great demand. We appreciate your patience in the event you have to wait a few minutes for a wheelchair or additional assistance.

 

Will You Need a Medical Certificate?

That depends. We may require a medical certificate—a written statement from your physician saying that you are capable of completing your flight safely without requiring extraordinary medical care during the flight—if: 
  • Traveling between Pago Pago, American Samoa to Honolulu, Hawaii and require:
  • You have a medical condition that gives Hawaiian Airlines reasonable doubt that you can complete the flight safely without requiring extraordinary medical assistance 
  • You have a communicable disease.
Hawaiian Airlines reserves the right to contact its medical advisory service if there is any concern about whether you can safely complete your flight. 

 

Traveling with Battery Operated Assistive Devices

Your battery-operated wheelchair is welcome as checked baggage. Here are some guidelines to help you get your wheelchair in compliance with FAA-mandated shipping requirements before you arrive at the airport.

Wet Cell Batteries 

  • The battery must be disconnected and removed from the mobility aid and carried in a special Hawaiian Airlines-provided and FAA-approved container.
  • Battery terminals must be insulated to prevent accidental short circuit.
  • The container must be leak-proof.
  • The battery must be protected against short circuits and surrounded by absorbent material.
  • The container must be marked “Battery Wet Filled with Acid” and labeled with corrosive labels.
  • Boxes will be provided at check-in and Hawaiian Airlines will pack the battery prior to boarding.

Gel / Dry Cell Batteries 

  • The battery does not need to be removed if transporting in upright position, but wire/connection must be disconnected.
  • Battery terminals must be insulated to prevent accidental short circuit.
  • The battery must be securely attached to the mobility device.
There’s good reason behind these precautions. The 717 aircraft that Hawaiian Airlines uses for inter-island flights will accommodate powered mobility devices, but for safety purposes they must be placed on their side. As a result, batteries must be disconnected and removed.

Segways

For safety purposes, we can only accept Segway Human Transporters that operate on nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Those powered by lithium-ion batteries are prohibited for transportation in the cargo compartment, so we cannot accept them.

 

Traveling with a Portable Oxygen Concentrator

We welcome on board all DOT-approved Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POCs) for your use during your flight. POCs are devices that provide oxygen therapy to patients at substantially higher oxygen concentrations than the levels of ambient air. Please call Hawaiian Airlines Reservations at least 48 hours prior to your flight to let us know your POC needs.  

Unfortunately, we cannot allow POC devices not approved by the DOT and Hawaiian Airlines. If you have a device that is not listed, or if you have questions or concerns about your POC device, we’ll do our best to help. Please complete the Respiratory Assistive Device Approval Request Form. After submitting the online form, a Hawaiian Airlines representative will contact you. We may not be able to approve for inflight use requests for devices submitted less than 48 hours before scheduled departure.

For the complete list of DOT approved POC devices, please click here. 

Batteries

Since Hawaiian Airlines does not have electrical power outlets onboard to support personal assistive devices, please make sure that your POC has 150% battery life—100% to cover the entire flight time plus 50% to cover any unanticipated delays. 

Restricted Items

Does your POC contain compressed or liquid oxygen? These are considered Hazardous Material and are prohibited from check-in, carry-on and use onboard our aircraft. 

Physician’s Statement for Portable Oxygen Concentrator Use

We take very seriously the safety and health of our guests. If you are traveling with a POC, you must have with you a written statement from your physician dated within 30 days of your scheduled departure. The letter must include:
  • An assessment of your ability to travel
  • Verification that you are able to see and hear alarms and respond appropriately; AND
  • Verification of when the oxygen will be required; i.e. for the duration of the trip or a portion of the trip; AND
  • Prescribed oxygen flow rate in liters per minute (LPM) plus any additional information required.
For your convenience, we have created a Physician’s Statement that you can print out and take to your physician. Please keep this completed form on you during travel for inspection by Hawaiian Airlines personnel. And please make sure the letter is complete, since incomplete forms may keep you from being able to board the aircraft.

Do you need oxygen but don’t have a POC? For a list of companies (not affiliated with Hawaiian Airlines) that can help you with your POC needs, please visit our Portable Oxygen Concentrator Provider page. 

 

Your Respiratory Assistive Device

Personal ventilators, respirators and other portable electronic respiratory assistive devices are fine for your use in-flight if a manufacturers’ label or other documentation verifies that they meet FAA requirements. Some devices may not have appropriate labeling because of their date of manufacture. See if yours is on this list of pre-approved personal assistive devices.  

If you are not sure if your device meets requirements, please complete and return the Respiratory Assistive Device Approval Request form no later than 48 hours prior to your initial date of travel. If you have questions, please contact Hawaiian Airlines Reservations.

Carry-on Procedures / In-Flight

Will you need to use a PAP machine during your flight? Here’s what you’ll need to do: 
  1. Let us know that you intend to use the PAP machine on-board.
  2. When you make your reservation and when you check in for your flight, tell us the make and model of the device.
  3. Bring a letter from your treating physician dated within thirty (30) days of departure stating the required use of the device. 

