All airlines North America
Eastern Airlines
carried free.
- Advance notice
- Not published
- Powered wheelchair
- Not published
- Lithium, battery installed
- Not published
- Cost to carry
- Free
Wet-lease / ACMI operator. Eastern Airlines usually flies aircraft and crew on behalf of other airlines. If your ticket says another airline, that airline’s wheelchair policy governs your booking — but the aircraft’s physical hold limits are this operator’s.
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhoneUS — general customer service (the only telephone number Eastern publishes; NOT identified as a CRO line)
- EmailGeneral customer support (not a disability desk)
- EmailLost / damaged baggage
- Online form
Eastern publishes exactly one telephone number — (844) 867-1916, a general customer-service line buried in the Flight Terms & Conditions — and no disability desk, no TTY, no relay and no Complaints Resolution Official contact, despite being a US carrier subject to 14 CFR Part 382. A site-wide search of the WordPress content for "Complaints Resolution" and for "accessible" returns zero results. The Contact Us page offers only a web form and three mailboxes. Note that the Flight Terms & Conditions print the customer-service address as "customersupport@136.175.218.40" — a publishing error; the working address in the footer of every page is customersupport@goeasternair.com.
Read it from the source
10 of the unanswered fields below share one explanation: Eastern's Contract of Carriage contains no wheelchair-battery rules of any kind — no watt-hour limit, no removal, terminal or documentation requirement, and no distinction between spillable, non-spillable and lithium batteries. The rest carry their own.
Powered wheelchairs & batteries
The part that goes wrong. Battery chemistry and watt-hours decide whether your chair flies, and the rules differ depending on whether the battery can be removed.
Not published as a separate category. Eastern's Contract of Carriage covers "mobility and other assistive devices" generically; the words powered wheelchair, electric wheelchair, mobility scooter and scooter appear nowhere on the site. Separately, Eastern refuses passengers requiring "medical devices requiring electrical power from the aircraft" — an aircraft-power rule, not a battery-chair rule.
Not published — no size limit for a powered mobility aid, and the general 115 in / 292 cm linear checked-baggage limit is expressly disapplied to mobility aids.
Exemption, not a stated ceiling: "With the exception of wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other assistive devices used by a Qualified Individual with a Disability, Eastern will not accept as Checked Baggage any item which exceeds… Maximum Weight: 100 pounds / 45 kilograms." The 100 lb / 45 kg cap therefore does not apply to a powered chair, and Eastern publishes no replacement figure for one.
Not published.
Eastern's checked-baggage section says it "complies with DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations and will not transport hazardous material included herein but not limited to: … batteries …". That word is the ONLY occurrence of "batter" on the entire goeasternair.com website — a site-wide search returns zero results for "battery" — and it flatly contradicts both Eastern's own Assistive Devices clause and 14 CFR Part 382, under which US DOT states "Airlines must accept battery-powered wheelchairs, including the batteries, packaging the batteries in hazardous materials packages when necessary. The airline provides the packaging." Eastern publishes no wheelchair-battery rule at all, so a power-chair user has a federal right but no published procedure and no CRO to call.
Manual wheelchairs
"Mobility and other assistive devices used by a Qualified Individual with a Disability may be carried in the aircraft cabin in addition to the carry-on Baggage allowance", and are checked free of charge if they cannot be carried in the cabin under FAA rules.
Assistive devices may be carried in the cabin in addition to the carry-on allowance, and "Eastern will also assemble and disassemble wheelchairs without charge that will be stored in the aircraft cabin during flight." No stowage dimensions are published.
Not published. Eastern says wheelchairs "will be stored in the aircraft cabin during flight" but gives no closet or stowage dimensions; the US 13 x 36 x 42 in closet figure appears nowhere on the site. General carry-on is 22 lb / 10 kg and 9 x 14 x 22 in (23 x 36 x 56 cm), but an assistive device is carried "in addition to the carry-on Baggage allowance".
No maximum wheelchair size is published. Eastern's 115 in / 292 cm checked-baggage linear limit is expressly disapplied — "With the exception of wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other assistive devices used by a Qualified Individual with a Disability" — with no replacement figure, so there is no stated size ceiling and no hold-door dimension anywhere on the site.
Exemption, not a stated ceiling: "With the exception of wheelchairs, mobility aids, and other assistive devices used by a Qualified Individual with a Disability, Eastern will not accept as Checked Baggage any item which exceeds… Maximum Weight: 100 pounds / 45 kilograms." No replacement figure is published, and "no oversize or excess weight charges will be assessed" on an assistive device.
