Status: Checked against official sources on 18 October 2026
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What are SSR codes?
SSR codes (Special Service Request codes) are the four-letter entries attached to an airline booking to record a service a passenger needs, such as wheelchair assistance, a special meal, or approval to travel with a service animal. An SSR is a request filed against a passenger and a flight rather than a standing entitlement, and each airline sets its own deadlines and conditions for accepting one — American Airlines, for example, requires service-animal approval at least 48 hours before the flight. [2]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- An SSR records a request, not a promise: American Airlines needs service-animal approval at least 48 hours before the flight, while wheelchair needs can be raised in advance or with a team member at the airport on the day of travel. [2]
- Requests are handled per booking: American takes them on the passenger-details page as a trip is booked, or afterwards from the trip's Special Services section. [2]
- Some needs change whether you fly at all — American may decide a safety assistant is required and will not carry the customer without one. [2]
What do SSR codes record on a booking?
In plain terms, an SSR is a short code held in the booking record next to a passenger or a flight, telling the airline and its ground staff what that traveller will need. The format is standardised across the industry, which is why the same shorthand is understood by carriers, handlers and agents that never deal with each other: WCHR for a passenger who needs a wheelchair to reach the aircraft door, VGML for a vegetarian meal, PETC for a pet travelling in the cabin.
That standardisation covers the code, not the answer. A code says what is being asked for; the airline's own rules decide whether it is accepted, whether it must be filed within a notice period, and what actually happens on the day.
Airlines do not always show travellers the letters. American Airlines labels the requests in its booking flow by service name — “wheelchair assistance”, “traveling with a service animal” — and groups them into wheelchair assistance, travel with your own mobility or medical device, individual assistance for hearing, vision, cognitive or developmental disabilities, and travel with a service animal. [2] Travelling with your own mobility or medical device is treated as its own request type, while the baggage side of that trip is covered in the checked baggage allowance checklist. [2]
How do you add a special service request to an American Airlines booking?
American Airlines accepts requests either while the booking is being made or afterwards from the trip itself. During booking there is an “Add special assistance” section on the passenger-details page; for a trip already booked, the traveller opens the trip with the confirmation code or by signing in to an AAdvantage account and selects “Special Assistance” in the Special Services section. [2] American says a coordinator will contact the traveller before the trip, and that customers with specific needs can call directly. [2]
| Request | What American Airlines sets out |
|---|---|
| Wheelchair assistance | Recommended in advance via “Add special assistance” when booking or managing the trip; can also be raised with a team member at the airport on the day. Covers transport to and from the gate, between gates for connections, and to baggage claim. [2] |
| Own mobility or medical device | Listed as a separate request type alongside wheelchair assistance. [2] |
| Hearing, vision, cognitive or developmental assistance | American groups these under “individual assistance.” For cognitive or developmental disabilities, it helps customers board, deplane and connect flights. Hearing: inform a gate agent or flight attendant if you need help hearing important flight information; open captioning is available for safety videos. Vision: inform a ticket agent if you need help checking in or reaching your gate; request a courtesy wheelchair, arm assistance or directions when booking or managing the trip on aa.com or the American app, or when arriving at the airport. [2] |
| Service animal | Approval required at least 48 hours before the flight. [2] |
Is a special service request confirmed, or only noted?
The answer depends on the service and the carrier. Some requests carry a deadline and an approval step — at American Airlines a service animal needs approval at least 48 hours before the flight. [2] Wheelchair assistance runs the other way: American recommends requesting it in advance, but also accepts a request from a team member at the airport on the day of travel. [2] The first is a cut-off, the second a recommendation.
Other items are written as best efforts. American says it will do its best to find the most comfortable and usable seats for a customer's needs, and customers needing special assistance can ask to board early at the gate. [2] A recorded preference for a particular seat is therefore not the same as a confirmed allocation.
One request can change the conditions of travel rather than deliver a service: for cognitive or developmental needs, American may determine that a safety assistant is required, and where it does, the customer must be accompanied by one. Otherwise American will not allow the customer to fly until a safety assistant is available. [2]
What should you check after a booking change?
At American Airlines the request is found in the trip's Special Services section, so it is worth reopening that section after any booking change and checking that the request is still shown; the same section is where a request is added or amended after booking. [2] American also handles trips that include flights with partner airlines — British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qantas and Qatar Airways — as a separate case on its special-assistance page, so on a journey split across carriers it is worth checking the request with each airline. [2] Airport-side arrangements for connections are covered in accessible airport connections.
Which requests do you raise again at the airport?
Some of American's services are set up to be triggered in person, even when they were entered on the booking. Hearing assistance is requested from a gate agent or a flight attendant, and American asks deaf or hard-of-hearing travellers to say so even when they need no assistance, so that a safety briefing and flight updates reach them. [2] Vision assistance is requested from a ticket agent when help is needed checking in or reaching the gate, or by asking for a courtesy wheelchair, arm assistance or directions when booking, managing the trip, or arriving at the airport. [2]
Other day-of items: wheelchair needs can be raised with a team member at the airport, early boarding can be requested from the gate agent, and a seat belt extension is requested from a flight attendant or gate agent — only extensions provided by American may be used. [2] The trip itself is identified by the booking reference and the e-ticket number.
Exceptions and limits
Safety assistant. American may require a safety assistant if a customer cannot follow agent instructions to evacuate the terminal, cannot follow the in-flight safety briefing and crew instructions, cannot take care of personal needs relating to food, hygiene and medical conditions, cannot wait alone in a designated area until an escort arrives, or cannot check into a hotel alone during weather delays. The assistant needs a ticket, bought by the traveller. [2]
Extra seats. A customer who needs more than one seat must book the additional seat by calling Reservations; American says Reservations will secure two adjacent seats at the same fare, and that if a seat with more space in a higher cabin is offered, the fare difference is payable. If the extra seat was not booked in advance, an airport agent can check whether two adjacent seats are available, and if the original flight cannot meet the need, seats on a different flight can be bought at the original price. [2]
Scope. These instructions are American's own, and sit inside a framework set by the Air Carrier Access Act, which the U.S. Department of Transportation enforces and which applies to flights within, to or from the United States. [2] Air travel accessibility is one of the passenger-experience policy areas listed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), described there as making flying as hassle-free as possible. [1]
Frequently asked questions
What does SSR stand for?
Special Service Request. It is a four-letter code held against a passenger and a flight in the booking, used to tell airline staff what the traveller needs beyond standard service.
Is a special service request guaranteed?
No. Acceptance, notice periods and conditions vary. At American Airlines a service animal must be approved at least 48 hours before the flight, whereas wheelchair assistance can also be arranged with a team member at the airport on the day of travel. [2]
How do I add wheelchair assistance to an American Airlines booking?
Select “Add special assistance” on the passenger-details page while booking, or open the trip, go to Special Services and choose “Special Assistance” afterwards. The assistance covers transport to and from the gate, between gates for connections, and to baggage claim. [2]
Can an airline require me to travel with a safety assistant?
Yes. If American determines that a customer needs a safety assistant, the customer must be accompanied by one; otherwise American will not allow the customer to fly until a safety assistant is available. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The request lists and advance-notice periods of other airlines, and the handling of service requests by alliances such as oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam, are not covered here.
- IATA passenger experience and policy pages, checked 18 October 2026
- American Airlines special assistance, checked 18 October 2026