US airlines did better with mobility devices in 2023: Here's how each performed

Zach Wichter, USA TODAY
Updated

U.S. airlines got a little bit better with mobility devices in 2023. The 10 major carriers transported 835,327 wheelchairs and other aids last year, and there were 11,527 reports of damage, according to the Department of Transportation. That’s a rate of 1.38 devices damaged per 100 carried, down from 1.41 per 100 in 2022.

USA TODAY covered incidents of mobility device damage by airlines throughout 2023, and a recurring theme in the reporting was that when wheelchairs or other mobility devices are damaged in transit, it’s akin to broken legs for the person who uses the device.

The DOT tracks these incidents and released full-year numbers in February. The data showed a slight improvement in wheelchair handling across the industry, but for advocates and regulators, it’s still not enough.

“Any number greater than zero is not an acceptable number,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg previously told USA TODAY. “This not only affects your trip, it affects your life.”

Airlines improved slightly in their handling of mobility devices in 2023 compared to 2022.
Airlines improved slightly in their handling of mobility devices in 2023 compared to 2022.

How many mobility devices did the major US airlines mishandle last year?

Here’s are the rankings:

  1. Allegiant Air carried 21,926 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 82 reports of mishandling – a rate of 0.37 per 100.

  2. Delta Air Lines and its regional partners carried 189,263 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 1,292 reports of mishandling – a rate of 0.68 per 100.

  3. United Airlines and its regional partners carried 152,549 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 1,761 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.15 per 100.

  4. Hawaiian Airlines carried 12,270 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 148 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.21 per 100.

  5. JetBlue carried 29,965 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 482 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.61 per 100.

  6. Southwest Airlines carried 212,721 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 3,460 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.63 per 100.

  7. American Airlines and its regional partners carried 146,061 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 2,589 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.77 per 100.

  8. Alaska Airlines and its regional partners carried 30,918 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 568 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.84 per 100.

  9. Frontier Airlines carried 28,125 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 528 reports of mishandling – a rate of 1.88 per 100.

  10. Spirit Airlines carried 11,529 mobility devices in 2023, and there were 617 reports of mishandling – a rate of 5.35 per 100.

Frontier Airlines did not provide comments about their performance. Still, Delta, United, Hawaiian, JetBlue, American, Alaska and Southwest all emphasized that they understand the importance of mobility devices to the travelers who rely on them and pointed out various investments and improvements they have made toward accessibility in recent years.

Spirit Airlines, which had notably worse performance than its competitors, said it aims to improve but did not outline specific steps it was taking.

“We are committed to safely transporting our guests and their mobility devices, and we are looking into this to ensure that the level of service being provided consistently meets our standards,” a statement from the airline said.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did airlines handle mobility devices in 2023? Here are the numbers

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