Not published. Eastern says a passenger using a manually operated wheelchair may remain in it "until the passenger reaches the boarding gate", "while the passenger is moving between the terminal and the aircraft door" and "while the passenger is moving between the terminal and the aircraft" — but says nothing about returning the chair at the aircraft door on arrival.
"To the extent permitted by space and facilities", Eastern lets a passenger stay in their manual wheelchair "until the passenger reaches the boarding gate", "while the passenger is moving between the terminal and the aircraft door" and "while the passenger is moving between the terminal and the aircraft". A carry-on that the passenger cannot lift unaided is still accepted "unless the Passenger requires assistance due to a disability". Assistive devices NOT for the passenger's personal use are only conditionally accepted and may attract oversize/overweight charges.
Booking & cost
No advance-notice deadline is published for mobility aids or assistance anywhere on the 21-page site. The only lead time in Eastern's Contract of Carriage is for a medical certificate, which "must be dated within 10 days of the guest's departure flight". US DOT rules permit a carrier to require up to 48 h notice for certain accommodations, but Eastern states no figure.
Eastern Airlines — Contract of Carriage (Carriage of Passengers with Disabilities: Assistive Devices, Manual Wheelchairs, Limitation of Liability, Seating; Baggage) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Eastern Airlines — page-sitemap.xml (complete 21-page public site inventory) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT — About the Air Carrier Access Act (14 CFR Part 382 requirements: on-board wheelchair, cabin closet priority, battery-powered wheelchair acceptance, CRO) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. Eastern names no assistance-request channel, no accessibility phone line, no SSR/WCHR wording and no online form for special assistance. The only routes in are the general contact form, customersupport@goeasternair.com, and the single general customer-service number (844) 867-1916 printed in the Flight Terms & Conditions.
Eastern Airlines — Contact Us (contact form and e-mail addresses) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Eastern Airlines — Flight Terms & Conditions (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"If the device cannot be carried in the Passenger cabin in accordance with FAA regulations, the device will be checked and carried free of charge in addition to the free Baggage allowance. No oversize or excess weight charges will be assessed." Eastern also "will assemble and disassemble wheelchairs without charge". Assistive devices NOT for the personal use of the passenger are only conditionally accepted and may attract oversize/overweight charges.
Not published — the Assistive Devices clause carries devices free and outside the allowance but gives no per-passenger count, and does not say there is no limit either.
"Eastern's liability with respect to damage to or loss of mobility and other assistive devices shall not exceed the documented original purchase price of the assistive device pursuant to 14 CFR § 382.131. Eastern will also compensate the Passenger for other reasonable expenses incurred as a direct result of the loss of, damage to, or delayed delivery of the mobility or assistive device." The general $3,500 baggage liability cap expressly excludes wheelchairs and mobility aids.
Eastern Airlines — Contract of Carriage (Carriage of Passengers with Disabilities: Assistive Devices, Manual Wheelchairs, Limitation of Liability, Seating; Baggage) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Eastern Airlines — Flight Terms & Conditions (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
On board
Not published — the word "aisle" appears on the site only in service-animal and evacuation wording. This matters: Eastern's fleet is Boeing 777-200ER and 767-300ER, and US DOT rules require an on-board wheelchair on aircraft with more than 60 seats that have an accessible lavatory, and on request with 48 h notice where they do not. Eastern says nothing either way.
Eastern Airlines — About Us (fleet: 6 Boeing 777-200ER, 6 Boeing 767-300ER) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT — About the Air Carrier Access Act (14 CFR Part 382 requirements: on-board wheelchair, cabin closet priority, battery-powered wheelchair acceptance, CRO) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not published. "Lavatory" appears twice on the whole site: the tarmac-delay plan promises "operable lavatory facilities", and the Contract of Carriage says Eastern cannot assist "with elimination functions in the lavatory or at the Passenger's seat". Neither the fleet page nor the 777/767/737 pages mention an accessible lavatory.
Eastern Airlines — Contract of Carriage (Carriage of Passengers with Disabilities: Assistive Devices, Manual Wheelchairs, Limitation of Liability, Seating; Baggage) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Eastern Airlines — Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Eastern Airlines — About Us (fleet: 6 Boeing 777-200ER, 6 Boeing 767-300ER) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Pursuant to 14 CFR § 382.113, Eastern is unable to provide certain extensive inflight special services such as assistance in eating, assistance with elimination functions in the lavatory or at the Passenger's seat, or provision of medical services." Eastern will assist with loading, stowing and retrieving carry-on items including assistive devices.
