Code definitions reflect standard airline industry usage; individual airlines may describe the levels slightly differently. Booking advice follows the UK Civil Aviation Authority's published special-assistance guidance, checked 2026-10-03.
Why airlines use codes
Behind every wheelchair assistance booking is a Special Service Request (SSR) code attached to your ticket. Airlines and their ground handlers use these codes to know, before you arrive, what kind of equipment and how many staff to send to your flight. If the code says you can walk short distances, a buggy or an escort may be enough; if it says you cannot walk at all, they will bring an aisle chair to get you to your seat. The system only works if the code matches your actual needs - which is why it pays to know what you are asking for.
WCHR: wheelchair for distance
WCHR is the code for a passenger who can walk short distances and climb steps, but needs a wheelchair to cover longer distances in the terminal. In practice this usually means a chair (or sometimes a buggy) from check-in to the gate, after which you walk onto the aircraft yourself. Older travellers who tire easily, or people recovering from an injury who can manage stairs but not a kilometre of terminal, are the typical WCHR cases.
WCHS: cannot use steps
WCHS covers passengers who can walk to their seat once on board, but cannot manage steps - so they need to be carried or lifted up the aircraft stairs, or boarded via an ambulift, and seated with an aisle chair if needed. If you can walk on flat ground but stairs are the problem, this is the code to ask for.
WCHC: full assistance to the seat
WCHC is for passengers who cannot walk at all and need to be carried to and from their seat, typically using an aisle chair for the cabin. The assistance team stays with you from the terminal all the way to your seat and meets you again on arrival. Because this needs the most staff and equipment, getting the code right in advance matters most here.
How to make sure the right code is on your booking
Airlines decide the code from what you tell them, so be specific about what you can and cannot do: can you walk short distances? Climb steps? Transfer between seats on your own? Vague requests get vague equipment. Book the assistance when you book your flight - the UK Civil Aviation Authority's guidance is to request at least 48 hours before travel - and keep written or printed confirmation. Reconfirm 48 hours before departure and again on travel day, especially if your itinerary changed. And repeat the request for every leg of your trip, including connections and the return flight: one booking line does not automatically cover them all.
