Lufthansa special assistance

Lufthansa asks you to register assistance requirements as early as possible and at least 48 hours before departure. Notify later and Lufthansa says it will do all it can, but that assistance cannot be guaranteed. Wheelchairs and up to two mobility aids are carried free of charge, and some conditions need clearance from Lufthansa's Medical Operation Center. Call Airlaza on +1-888-890-4009.

*Last reviewed August 2026.*

How to register assistance with Lufthansa, and the 48-hour deadline

Lufthansa's instruction is unambiguous: tell the airline what you need as early as possible, and at least 48 hours before departure. What follows that deadline matters just as much, and Lufthansa words it carefully — if you notify at short notice or not at all, it will do all it can to provide the assistance required, but in those circumstances assistance services cannot be guaranteed. That is not boilerplate. Airport assistance at both ends is delivered by ground handlers who roster staff in advance, and a request made on the day competes for people who are already allocated.

How you register depends on how you booked. If you book by telephone, Lufthansa asks you to state your individual requirements before the booking is completed. If you book online, the assistance registration happens after the booking exists, through Lufthansa's online form for assistance requirements attached to your reservation.

One practical constraint on that form: Lufthansa can only process information submitted in German or English. If you are arranging travel for a relative in another language, get the wording translated before you submit rather than after Lufthansa comes back with a query — and leave room in the timeline for that exchange, because the 48 hours is a minimum rather than a target.

Wheelchair codes: WCHR, WCHS and WCHC

Assistance is requested using international service codes, and picking the wrong one is the most common cause of an unpleasant surprise at the aircraft. The code determines what equipment is sent, not just how far someone walks with you.

The line between WCHR and WCHS is stairs, and it is the one people get wrong. A passenger who can walk across a lounge but cannot manage the steps of a remote-stand boarding is WCHS, not WCHR — and coding them WCHR means arriving at an aircraft with a set of steps and no lift vehicle arranged.

WCHC is a different category again: it triggers on-board equipment and a transfer at the seat, not just transport through the terminal. If your requirement sits close to a boundary, describe what you can and cannot do physically when you register, rather than naming a code and hoping the interpretation matches.

Taking your own wheelchair or mobility aid

Lufthansa's position on equipment is generous, and it is worth knowing the exact entitlement because it is more than one item.

You can transport your own foldable wheelchair in the cargo hold free of charge, and Lufthansa also provides a wheelchair free of charge at the airport if you need one to get through the terminal. Beyond that single chair, Lufthansa states it can transport up to two mobility aids — for example a wheelchair and a walking frame — free of charge, either in the cabin or in the hold depending on the item.

Give Lufthansa the make, dimensions, folded size, weight and battery type of a powered chair when you register. Handling method, loading equipment and even whether a particular aircraft's hold door will take the chair all depend on those details, and a chair that fits comfortably on an A350 may not on a regional aircraft flying the first sector of the same itinerary. Photograph the chair at the gate before it goes below, and label any removable parts.

Wheelchair batteries: the limits, and what changed on 1 October 2025

Battery rules are dangerous-goods rules, so there is no discretion at the desk. Lufthansa publishes specific watt-hour figures, and one of them tightened recently.

That last row is the one to check against your own chair, because it applies specifically to mobility aids where the lithium battery is built in and cannot be taken out — a design that is increasingly common on modern powerchairs and scooters. If your chair has a fixed battery above 160 Wh, do not assume it travels; confirm with Lufthansa in writing before you fly, with the manufacturer's specification sheet to hand.

Carry the battery documentation with you. A printed spec sheet showing the watt-hour rating settles a conversation at the check-in desk in seconds that can otherwise consume an hour.

When Lufthansa requires medical clearance

Not every passenger with a disability needs medical clearance, and Lufthansa words the trigger as depending on circumstances rather than applying across the board: it may require a medical care form — the SAF or MEDIF — depending on the degree of impairment.

The mechanics are important because the form does not come from you. It is completed and submitted by a physician to Lufthansa's Medical Operation Center (MOC), the airline's own medical department, which is the body that assesses whether the medical needs can be met in flight. A letter from a doctor addressed to nobody in particular is not the same thing as a MEDIF lodged with the MOC.

A stable, long-standing disability that only requires help through the airport is generally a handling matter rather than a medical one. Clearance becomes relevant where fitness to fly is genuinely in question, where in-flight oxygen is needed, where a battery-powered medical device will be used on board, or where a stretcher is involved.

Build the timeline backwards from the flight. Your physician needs time to complete the form, the MOC needs time to assess it, and any equipment Lufthansa has to supply needs to be arranged before the aircraft is loaded. Starting this two days out is starting late.

Oxygen, medical devices and stretchers

This is the part of the page where Lufthansa's conditions are strictest, and where the cost falls on the passenger rather than the airline.

Two points deserve emphasis. "Limited" is Lufthansa's own word about on-board oxygen — capacity on a given flight is finite, which is exactly why the request goes in early. And the stretcher escort requirement is a condition of carriage, not a suggestion: budget for a second ticket from the outset rather than discovering it late.

