Special Services
Passengers with Disabilities
An individual with a disability means any individual who has a physical or mental impairment that, on a permanent or temporary basis, substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.
A qualified individual with a disability is defined as an individual with a disability who obtains a valid ticket, comes to the airport for a flight, and meets the nondiscriminatory Contract of Carriage requirements that apply to all passengers.
Seat Assignments and Seating Accommodations
Silver Airways may not exclude any qualified individual with a disability from any seat or require that an individual with a disability sit in any particular seat on the basis of disability EXCEPT in compliance with Exit Seating regulations.
Advance Notice Requirement
Silver Airways may require up to 48 hours advance notice and one-hour advance check-in concerning a qualified individual with a disability who wishes to receive any of the following services:
- Transportation for an electric wheelchair.
- Hazardous material packing for a battery for a wheelchair or other assistive device.
- Accommodation for a group of 10 or more qualified individuals with a disability, who make reservations and travel as a group
Advance notice is also required for bringing a Portable Oxygen Concentrator on board, see more in our POC policy.
If a qualified individual with a disability provides advance notice to Silver Airways and the individual is forced to change to the flight of another carrier because of the cancellation or delay of the original flight, Silver Airways personnel will provide rerouting assistance to the individual. This may include, but is not limited to, assistance with reservations and ticketing, the provision of ground transportation to the second carrier, and/or assistance in securing appropriate services from the other airline.
Passengers using Wheelchairs
Passengers using wheelchairs will be accepted unaccompanied. There is no limit to the number of accompanied or unaccompanied non-ambulatory travelers accepted on any Silver Airways flight.
Silver Airways accepts all types of wheelchairs and carts including folding or non-folding, manual, and electric. One wheelchair per passenger will be transported at no extra charge in addition to the normal bag allowance.
Silver Airways aircraft cannot accommodate wheelchairs in the aircraft cabin. All wheelchairs travel as checked or gate-checked baggage placed in the aircraft’s baggage compartment. Wheelchairs and other assistive devices have priority over valet baggage belonging to other passengers who board in the same city.
For any questions regarding wheelchairs please call our Guest Relations team at +1-801-401-9100.
Passengers using Crutches or Walkers
Passengers using crutches or walkers are acceptable for carriage and, depending upon the extent of their disability, may or may not need assistance; however, Silver Airways personnel will always extend an offer to give assistance as needed.
Crutches or canes can generally be stowed in the cabin (under the passenger’s seat, in the overhead compartment, or wardrobe), but must never be stowed in the path to or adjacent to an emergency exit. Walkers may be stowed in the baggage compartment due to their size/shape. Care must always be exercised to avoid damage by shifting cargo, and should always be loaded for easy access at the destination station.
Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) approved by the FAA, may be carried and used onboard Silver Airways’ flights at no charge, in accordance with specific FAA guidelines.
Passengers needing to use a POC on board should advise Silver Airways of their oxygen requirement when making reservations. Passengers using a POC who make reservations with a travel agent or on the internet need to contact Silver Airways Reservations
in advance of travel to ensure Silver Airways has all of the necessary information and can assist the passenger in meeting travel requirements. Silver Airways requires 48 hours advance notice and check-in one hour before the check-in time for the
general public to use a Portable Oxygen Concentrator onboard the aircraft. Failure to meet this requirement will result in denied use of the POC during travel.
Flights operated by Silver Airways do not have an in-seat power source. The passenger must ensure he or she has ample batteries to power the POC for the duration of the flight, any ground connection time where the POC is planned to be used, plus three
additional hours to allow for unanticipated delays.
The passenger must ensure all extra batteries are properly protected from short-circuiting by having recessed battery terminals or by packaging the batteries so they do not contact metal objects, including the terminals of other batteries.
The passenger must have a signed written doctor's statement. We suggest printing this Medical Verification Statement.
The doctor's statement must:
• State the user of the POC has the physical and cognitive ability to see, hear and understand the device's aural and visual cautions and warnings and is able, without assistance, to take appropriate action in response to those cautions and warnings
• State whether or not oxygen use is medically necessary for all or a portion of the flight(s) listed on the passenger's itinerary
• Specify the maximum oxygen flow rate in liters per minute corresponding to the pressure in the cabin of the aircraft under normal operating conditions
• State the expected total operating time (duration) of the POC extends the entire length of the flight plus three hours.
• Must be kept by the passenger and provided upon request to Silver Airways’ personnel at any time during travel.
Some seating restrictions apply:
• The POC must be able to fit under the seat in front of the passenger
• A passenger using a POC may not be accommodated in any designated over-wing or floor-level exit seat
Portable oxygen concentrators are considered assistive devices. They do not count toward baggage limits whether or not they are used onboard.
Note: When connecting to or from any other airline, the passenger is responsible for notifying and making independent arrangements directly with the other airline.
Please view the current list of FAA-approved POC here.
Other POC brands and models may be carried in the cabin with the batteries removed, if they meet Silver Airways’ assistive device carry-on size and weight requirements or they may be transported as checked baggage.
Safety Assistants
Silver Airways will require that a qualified individual with a disability, meeting any of the following criteria, travel with a safety assistant as a condition of carriage on the grounds of safety.
- A person who, because of mental disability, is unable to comprehend or respond appropriately to safety-related instructions.
- A person who has both severe hearing and severe vision impairments, and cannot establish some means of communication with carrier personnel adequate to permit the transmission of the required safety briefing.
- A person with a mobility impairment is so severe that the person is unable to assist in his/her evacuation of the aircraft.
Service Animals
Silver Airways will permit a trained service animal to accompany a qualified individual with a disability. A service animal should sit in the floor space in front of the passenger's assigned seat but cannot protrude into the aisles. Passengers may use an approved in-cabin kennel no larger than 17” L x 16” W x 9” H for smaller animals provided its use meets stowage requirements. Exit row seating is prohibited. Effective January 11, 2021, a customer traveling with trained service dogs will be required to fill out a DOT form confirming the animal meets training and health qualifications. The customer should present the documentation at the ticket counter or at the departure gate. Additional documentation may be required for an animal traveling to international destinations.
Emotional Support Animals
Effective January 11, 2021, Silver will no longer accept emotional support animal bookings on any Silver or Seaborne flight. This change follows a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which states carriers are no longer required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals. The DOT's final rule is available here. Effective with the new DOT rule, emotional support animals will be transported in accordance with pets in cabin policies and procedures for those that qualify. Silver and Seaborne continue to accept domestic cats, dogs, and household birds for transportation, subject to the policies already in effect.
General Prohibition of Discrimination
Silver Airways does not discriminate against any qualified individual with a disability in the provision of air transportation.
The amended rules to implement the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 contain certain requirements designed to address issues that have arisen in providing air travel to individuals with disabilities. The regulations are intended to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to air transportation and that carriers do not impose restrictions on such passengers except those necessary to the safe carriage of all passengers.