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Philippine Airlines
Powered wheelchairs accepted · carried free · 72 h notice · no watt-hour cap on an installed battery.
- Advance notice
- 72hours before departure
- Powered wheelchair
- Yes
- Lithium, battery installed
- No stated limit
- Cost to carry
- Free
Who to contact
Transcribed from the airline’s own pages, exactly as it labels them.
- PhoneManila, Philippines — PAL Reservations Hotline (used for special assistance requests)
- PhoneUnited States / Canada — PAL toll-free Reservations Hotline
- EmailAccessibility and disability assistance feedback — Customer Relations
- Online form
- Online form
- Relay / text"Aside from telephone systems, PAL will continue to provide alternative means of communication such as emails, mobile chat channels (Viber, Whatsapp, Messenger), Web Chat, and VoIP (Voice over internet protocol)." No TTY or text-relay number is published.Alternative communication channels
- Relay / textPrint (PDF) and audio (MP3) versions are published; the audio file is at philippineairlines.com/content/dam/palportal/migration/files/pal-accessibility/complete.mp3. A copy can also be requested by email through the Online Disability Assistance Form.PAL Accessibility Plan in alternate formats
PAL publishes no dedicated disability telephone line — the Reservations Hotline handles special assistance, and a full list of country numbers is behind the "Global Reservations Hotline" article on pal.my.site.com (a JavaScript-only Salesforce site that could not be read). PAL's US wheelchair notice says a trained Complaint Resolution Officer (CRO) "is always available at our airports"; note that the Canada Accessibility Plan uses "CRO" for its Customer Relations Office instead. The postal address differs between sources: the live page gives "Manager – Customer Relations, Lucio K. Tan, Jr. (LKTJ) Center, Andrews Avenue, Pasay City, Philippines, PO Box 1300"; the 2024 Accessibility Plan PDF gives "PNB Financial Center, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Ave., Pasay City".
Read it from the source
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.
Powered wheelchairs and electric mobility aids are carried if PAL is told "at least 48 hours in advance through our Reservations Hotline" and the device meets the international safety regulations — "if your powered equipment does not comply with these regulations, we regret that we are prohibited by law to load it on board the aircraft". Packing requirements depend on the battery type; PAL publishes a full battery table.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Lithium-powered chairs are accepted. Non-collapsible / non-removable battery: it stays in the device with terminals insulated and the chair switched off. Collapsible / removable battery: it must be removed, insulated, placed individually in a protective pouch and carried as cabin baggage.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL states explicitly for a lithium battery that is not removable and stays attached to the chair: "No battery power rating (WH) limitation." The battery must remain securely attached, terminals insulated, and the chair switched off and protected from accidental activation.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
For a collapsible chair with a removable battery: "The power rating of the battery must not exceed 300Wh*, or for devices fitted with two batteries, not exceed 160Wh each" (*Watt hours (Wh) = Amp hours (Ah) x Voltage (V)). The removed battery goes individually in a protective pouch as cabin baggage.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"You're allowed to take one spare battery not exceeding 300Wh, or two spare batteries not exceeding 160Wh each. They must be carried as cabin baggage."
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Maximum count is two: "one spare battery not exceeding 300Wh, or two spare batteries not exceeding 160Wh each" — two only if each is 160 Wh or less. Spares must be carried as cabin baggage.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Depends on the design. Non-collapsible equipment / non-removable battery: the battery stays in the device. Collapsible equipment / removable battery: "the battery(ies) must be removed" — lithium batteries into the cabin in a protective pouch, non-spillable wet batteries into checked baggage in a protective pouch, spillable wet batteries into checked baggage in strong, rigid, leak-proof packaging.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Non-spillable wet batteries: on non-collapsible equipment the battery stays in the device, securely attached, terminals insulated, chair switched off. On collapsible equipment with a removable battery "the battery(ies) must be removed... protected from short circuit by insulating the terminals... packed in a protective pouch, which must be checked in." Dry cell: "No restriction" — the chair is simply checked in, switched off and protected from accidental activation.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Accepted. If the chair can be stowed upright, the battery stays attached with terminals insulated and the chair switched off and protected from accidental activation. If it cannot be stowed upright, "the battery(ies) must be removed and carried in a strong, rigid, leak-proof packaging, which must be checked in", secured upright in protective packaging surrounded by compatible absorbent material.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
For every battery type: "The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit by insulating the terminals (e.g. by taping over exposed terminals)" and "the wheelchair/mobility aid must be switched off and protected from accidental activation." Removed batteries must also be insulated and packed in a protective pouch or rigid packaging.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No battery spec sheet, MSDS or manufacturer certificate is required. The only paperwork PAL mentions is a Medical Information Form (MEDIF), which "you may be asked to complete" and submit to a PAL ticket office at least 72 hours before departure when requesting an aisle/cabin wheelchair or the passenger lift.
The same cargo-hold table applies: "To help you further prepare for bringing your personal wheelchair or mobility scooter, please see the cargo dimensions below." Smallest main hold is the A321 aft compartment at 47.56 in (120.8 cm) high with a 55.43 in (140.8 cm) bottom width. These are hold dimensions, not a stated maximum chair size.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No maximum weight is published for a powered wheelchair or mobility scooter.