"When a person identifies the nature of his or her disability, Eastern will, to the extent possible, accommodate the passenger with a seat assignment that suits the passenger's needs, including seating the passenger together with any Safety Assistant or Personal Attendant traveling with the passenger. Persons with a disability will not be prohibited from occupying seats in designated emergency exit rows, except to the extent required by law."
Fleet detail. Eastern publishes no hold-door or hold-compartment dimension. Its fleet is "6 Boeing 777-200ER" and "6 Boeing 767-300ER" — widebodies well over the 60-seat and 100-seat thresholds at which US DOT rules require an on-board wheelchair and priority in-cabin space for a folding wheelchair, neither of which Eastern mentions.
Worth knowing
Eastern Airlines, LLC is classified in the roster as ACMI/charter and its Flight Services page leads with "ACMI & Charters" and "Cargo Services" — but the home page also advertises "Scheduled Passenger Service … between Miami, Florida and beautiful cities of Santo Domingo and Havana", the Passenger page claims "scheduled service authority", and it publishes a full US-style Contract of Carriage, which is the source of everything recorded here. Against that, the Flight Terms & Conditions say "Carrier will accept only tickets issued by Contracted Ticketing Representatives", there is no booking engine, no timetable, no fare page, and even www.goeasternair.com does not resolve in DNS — so a human may want to reconsider operator_type. COVERAGE PROOF: the public site is exactly 21 pages, confirmed two independent ways (page-sitemap.xml and the WordPress REST /wp/v2/pages endpoint agree exactly); 24 guessed accessibility/baggage/customer-service URL shapes all return 404; the media library holds two PDFs, both about SMS messaging. THE BIG GAP: nothing at all about powered wheelchairs or wheelchair batteries — no watt-hour rule, no removal or terminal requirement, no approval route — while the checked-baggage section lists "batteries" among hazardous materials Eastern will not transport, the only occurrence of the word on the site. There is also NO disability or special-assistance page, NO Complaints Resolution Official contact and NO Customer Service Plan, all of which 14 CFR Part 382 and the DOT customer-service rules require a US carrier to make available — a substantive compliance gap, not just a documentation gap. The Contract of Carriage repeatedly points baggage-fee questions to "www.goeasternair.com", a hostname that does not resolve. THE GOOD NEWS, and it is unusually good: carriage of mobility aids is free and outside BOTH the carry-on and the checked allowance, with no oversize or overweight charges; wheelchairs are assembled and disassembled free and may be stowed in the cabin; the 100 lb / 45 kg and 115 in / 292 cm checked-baggage limits are expressly disapplied to mobility aids; and liability is the ACAA full-value rule (documented original purchase price, 14 CFR 382.131) with mobility aids expressly excluded from the $3,500 domestic baggage cap. ALSO NOTE: Eastern may require a Safety Assistant under 14 CFR 382.29 where a passenger's mobility impairment is so severe that they cannot physically assist in their own emergency evacuation — at no charge if the passenger disagrees, with denied-boarding compensation if no seat is available; a medical certificate dated within 10 days may be demanded; and Eastern refuses medical oxygen other than approved POCs, incubators, devices needing aircraft electrical power, and stretchers.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 Eastern Airlines — Contract of Carriage (Carriage of Passengers with Disabilities: Assistive Devices, Manual Wheelchairs, Limitation of Liability, Seating; Baggage) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 Eastern Airlines — Scheduled Passenger Services (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 Eastern Airlines — Contact Us (contact form and e-mail addresses) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s4 Eastern Airlines — home page (ACMI & Charters, Cargo Services, Scheduled Passenger Service) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s5 Eastern Airlines — Flight Terms & Conditions (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s6 Eastern Airlines — Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s7 Eastern Airlines — About Us (fleet: 6 Boeing 777-200ER, 6 Boeing 767-300ER) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s8 Eastern Airlines — page-sitemap.xml (complete 21-page public site inventory) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s9 US DOT — About the Air Carrier Access Act (14 CFR Part 382 requirements: on-board wheelchair, cabin closet priority, battery-powered wheelchair acceptance, CRO) (opens in a new tab) · regulator · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence medium · 8 official sources · 4 contacts · 21% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.