Guests with special needs traveling to and from the U.S.

Check-in

At all airports where Air Serbia operates, specially trained ground staff are at the disposal of our passengers with special needs. To complete all pre-flight procedures on time and without rush, we recommend passengers with special needs to be at the airport at least 90 minutes before the last check-in time. It is especially important to follow this instruction at large or congested airports or those you are not familiar with. We strongly advise you to find more information about the airport you will be traveling to or from on the airport's official web site.

Оn the following link you can find more information about Air Serbia check-in services and deadlines. The purpose of the deadlines is to guarantee that flights depart on time.

Boarding and Disembarking Procedures

Our staff will be happy to assist you with boarding, disembarkation and connecting flight procedures in case you find these activities difficult due to a speech, hearing, visual or any other impairment. Please let us know about any such need when making your reservation. We advise you to inform ground staff at the check-in or transit desk of any special service you have booked so they can be fully aware of the arrangement and guarantee you the requested service.

Please note that boarding or disembarking through air bridges may not be available at many airports due to intense traffic, and aircraft may be parked at remote stands on the tarmac. If you are unable to ascend or descend stairs and you have informed us of this in advance, we will provide an alternative boarding device. This may require engagement of additional man power and equipment, including specially adapted trucks.

For safety and privacy reasons, passengers requesting special assistance may board the aircraft first. For the same reasons, these passengers will be the last to disembark upon arrival. If you are transiting at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and need special assistance, please make sure your service request is filed properly and on time, before you start your journey.

Assistance we will provide at the airport:

• assistance with registration at the check-in counter
• assistance in proceeding to the boarding area
• assistance in boarding and disembarking
• assistance in proceeding to the general public area or to a representative of another carrier (for connecting flights)
• transfer between your own mobility aid and a mobility aid provided by the local airport
• making brief stops at a restroom or food service facilities while moving through the terminal, provided that these facilities are available on route to the boarding or connecting point and that such stops will not cause unreasonable delay
• assistance to a passenger with carry-on and gate-checked baggage if the passenger is unable to carry these items.

Flight Connections

All Air Serbia scheduled flights operate to or from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (Terminal 2). At this Airport you will not need to transfer between terminal buildings as all departures are from the same building complex.

If your journey includes connecting flights, additional security checks and terminal changes may be required. For a smooth connection and to avoid inconvenience, it is important to arrive on time at the airport of departure to complete all procedures in good time.

Before the indicated deadline you must have your boarding pass and your baggage must have been checked in. If you require assistance in leaving the aircraft, more time than the recommended minimum connection time is advised for reaching your connecting flight. Where and if needed, we will offer to help you catch a connecting flight. You can read more here about Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport connections.

Air Serbia Premium Lounge

Air Serbia Premium Lounge at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is situated in the transit area between gates A5 and A6. Our lounge is fully accessible, and has specially equipped toilets and showers for passengers with special needs.

For more information please visit the Air Serbia Premium Lounge page.

Traveling with your own wheelchair/mobility aids

Air Serbia will carry your own wheelchair and other mobility aids on our flights free of charge.

The transport of your own wheelchair or other mobility aids must be approved by the airlines operating your flight(s). Please notify us in advance (either at the time of booking or after, but at least 48 hours before the flight) that you wish to take a wheelchair or other mobility aids aboard. This will allow us to make all preparations for you. If you are traveling with your own wheelchair or mobility aid, it is important that you check in on time.

If you are carrying an electric wheelchair, additional time may be needed to prepare it for loading. Оn the following link you can find more information about Air Serbia check-in services and deadlines. The purpose of the deadlines is to guarantee that flights depart on time.

Your own wheelchair or mobility aid as checked baggage

Air Serbia will accept mobility aids on its flights free of charge as priority checked baggage. This includes, but is not limited to: electric wheelchairs, scooters, manually operated rigid-frame or folding wheelchairs, a walker, a cane, crutches or braces, provided these aids do not contain batteries, which are forbidden to be carried as checked baggage.