Not published. PAL does not say whether a powered chair is returned at the aircraft door; the arrival description covers staff assistance from the gate to baggage claim and the curbside.
PAL's published cargo-dimension table covers only the B777-300ER, A330-343, A350-941 and the A321 family — no figures are published for the PAL Express turboprop network. "Please note that the aircraft may change without prior notice."
Manual wheelchairs
Manual wheelchairs are accepted. "Your manual wheelchair can be checked in as baggage if it folds to within a space of 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches without the need to remove or disassemble any part of it." Canes, walking sticks, crutches and foldable walkers may go in the cabin free of charge subject to space, and are checked in if the cabin is full.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Not clearly published. PAL lists only canes, walking sticks, crutches and foldable walkers as mobility aids that "can be taken on board the cabin of the aircraft free of charge subject to space availability"; wheelchairs are described as going to the cargo hold, and the 13 x 36 x 42 inch folding figure is published under checking the chair in as baggage rather than as a cabin closet rule.
No in-cabin stowage dimensions published. PAL's 13 x 36 x 42 inch folded bounding box (33.0 x 91.4 x 106.7 cm) is attached to checking the chair in, not to cabin stowage: "Your manual wheelchair can be checked in as baggage if it folds to within a space of 13 inches by 36 inches by 42 inches without the need to remove or disassemble any part of it." PAL nowhere offers in-cabin stowage for a wheelchair, so the figure is not recorded here as a cabin-stowage limit; nor is it recorded as max_device, because PAL words it as a sufficient condition for check-in rather than a maximum.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL publishes cargo-hold dimensions, not a stated maximum chair size: "Prior to booking, passengers are encouraged to check if their wheelchairs can fit in our aircraft's cargo hold" (US wheelchair notice; the identical table is on the main Senior Citizens and PWDs page). Smallest main hold in the published table is the A321 aft hold — height 47.56 in (120.8 cm), bottom width 55.43 in (140.8 cm); the A321 forward hold is 48.90 in (124.2 cm) high and widebody main holds 65.75-67.60 in (167-171.7 cm). Bulk holds are lower still (down to 32.28 in on the A321, 45.2 in on the B777). Forward/aft compartment lengths (317-799 in) are run lengths, not a chair limit, so no length is recorded. PAL's separate 13 x 36 x 42 in folding figure is written as a check-in criterion, not as a published maximum chair size. Full table in aircraft_hold_note.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No maximum wheelchair weight is published; PAL publishes cargo-hold dimensions instead and asks passengers to check whether the chair fits before booking.
Not published. PAL describes arrival assistance as deplaning last, then "our attendant will assist you from the arrival gate, help you in claiming your baggage and bring you to the arrival curbside" — it does not say the chair itself is returned at the aircraft door or jet bridge.
Check in at the Special Courtesy Check-in Counters 2 hours before a domestic flight or 3 hours before an international flight; you and one companion may use the courtesy lane. Curbside assistance points exist at NAIA Terminal 2, and buses serving the bus gates at NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are fitted with ramps. "Regulations on carriage of mobility aids may differ from airport to airport. Please check the requirements of the airport you will be traveling through."
Booking & cost
72 hours is the strictest published deadline: an aisle or cabin wheelchair, and the passenger lift at NAIA Terminal 2, Cebu and Davao, must be requested "at least 72 hours before your flight", and a Medical Information Form (MEDIF) may be required at a PAL ticket office at least 72 hours before departure. Powered wheelchairs and other self-owned mobility aids need "at least 48 hours in advance"; general special assistance and airport wheelchair assistance also 48 hours.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Please let us know what type of assistance you need during your journey at the time of booking or at least forty-eight (48) hours before your flight." "You can also request for special assistance by submitting a Disability Assistance Form at least 48 hours before your flight." Aisle/cabin wheelchairs and the passenger lift must be requested by ticket office or hotline at least 72 hours ahead.
PAL Accessibility Services (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Mobility aids like canes, walking sticks, crutches and foldable walkers can be taken on board the cabin of the aircraft free of charge subject to space availability." A personal mobility device "may be stored in our cargo hold as checked baggage and will not be counted as part of your free baggage allowance". Airport wheelchair assistance, on PAL's US wheelchair notice: "Is there a cost for wheelchair assistance? No, this service is completely free."
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
PAL does not publish a number of mobility devices carried free per passenger; it says only that a personal device or equipment carried in the hold is not counted against the free baggage allowance.
"For damaged, delayed or lost baggage, the liability limitations under the Montreal Convention (for International Flights), the Philippine Air Passenger Bill of Rights (for Domestic flights) and PAL's Conditions of Carriage shall apply." A passenger may declare a value above those limits before departure; "the charge is USD1.00 for every USD100.00", based on evidence, "with a maximum limit of USD 2,500.00". Published in PAL's Accessibility Plan for flights to and from Canada; PAL's US notice adds: report damage to a PAL agent or CRO before leaving the airport.
