American launches new way to tag wheelchairs, mobility devices

American Airlines is trying to make it easier to travel with mobility devices.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier announced this week that it is launching new automated tags for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. These tags display traveler- and device-specific information, including itineraries and routing, as well as the device's weight and battery type.

Having all of this information automatically stored in a tag will allow ground handlers to easily understand what needs to be done with each device.

Previously, these tags were manually written for each device that was checked, so this move will not only save time but also hopefully reduce the number of mishandled mobility devices.

American is the first U.S. airline to launch these automated tags, a product developed in-house by the airline's technology team.

"American is committed to improving the travel experience for our customers who use wheelchairs and mobility devices. Streamlining the check-in and tagging process is an industry-leading effort that will help us further improve how we handle wheelchairs for our customers who entrust us to transport their devices on their journey," Julie Rath, American's senior vice president of airports, reservations and service recovery, said in a statement.

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These tags are now available at all airports where American and its regional partners operate under the American Eagle brand.

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In fact, this is just the latest improvement to how American handles mobility devices. The airline recently launched new hands-on training for ground handlers and customer service agents who handle these devices; this is in addition to the existing web-based training.

The airline has also added more wheelchair movers and lifts at many of its hubs and outstations with high mobility device traffic, lowering the risk of damaging a device or harming an employee.

Beginning this fall, American will allow travelers to save and apply their travel preferences to the booking page. This means American Airlines AAdvantage profiles will include flags for whether you plan to travel with a mobility device or service animal. You'll then be able to easily apply these preferences to any upcoming trip when managing on American's website.

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