Amadeus Lesson 11: Special Meals & Wheelchair Requests (SSR)

A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Special Service Requests in Amadeus GDS

Welcome to Lesson 11 of our Amadeus Course for Beginners. So far, you’ve learned how to build, price, and ticket a complete PNR. But professional travel agents go one step further — they take care of the passenger’s personal needs by adding Special Service Requests (SSR). These include special meals, wheelchair assistance, unaccompanied minor handling, and many other services. In this lesson, we’ll show you how to add these using the SR command with the correct SSR codes — with a full video demonstration at the end.

What Is an SSR?

An SSR (Special Service Request) is a standardized 4-letter code used across all Global Distribution Systems to communicate specific passenger needs to the airline. Each SSR is transmitted to the carrier, and the airline confirms whether it can be fulfilled. Some SSRs are free, others require a fee, and a few must be approved manually by the airline before departure.

Step 1: Add a Special Meal (SR)

Special meals are requested using the SR command followed by the meal code. The general format is:

• SR – The Special Service Request command
• VGML – The 4-letter meal code (Vegetarian Vegan Meal in this example)
• -P1 – Applies to passenger 1 (use -P2, -P3, etc.)

The most common meal codes you’ll use as a beginner are:

• VGML – Vegetarian Vegan Meal
• VLML – Vegetarian Lacto-Ovo Meal
• MOML – Muslim Meal
• KSML – Kosher Meal
• HNML – Hindu Meal
• CHML – Child Meal
• BBML – Baby Meal
• DBML – Diabetic Meal
• GFML – Gluten-Free Meal
• LFML – Low Fat Meal
• LSML – Low Salt Meal
• SFML – Seafood Meal

Step 2: Add Wheelchair Assistance (WCHR / WCHS / WCHC)

Wheelchair requests use specific codes depending on the level of assistance needed:

• WCHR – Wheelchair for ramp only (passenger can walk short distances and climb stairs)
• WCHS – Wheelchair for steps (passenger cannot climb stairs but can walk to the cabin seat)
• WCHC – Wheelchair for cabin seat (passenger is completely immobile)

To request a wheelchair, use the SR command with the wheelchair code and the airport reference:

• WCHR – The wheelchair SSR code
• CAI – The airport code where assistance is needed
• -P1 – Applies to passenger 1

For a passenger needing assistance at both departure and arrival airports, add two separate entries — one for each airport code.

Step 3: Other Useful SSR Codes

Beyond meals and wheelchairs, these SSRs come up frequently in day-to-day operations:

• UMNR – Unaccompanied Minor
• PETC – Pet in Cabin
• AVIH – Animal in Hold
• BSCT – Bassinet (infant cot)
• EXST – Extra Seat
• SPEQ – Sporting Equipment
• MEDA – Medical Case
• DEAF – Deaf Passenger
• BLND – Blind Passenger

Step 4: Save the PNR Again

After adding SSRs, always save and retrieve the PNR with the ER command. The airline will then receive the request and return either HK (confirmed) or UN (unable to confirm, sometimes called “need”) status. If the status shows UN, contact the airline directly to resolve it before departure.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

The most frequent errors when adding SSRs include: using an incorrect SSR code, forgetting the passenger reference (-P1), adding the request after the airline’s deadline, ignoring the UN status after saving, and confusing similar codes (WCHR vs. WCHS vs. WCHC). Another common mistake is adding a meal request for the wrong passenger in a multi-passenger PNR — always double-check the -P reference. Finally, remember that not all SSRs are free. Some (like EXST or PETC) carry a fee that must be collected from the passenger before departure.

Video Lesson

Watch the practical, step-by-step walkthrough in the video below:

Conclusion

Special Service Requests are what separate an average booking from a professional one. Using the SR command with the correct SSR codes, you can add special meals, wheelchair assistance, and dozens of other services that make travel smoother for passengers with specific needs. Always respect airline deadlines, verify the SSR status after saving, and confirm fees where applicable. In the next lesson, we’ll cover seat selection and seat requests — how to reserve a specific seat for your passenger.