Removable parts of your wheelchair (e.g. a footrest) should be transported in your hand luggage which will be considered as extra permitted hand luggage. If this is not possible, we ask you to have these securely taped to the wheelchair. Since the transport of mobility aids requires special treatment, we strongly advise you to indicate at the time of booking the dimensions, weight, and type of your wheelchair or mobility aid, and whether it is foldable. If you will be traveling with an electric wheelchair, you should also indicate the type of batteries it uses. Air Serbia will take all possible precautions to prevent any damage to your wheelchair or mobility aid during the flight.

You can choose whether you check your wheelchair in or use it in the arrival or departure hall. If you are checking your wheelchair in, attach a tag with your contact details to it.

If you decide to use your own wheelchair, you should indicate this when you make your reservation. Your wheelchair will be labelled as hold baggage during check-in, but will be loaded onto the aircraft at the gate. In order to load your wheelchair properly and not to delay the flight, you are requested to present yourself at your departure gate early, to board the aircraft before other passengers. Our ground staff at the gate will assist you and your traveling companion, if any, to board the aircraft.

If you use your own foldable, manually operated wheelchair, Air Serbia will allow you to stay in the wheelchair to the extent permitted by space and facilities:

• until you reach the boarding gate
• while you are moving between the terminal and the aircraft door and
• while you are moving between the terminal and the aircraft

A Delivery at aircraft (DAA) baggage tag will be attached to the wheelchair at check-in and it will be loaded directly onto the aircraft.

Upon arrival, your wheelchair can be returned to you at the gate. If this is not possible, your wheelchair will be taken to the baggage claim area and placed next to your flight's baggage belt. When you arrive at the transfer point, local airport staff will provide you an airport wheelchair and accompany you to the gate of your connecting flight. Your wheelchair will be transferred and loaded directly to the aircraft scheduled to operate your next flight. If your connecting time is short, we do not recommend the use of your own wheelchair.

Airport wheelchairs

To enable us to confirm your special service request and provide you the right assistance, it is important for us to know your needs. Once you have booked your flight, please contact us.

In accordance with international aviation rules, passengers using wheelchairs are classified in the following categories:

• WCHR (WCH - wheelchair, R - ramp) - The passenger can climb and descend the stairs of the aircraft and proceed to the seat in the cabin but needs a wheelchair to cross the distance to/from the aircraft.
• WCHS (WCH - wheelchair, S - stairs) - The passenger cannot climb or descend the stairs of the aircraft but can proceed to the seat in the cabin. He/she needs a wheelchair to cross the distance to/from the aircraft and must be carried up/down the stairs.
• WCHC (WCH - wheelchair, C - passenger cabin seat designator) - The passenger is completely immobile, needs a wheelchair to cross the distance to/from the aircraft, and must be carried up/down the stairs and to/from the seat in the passenger cabin.

Please inform us at least 48 hours before flight departure if you need to use a wheelchair at the airport. It will be provided free of charge by the local airport service department.

Once you have completed your request for assistance we will advise you on available seating options. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Airport wheelchairs are used between check-in and boarding gate, between two gates in case of transfer to a connecting flight and upon arrival. Wheelchairs are available for use at every airport where Air Serbia operates. Please be aware that airport wheelchairs are not suitable for manual operation by the passenger, so a member of the ground staff or your traveling companion must push it for you. You will be escorted to the aircraft according to the classification above.

At some airports the ground staff may choose to use an electric buggy to transport passengers with mobility impairments from one location to another.

If you wish to use your own wheelchair when connecting to another flight, the local ground staff will make every effort to make your own wheelchair ready for you at the gate, if the airport where you are making your transfer allows this, and if you have requested this service in advance. We recommend you to inform the ground staff at the airport of departure in good time if you would like to use your own wheelchair.

If you are continuing your trip with another airline, we will not be able to confirm your booking until we receive approval for your transport from the other airline.