US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 PAL Accessibility Plan and Feedback Process — for flights to and from Canada (PDF, print version dated 31 January 2024) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
On board
"We also have aisle or cabin wheelchairs which can fit through the aisles inside our aircraft. With these wheelchairs, our attendant can assist you to your seat. Our cabin crew can also assist you in going to and from the lavatories during your flight using these cabin wheelchairs." Request at least 72 hours before the flight.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29 US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
No accessible-lavatory specification is published. PAL states only that cabin crew can assist you to and from the lavatories in flight using the onboard cabin wheelchair.
Attendants with aisle/cabin wheelchairs assist passengers to their seat and to and from the lavatory in flight; passenger lifts for boarding are available at NAIA Terminal 2, Cebu and Davao. "For your comfort and safety, we recommend that you travel with a personal assistant or companion at least 18 years of age if you will need assistance with: meal consumption; lavatory usage; medical services or administration of medication; following Safety procedures."
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
"Passengers entitled to special seating accommodations include: passenger who is unable to transfer over fixed armrests and requires aisle chairs to board the aircraft; passenger with very limited or no mobility in the cabin; ... passenger travelling with a personal companion needing assistance throughout the flight — companion will be provided an adjacent seat; ... passenger with a fused or immobilized leg." PAL recommends selecting seats 24 hours in advance via the reservations hotline; advance seat reservation is subject to availability.
Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · read 2026-07-29
Fleet detail. PAL publishes cargo-hold dimensions in inches for its international fleet. B777-300ER: forward 799 L x 66 H, top width 164, bottom width 125; aft 638 L x 66 H, same widths; bulk 176 L with section heights 66, 66, 61.5, 60.9, 49.4 and 45.2. A330-343: forward 591.26 L x 67.60 H, top 163.62 / bottom 125.16; aft 485.20 L x 65.75 H, same widths; bulk 159.01 L, height 70.75 front to 59.33 back, bottom width 95.35 to 54.76. A350-941: forward 638.7 L x 66.02 H, top 164.21 / bottom 125.31; aft 538.86 L x 66.02 H; bulk 98.42 L, 65.98 H, top width 159.06/100.47, bottom 106.30/46.93. A321 fleet: forward 316.93 L x 48.90 H x 103.54 wide; aft 321.02 L x 47.56 H, top width 103.54, bottom width 55.43; bulk 159.01 L, height 47.68 front to 32.28 back, top width 103.54 to 61.34, bottom 55.43 to 38.11. No figures are published for the PAL Express turboprops.
Worth knowing
Philippine Airlines publishes its whole mobility policy in English on one long accordion page ("Senior Citizens and PWDs"), plus a US DOT wheelchair notice and a PDF Accessibility Plan written for the Accessible Canada Act. Region check: the pages cited here are the /us/en/ locale, but the /ph/en/ copy of the Senior Citizens and PWDs page is word-for-word identical (same 48/72-hour deadlines, same battery table, same cargo-hold tables), so those rules are PAL's general policy and not a US-only undertaking. Only the US DOT wheelchair notice (free wheelchair assistance, CRO at the airport) and the Canada Accessibility Plan (Montreal Convention / excess-valuation figures) are region-scoped, and each is flagged as such in the fact detail. PAL's 13 x 36 x 42 in folding figure is deliberately not recorded as a dimension: PAL words it as the condition for checking a manual wheelchair in as baggage, neither as a cabin-stowage closet nor as a stated maximum chair size. The battery table is unusually generous and explicit: a lithium battery that is NOT removable may stay in the chair with "no battery power rating (WH) limitation", while a removable one must come out, must not exceed 300 Wh (or 160 Wh each on a two-battery device) and travels in the cabin, with one 300 Wh or two 160 Wh spares. Spillable wet batteries are accepted, including left installed if the chair can be stowed upright. Real gaps: PAL publishes no maximum chair weight or stated maximum chair size, only cargo-hold dimensions in inches for the B777-300ER, A330-343, A350-941 and A321 — nothing for the PAL Express turboprop network, where a chair is far more likely not to fit; and it never says whether the chair is returned at the aircraft door. Boarding passenger lifts exist only at NAIA Terminal 2, Cebu and Davao. Advance notice is layered: 48 hours for a powered chair and for general assistance, 72 hours for an aisle/cabin wheelchair or a passenger lift, with a MEDIF possibly required 72 hours ahead. The Salesforce help centre (pal.my.site.com), which holds the Global Reservations Hotline list and the online Disability Assistance Form, is JavaScript-only and could not be read, so only the Manila and US/Canada numbers are recorded here.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these.
- s1 PAL Accessibility Services (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s2 Senior Citizens and PWDs (wheelchair assistance, battery table, cargo-hold dimensions) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s3 US DOT Wheelchair Assistance — wheelchair notice for flights to and from the United States (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s4 PAL Accessibility Plan and Feedback Process — for flights to and from Canada (PDF, print version dated 31 January 2024) (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
- s5 Special needs and request (opens in a new tab) · official · read 2026-07-29
Record quality
Record status researched · confidence high · 5 official sources · 7 contacts · 79% of the fields this reference tracks are answered. Newest source read 29 July 2026, the day before this page was built. What these mean.