Qatar Airways strives to cater to the needs of our customers with special needs.

In order to better serve you, we request that you contact us and advise us of your specific needs at the time of booking and at least 48 hours prior to your flight.

Some guidelines on the special assistance that we offer are described below. In case you have any specific query then please obtain clarification from your travel agent, or contact the local Qatar Airways office or call centre.

Mobility assistance at the airport

Qatar Airways provides mobility assistance service to help you through the airport. It is advisable to let us know of your requirements at the time of making your booking and at least 48 hours prior to your flight.

Facilities on board the aircraft

Qatar Airways aircrafts are generally equipped with the following on board facilities:

• Seats with moveable / lifting armrests that facilitate seating for passengers with reduced mobility. We will try to give you a seat that serves your requirements. However, due to certain safety considerations we will be unable to allocate a seat at the emergency exit.
• Toilets / lavatories on most of our aircrafts are equipped with facilities such as hand rails.
• Our wide bodied aircrafts (Airbus A330/340 and Boeing 777) are equipped with a special on-board wheelchair. This facility, however, is not available on narrow bodied aircrafts. Wide bodied aircrafts are generally used on flights more than 5 hours duration.

Personal wheelchair

If you intend to travel with your own wheelchair or use other mobility aid then please inform us either at the seat booking stage or after you have made your booking. We will carry your wheelchair or mobility aid free of charge. The following is pertinent with respect to mobility aids:

• You will be able to use your personal wheelchair or mobility aid wherever possible. However, another wheelchair will be used to take you to your allocated seat on the aircraft.
• Battery powered wheelchairs and mobility aids will be accepted as checked baggage and kept in the aircraft hold. We will not accept transport of a damaged or leaking battery.
• Please provide sufficient details about your wheelchair/mobility aid and batteries to our staff prior to travel. This will enable our staff to better assist you as well as to take adequate safety measures.

Flights to and from U.S.

• Our aircrafts have storage space in the passenger cabin for one folding / collapsible or “Manual” wheelchair or other mobility aids such as canes, crutches and walkers. The space is allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
• If space is not available in the passenger cabin, your wheelchair or mobility aid will be carried in the aircraft hold as checked baggage. Wheelchairs with spillable batteries will be accepted only on the U.S. flights.

Attendants / Escorts

Attendants are generally not required for passengers with reduced mobility. However and depending on the particular circumstances, for safety reasons one or more Attendants will be required in the following situations:

• Passengers on a stretcher or in an incubator
• Passengers who suffer from intellectual disability or impairment, are hearing or visually impaired and or who are unable to understand the safety briefing, advice and or instructions given by the crew in an emergency situation including information communicated in accessible formats.
• Passengers who are unable to unfasten their seat belt, leave their seat and reach an emergency exit unaided, retrieve and fit a life jacket or put on an oxygen mask without assistance.
• Passengers who require personal care assistance with any supplementary oxygen system, eating or use of the toilet facilities. The cabin crew cannot assist with these activities.

Visually impaired passengers

Please advise us as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements to escort you to and from the aircraft.  Our crew will offer safety briefings and the necessary assistance during the flight.

Hearing impaired passengers

Please advise us as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements to escort you to and from the aircraft.  Our crew will offer safety briefings and the necessary assistance during the flight. The in-flight safety video displays subtitles in English.

Travelling with Service Dogs

Qatar Airways permits free of charge carriage of a service dog in the passenger cabin only on itineraries that include flights to or from the USA. On all other routes, a service dog will not be allowed in the passenger cabin but will be carried free of charge in the aircraft hold. No other type of service animal is permitted in-cabin on any other flights.

For U.S. itineraries, the following requirements need to be completed for the service dog:

• You must notify our reservation office or call centre at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure and check-in one hour prior to the standard check-in time
• You must provide evidence at the time of reservation or at the time of check-in at the airport that the accompanying dog is a service dog and the dog will not need to relieve itself during the flight or you can adequately manage dog’s waste without creating any health and sanitation issue on the flight.
• You must bring whatever absorbent or other material required for this purpose. We encourage you to prepare the dog for the flight by exercising the dog and limiting its fluid intake before the flight.
• We recommend the use of a safety harness for the dog for use during take-off, landing, or whenever the “fasten seat belt” sign is illuminated
• If you are accompanied by an emotional support or psychiatric service dog then in addition to the above requirements, you need to provide certification from a licensed mental health professional. The certificate must be on that professional’s letter head, signed and not older than one year from the date of the scheduled flight.
• If your service dog cannot be accommodated at your seat location then we will offer you another seat if available on the aircraft. The service dog, however, cannot be seated where it may obstruct aisle or emergency exit area or affect leg space in front of passenger sitting next to you.

Other additional needs

Please contact us if you require any other assistance from Qatar Airways. A list of our office contact details can be found here.

Conditions of Carriage

For further details please also refer to our Conditions of Carriage.