Accepting your wheelchair or mobility device in passenger cabin

Providing there is enough space, we will accept manually operated folding wheelchairs and small mobility aids in the aircraft cabin free of charge. This includes but is not limited to: a walker, cane, crutches, braces or medical device. Please inform the check-in agent and contact staff at the boarding gate for further information and assistance.

Accepting battery-powered (electric) wheelchairs 

Electric wheelchairs must always be checked in as hold baggage. traveling with an electric wheelchair may require additional time to prepare your wheelchair for loading. Оn the following link you can find more information about Air Serbia check-in services and deadlines. The purpose of the deadlines is to guarantee that flights depart on time.

You must specify the following so that we can store your electric wheelchair or mobility device safely on board: Type of wheelchair/mobility device

• Dimensions
• Weight
• Number of batteries installed
• Type of batteries used (for electric wheelchairs)

Our ground staff will ensure that you are accompanied on time to the gate in an airport wheelchair. If you are fully dependent on your wheelchair please contact us.

The safety of our flights and the well-being of our passengers is our top priority. Battery-powered wheelchairs and mobility devices are loaded in such a manner as to keep them safe and protected from being damaged by the movement of other load items. However, there may arise situations in which we cannot carry your wheelchair or mobility device:

• If unintentional operation of the electric mobility device cannot be prevented
• If the weight and size exceed the loading capacity of our smaller aircraft

Air Serbia accepts the following types of wheelchairs and mobility aids:

• dry-cell battery (non-spillable) wheelchairs or other mobility aids
• wet-cell battery (non-spillable sealed) wheelchairs or other mobility aids
• lithium ion batteries
• manual power wheelchairs or other mobility aids

Regrettably, we cannot accept on our flights wet-cell battery (spillable) wheelchairs or other mobility devices.

Handling terms of battery operated wheelchair or other mobility aids

To avoid damage to the aircraft and ensure flight safety, battery-powered wheelchairs or other mobility aids will be accepted for carriage on condition that the instructions below are strictly followed.

The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit, e.g. by being enclosed within a battery container, the battery securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility aid and electrical circuits inhibited.

The battery-powered wheelchair or mobility aid must be secured against movement in the cargo hold and must be carried so that it is protected from being damaged by the movement of baggage, mail or cargo.

We recommend you to make advance arrangements with us.

How do we transport wheelchairs or mobility aids with non-spillable dry or wet batteries?

Where a battery-powered wheelchair or mobility aid is specifically designed to allow its battery to be removed by the user (e.g. collapsible), the battery must be removed. The wheelchair or mobility aid may then be carried as checked baggage without restriction. The removed battery must be placed in strong, rigid packaging which must be carried in the cargo compartment. The battery must be protected from short circuit. We will inform our pilot in command about the location of the packed battery.

How do we transport wheelchairs/mobility aids with lithium ion batteries?

Where a battery-powered wheelchair or mobility aid is specifically designed to allow its battery to be removed by the user (e.g. collapsible), the battery must be removed. The wheelchair or mobility aid may then be carried as checked baggage without restriction. The batteries must be protected from short circuit by insulating the terminals (e.g. by taping over exposed terminals). The removed batteries must be protected from damage by placing each battery in a protective pouch and carried in the passenger cabin.

Removal of the batteries from the device must be performed by following the instructions of the manufacturer. The battery must not exceed 300 Wh or, for a device that is fitted with two batteries required for operation, each battery must not exceed 160 Wh. A maximum of one spare battery not exceeding 300 Wh or two spares each not exceeding 160 Wh may be carried.

We will inform our pilot in command about the location of the mobility aid with an installed battery or the location of a lithium ion battery when removed and carried in the cabin.

Please let us know at least 48 hours before departure what kind of battery your wheelchair uses.

Service dogs

A service dog is dog, regardless of breed or type, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability.

Dogs that fit the definition of service dogs include, but are not limited to: Guide Dogs or Seeing Eye Dogs, dogs that warn of sounds or that recognize various signals (Hearing or Signal Dogs), dogs that provide assistance to people with mobility difficulties (Mobility Assistance Dogs), Psychiatric Service Dogs, dogs that recognize an epileptic seizure (Seizure Response Dogs).