Batteries

While many PAP machines use lithium-ion batteries, only approved models of lithium-ion batteries are permitted on Hawaiian Airlines aircraft. It’s up to you to make sure that you have enough charged batteries for the duration of the flight, plus any unanticipated delays. It’s also your responsibility to make sure the batteries are packed individually to protect them from short-circuiting and physical damage. Batteries protected from short circuit include batteries with recessed terminals and batteries packed so that the terminals do not contact metal objects.

Since Hawaiian Airlines aircraft do not have electrical power outlets for personal assistive devices, make sure you have an ample supply of fully charged batteries—enough to equal 150% of the flight duration.

Non-Approved Items

While we do our best to accommodate the needs of travelers with disabilities, please note that Hawaiian Airlines does not permit use of the following onboard any of our aircraft:
  • Personally owned medical oxygen cylinders
  • Personally owned portable liquid oxygen concentrators
  • Devices requiring external power (from an aircraft power receptacle)
  • Any assistive device that requires the use of an electrical outlet on-board the aircraft.
Transporting these devices without using them is fine, except for liquid oxygen concentrators. As with all personal assistive devices, these must be stowed and/or used in the passenger cabin with applicable TSA, FAA and other regulations governing carry-on baggage.

 

Traveling with Service Animals

Hawaiian Airlines welcomes service animals as essential companions for travelers with disabilities. Service animals travel free of charge and are allowed in any area of the aircraft, as long as they don’t obstruct an aisle or other area that must remain clear in case of an emergency evacuation. You’ll find more information on traveling with your service animal below.
Time for a break? Here’s a list of Animal Relief Areas at select airports Hawaiian Airlines serves. If your airport is not listed, please ask for directions or assistance from our airport representatives.

For more information, please visit our Traveling with Service Animals page. 

Emotional Support and Psychiatric Service Animals

Emotional, comfort and psychiatric support animals? We consider them to be service animals, too. But you’ll need to provide specific documentation to Hawaiian Airlines before the animal can be accepted for travel. 

A letter, not older than one (1) year from the date of the scheduled initial flight, on a letterhead, from a mental health professional or a medical doctor that is treating the person stating the following:
  1. The passenger has a mental or emotional disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition (DSM IV);
  2. The passenger needs the emotional support or psychiatric service animal as an accommodation for air travel and/or for activity at the passenger's destination;
  3. The individual providing the assessment is a licensed mental health professional, and the passenger is under his or her professional care; and
  4. The date and type of the mental health professional's license and the state or other jurisdiction in which it was issued.
Please understand that different states and/or countries do not recognize emotional, comfort and psychiatric support animals as service animals. Check with the local government agencies for entry requirements.

If your animal does not meet entry requirements or has been determined not to be a service animal, emotional support or psychiatric service animal, he or she can still travel as a pet. Here are .Hawaiian Airlines' current pet policies Keep in mind that we cannot accept pets for travel on certain international flights.

 

Your Special Meals

While we don’t offer special meals, passengers with special dietary needs are free to bring their own meals onboard. Just be mindful of TSA guidelines on carrying liquids, including liquid prescription medication.

 

Questions About Other Medical Items?

You’re welcome to bring onboard medical supplies including syringes, nebulizers, and insulin pumps as long as they are approved devices, meet the requirements for the device, and you can show us a doctor’s note (unless otherwise stated below) that states your name, travel period, requirement for such items, and that you do not require extraordinary care in-flight because of the use of these device(s).

Medical Narcotics

Hawaiian Airlines abides by all Federal and State laws regarding medical narcotics. For information about carrying medical narcotics, please contact TSA.

Insulin Pumps

Insulin pumps that don’t use a wireless glucose monitor are welcomed for use onboard the aircraft. Insulin pumps that use wireless glucose monitors cannot be used in-flight, but can be brought onboard at no additional cost provided they fit securely beneath the seat, in the overhead compartment, or on an additional seat that you can purchase for large assistive devices.

Incubators

Unfortunately, we cannot accept incubators on Hawaiian Airlines.

 

Your Allergies In-Flight

While we understand that some people are allergic to peanuts, nut products, animals or other items that may be on our flights or that passengers might bring onto our aircraft, we cannot guarantee allergen-free flights. Please consider the possibility of exposure on any aircraft, particularly when accepting in-flight meals or snacks. If you have an allergy, we strongly advise you to take all necessary medical precautions to prepare for the possibility of exposure.

You’re welcome to bring your own food on your flight. Many people take the precaution of carrying epinephrine (epi-pens) or other suitable self-administered anaphylaxis treatment prescribed by their physician. Please review TSA guidelines on carrying liquid prescription medication and please make sure you keep your medication in your carry-on luggage so you can access it in-flight if you need to.

 

Helpful Forms

We hope these forms will help make your travel with us smooth and comfortable.