You are allowed to travel with a maximum of two service dogs.

To determine if your dog is a service dog, we may require the following as a token of confirmation:

• Ask you whether the dog is required to accompany you because of a disability
• Ask you what work or task the dog has been trained to perform
• Observe the behavior of the dog
• Check the presence of harnesses or vests

Emotional support dogs

According to U.S. DOT (Department of Transportation) final rule, (14 CFR Part 382, [Docket No. DOT–OST–2018–0068, RIN No. 2105–AE63, Travelling by Air with Service Animals), for the tickets issued on/after 11 January, 2021, emotional support dogs will no longer be recognized by airlines as service animals since they do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disability.

These animals are therapy aids that provide people with therapeutic contact, usually in a clinical setting, to improve their physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning.

According to above mentioned DOT final rule, emotional support dogs will be recognized as pets only and will be transported as pets in cabin, provided they fulfil conditions required for transportation of pets. Accordingly, you will have to carry them on our flights exclusively in pet transport carrier and pay a certain fee for their transportation.

If your ticket is issued before 11 January, 2021 for travel on/after 11 January, 2021 we will not treat your emotional support dog as a pet and you will be allowed to carry it into the cabin as an emotional support dog free of charge, according to previous rules.

Psychiatric Service Dogs

Psychiatric service dogs are treated the same as other service dogs because they are also individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability.

If you travel with this mentally supported dog, we will no longer require you to provide us with Letter from licensed mental health professional confirming that you need to travel with this dog.

Conditions of acceptance

We will always do our best to accept you and your service animal on our flights.

At the same time we need to ensure that it does not negatively affect the health, safety and mental and physical well-being of the other passengers and crew. It must also not interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the aircraft.

In order to ensure the conditions mentioned above, Air Serbia will allow a service dog to accompany you on board the aircraft under the following conditions:

• We need your advance notice, at least 48 hours before departure that you will be travelling with your service dog.
  You are required to submit, up to 48 hours before the time of departure, a completed U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Air Transportation Form (Air Transportation Form), which includes your attestation of a service animal’s training, good health and behavior. Obtaining relevant information up to 48 hours before the time of departure will give us greater opportunity to assist you and more time to reach out to you if the documentation you submitted is incomplete or deficient (e.g., if the service animal’s rabies vaccination expires before the flight date). Download U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (pdf)
• In addition, if your flight takes eight hours or more, you are required to complete the U.S. Department of Transportation Service Animal Relief Attestation Form i. e. documentation that, in case of flights lasting 8 hours or longer, your service animal would not need to relieve itself on the flight, or that the animal can relieve itself in a way that does not create a health or sanitation issue on the flight. Download U.S. DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (pdf)
• If you make booking within 48 hours before travel, we will try to accommodate you and your service dog if this can be done by making reasonable efforts and without delaying the flight. In that case, you can submit the above required form (s) at the departure gate on the date of your travel.
• We recommend you have the completed forms with you throughout your journey. The form (s) must be current. This means that they you should complete them on or after the date when you purchased your airline ticket. Kindly send the completed form (s) to Air Serbia Call Centre (callcenter@airserbia.com) for their insight.
• The service dog must be under your direct control and care at all times. This may be by means of a proper harness, leash or other tether. However, if you are unable to hold a tether, even because of your disability, or its use would interfere with the service dog's safe, effective performance of its tasks, we may deny transport of your service animal. In this case, you can chose to travel with a service animal handler who would be responsible for maintaining control over the animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and you are not able to control the animal, we have the right to deny it access onboard. Uncontrolled barking, growling, jumping on other people, running away from the handler or relieving itself in the gate area or cabin, or doing so in a way that creates a health or sanitation issue on the flight are examples of unacceptable behaviour for a service dog.
• To the extent permitted or required by law, Air Serbia reserves the right to deny the transport of any service dog when reasonably necessary, at Air Serbia`s sole discretion, for the comfort or safety of passengers or crew members or for the prevention of damage to the property of Air Serbia or its passengers or staff.
• Also, if you failed to complete the required form (s) such as:
  • U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form (pdf) and
  • U.S. DOT Service Animal Relief Attestation Form (pdf) , if necessary,
  we may deny transport of your service dog.
• We may not require you to check-in physically at the airport, rather than using the online check-in available to the general public, due to the fact that you are travelling with a service animal.
• However, if you make a booking within 48 hours before travel, and want to submit the above required form (s) at the departure gate, we recommend you come to the airport earlier.

Seating

Please advise us in advance of the size and weight of your dog.

Air Serbia will try to assign you a seat that provides sufficient space for you and your service dog. The dog must be small enough to fit on the floor at your feet, or in the space under the seat in front of you or on your lap, without invading another passenger's seat area during the entire flight. The dog does not have to be in a container. Your dog may not occupy a passenger seat.

If you want to travel with large service animals, please be aware that you are not entitled to more space than you purchased. In this case, you have the option of purchasing an additional seat in advance to ensure that your large service animal is accommodated on the aircraft.

In addition, we can offer to accommodate your dog by moving it to another seat location within the same class of service allowing for the animal’s accommodation, if available, such as a seat next to an empty seat on the aircraft.

You and your service dog may not sit in emergency exit rows, as you may not obstruct an aisle or other area that must remain unobstructed to facilitate an emergency evacuation.

Obtaining documentation required for travel of your service dog

Please note that some governments do not allow the entry of service dogs, and restrictions vary by country. We recommend you contact the appropriate consulate or embassy to make sure that all necessary procedures are followed.

You must be in possession of an entry document and other documents for your service dog, required by the country of departure, entry, and transit. Your dog must be accompanied by valid health and rabies vaccination certificates required at transit, transfer, destination, and journey interruption points.

Air Serbia will not be responsible for denied entry to or transit through any country to animals that are not accompanied by the above required documents and health certificates.

You are fully responsible for injury, illness, or death of your animal, unless due to negligence or error on the part of Air Serbia.

Interline Travel

If you are travelling on a flight of our Interline partner or Code Share partner, please contact their reservation service for their policies on service dogs.

On-board wheelchairs

Air Serbia provides an on-board wheelchair on its flights to and from the US. Our flight attendants are trained in the operation of this wheelchair and will assist you during boarding and disembarkation and with its use to and from the lavatory. Please inform us when booking your flight, and at least 48 hours before flight departure, that you need an on-board wheelchair.

All our aircraft on flights to or from the U.S. are equipped with accessible lavatories that may be used only by persons with disability.

Services we offer on board

We offer the following assistance on board to passengers with special needs:

• transfer between on-board wheelchair and your seat,
• assistance in stowing and retrieving your carry-on baggage including mobility aids and other assisting devices,
• assistance in moving to and from an aircraft lavatory,
• a special meal that must be requested in advance, when booking your flight,
• limited assistance with meals, such as opening packages, identifying items, and cutting large food portions,
• inquiring periodically during the flight about your needs,
• briefing you and any attendant on emergency procedures and the layout of the cabin,
• effective communication with passengers who have visual impairments or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, so that these passengers have prompt access to the information the carrier provides to other passengers (e.g. weather, on board services, flight delays, connecting gates at the destination airport etc.).

Disabled passengers with learning or developmental disability

Passengers with learning or developmental disabilities who are traveling alone must be able to understand safety instructions. Our staff will provide you individual safety briefings and briefing in the event of delays. If this is not possible, the passenger should fly with a companion.

Seating restrictions and assignments

When you inform us about your needs and the assistance you require, we will make every effort to accommodate you according to your preferences, including seating you together with any safety or personal attendant, or seating in row that enables enough space for your respiratory assistive device or service dog. Please note that for safety reasons we cannot offer you seats in exit rows.

If you have mobility issues you may want to use a seat with a movable aisle armrest. A certain number of armrests on our aircraft are movable, so that you can access your seat easily and comfortably.

Flight assistants

Unless Air Serbia determines that a safety assistant is essential, Air Serbia will accept the assessment made by or on behalf of a person with a disability concerning self-reliance. Once advised that the person is self-reliant, Air Serbia will not refuse any person with disability who is not accompanied by a personal attendant, or on the assumption that the passenger may require extraordinary assistance from airline staff.

A self-reliant person is one who is independent, self-sufficient and capable of taking care of all his or her physical needs during the flight and who requires no special or unusual attention beyond that afforded to the general public, except that assistance in boarding and disembarking may be required.

A person is "self-reliant" if he or she is independent in the following areas:

• Breathing without additional oxygen, meaning a passenger should not be reliant on supplementary medical oxygen.
• Feeding - a passenger should be capable of feeding him- or herself. The cabin crew may assist with opening food containers, describing catering arrangements or cutting large food portions.
• Lifting - the passenger should be capable of moving from an on-board wheelchair to a passenger seat. The cabin crew cannot lift or carry a passenger.
• Toileting - the passenger should be capable of using the toilet facilities unaided. The cabin crew can assist passengers to and from the toilet door, but cannot assist within the toilet for reasons of hygiene.
• Medicating - the passenger should be capable of administering his or her own medicines and medical procedures. The cabin crew cannot provide medical services to a passenger, except first aid if necessary.

Personal flight assistant

If you are not self-reliant (capable of taking care of all your physical needs independently during the flight) then a personal flight assistant at least 16 years of age is required to travel with you to take care of your needs.

Please inform us if you are self-reliant or not in good time by contacting the Air Serbia Contact Centre. If your ticket is issued by a travel agent, we kindly remind you to inform your travel agent accordingly.

Accompanying safety assistant

An accompanying safety assistant will be required for person with a disability as a condition for providing transport, if Air Serbia determines that such an assistant is essential for safety, such as in but not limited to the following circumstances:

• A passenger is traveling in a stretcher or incubator. The safety assistant for such a person must be capable of attending to the passenger's in-flight medical needs.
• A passenger is unable, due to a mental disability, to comprehend or respond appropriately to safety related instructions from airline staff, including the pre-flight safety briefing.
• A passenger is unable to physically assist in his or her own evacuation from the aircraft because of a severe mobility impairment or,
• A passenger is unable to establish a means of communication with Air Serbia personnel sufficient to receive the safety briefing due to having both severe hearing and visual impairments.

Lavatory accessibility

Wheelchairs are available onboard our flights to and from the U.S. to assist passengers to move to and from the aircraft lavatory. Our aircraft deployed on flights to and from the U.S. are equipped with spacious lavatory, please contact us if you need more information. Our cabin crew are unable to assist with using the lavatory facilities.

Service for passengers using a wheelchair

When you arrive at your destination, local airport staff will help you disembark. To make your trip as comfortable as possible and to protect your privacy, you will be asked to leave the aircraft after the other passengers.

The ground staff will provide you an airport wheelchair to the place where you retrieve your baggage and then to the airport exit.

When you arrive at a transfer point, local airport staff will provide you an airport wheelchair and accompany you to the gate of your connecting flight.

When you arrive at your final destination, your own wheelchair (if this has been placed in the hold) will be returned to you when you leave aircraft or when you retrieve your checked baggage.

If you find that your baggage is delayed, damaged or destroyed, you should report your problem to the local lost luggage office. If you are unable to do this alone, the local airport staff that accompany you will help you to report your problem.

Service for visually or hearing impaired passengers

When you arrive at a transfer airport to transfer to a connecting flight, the local airport staff will accompany you to connecting flight. When you arrive at your final destination, the airport staff will accompany you to the place where you will retrieve your checked baggage, and then to the airport exit.

If you find that your baggage is delayed, damaged or destroyed, the local airport staff that attend to you will help you to report your problem to the local lost luggage office.

Hospital and ambulance arrangements 

Ambulance and hospital admission or transfers arrangements are the responsibilities of the passenger. We do not make ambulance or hospital admission arrangements.