When Lufthansa recommends that someone travels with you

Lufthansa states the underlying principle plainly: it is absolutely imperative that the passenger is able to follow the crew's safety instructions during the flight, including in the event of turbulence. Everything in this section follows from that single safety requirement rather than from any judgement about capability.

Where a cognitive impairment leads to confusion or disorientation — Lufthansa gives Alzheimer's as its example — the airline identifies a risk that the passenger will not take in safety instructions given by the cabin crew. In those circumstances Lufthansa strongly recommends that someone travels with them. Note the wording: it is a strong recommendation in Lufthansa's published text, not an absolute bar, and how it applies to an individual passenger is a conversation with the airline rather than something to settle from a web page.

Lufthansa also flags what happens after landing, which families often overlook. If a passenger disembarks without supervision, there is a risk of becoming lost within the airport buildings or the wider airport perimeter and growing more disoriented. If nobody travels with the passenger, arrange in advance who meets them, where, and with what identification — and register that requirement rather than assuming arrival assistance covers it.

Assistance dogs in the Lufthansa cabin

Lufthansa accepts approved assistance dogs — guide dogs, hearing dogs, diabetic alert dogs and seizure alert dogs — in the cabin free of charge on all flights operated by Lufthansa. The conditions attached are behavioural and documentary, and both are enforced.

Take the paperwork with you in physical form. The certification requirement is specific about what the document has to say — the type and duration of training and the task the dog was trained for — so a generic letter of ownership will not do the job at a check-in desk. Destination import rules for the animal are separate again, and Lufthansa's acceptance of the dog in the cabin does not resolve them.

Sensory impairment, and the rights that sit behind Lufthansa's policy

Lufthansa provides services for passengers with hearing or visual impairments and cognitive disabilities before, during and after the flight, on the same at-least-48-hours notice as every other assistance request.

For visually impaired passengers, Lufthansa states that no assessment of fitness for air travel is required — a sight impairment is not treated as a medical case. Support includes being escorted at the airport and receiving a separate briefing where there are delays or other important travel announcements, which matters because most airport information is delivered visually. For hearing-impaired passengers, Lufthansa publishes a text-phone relay route for North America; the current number is on lufthansa.com rather than here.

Two honest caveats. These regimes apply by geography — a Frankfurt to Bangkok sector is not covered by the EU regulation in the way a Frankfurt to Madrid one is. And a right to assistance is not a right to be carried in any condition: medical clearance and escort requirements remain lawful where they are applied consistently.

If Airlaza issued your ticket, we register the assistance codes with the booking and confirm them with Lufthansa in writing before you travel. Call +1-888-890-4009.

Frequently asked questions

How do I request special assistance with Lufthansa?

Register your requirements as early as possible and at least 48 hours before departure. If you book by phone, state them before completing the booking; if you book online, register afterwards using Lufthansa's assistance form attached to your reservation. Lufthansa can only process information submitted in German or English.

How far in advance must I book Lufthansa assistance?

At least 48 hours before departure — for wheelchair assistance, assistance dogs, mobility aids and medical device registration alike. Lufthansa states that if it is told at short notice or not at all, it will do everything it can, but that in those circumstances assistance services cannot be guaranteed.

What is the difference between WCHR, WCHS and WCHC on Lufthansa?

WCHR is for passengers who cannot walk long distances but can climb steps unaided. WCHS is for passengers who cannot climb steps and are taken to the aircraft in a wheelchair. WCHC is for passengers completely unable to walk, who also need a wheelchair on board.

Does Lufthansa charge for wheelchair assistance?

No. A wheelchair for use at the airport is provided free of charge, your own foldable wheelchair travels in the hold free of charge, and Lufthansa carries up to two mobility aids free of charge. Under EC Regulation 1107/2006, assistance at EU airports must be free where notified 48 hours ahead.

Can I take my own electric wheelchair on Lufthansa?

Yes, subject to the battery conditions. The battery must not exceed 300 Wh, must be securely attached, and its terminals must be protected against short circuit. From 1 October 2025 Lufthansa publishes a tighter limit for chairs with permanently installed, non-removable lithium batteries — confirm your specific model.

How many spare wheelchair batteries can I carry on Lufthansa?

Lufthansa permits a maximum of one spare battery not exceeding 300 Wh, or alternatively two spare batteries each not exceeding 160 Wh. Terminals must be protected against short circuit, for example by enclosing each battery in a container. Carry the manufacturer's watt-hour specification with you.

Do I need medical clearance to fly with Lufthansa?

Only in some cases. Lufthansa may require a medical care form, the SAF or MEDIF, depending on the degree of impairment. Your physician completes it and submits it to Lufthansa's Medical Operation Center. A stable disability needing only airport assistance is generally a handling matter, not a medical one.

Can I use oxygen on a Lufthansa flight?

With approval. A portable oxygen concentrator may be used on board but must travel in carry-on baggage, requires the carrier's approval and needs a physician statement. Lufthansa can also supply a limited extra oxygen supply, including the Wenoll system, with the equipment fee paid by the passenger.

Does Lufthansa allow assistance dogs in the cabin?

Yes, free of charge on all Lufthansa-operated flights, for approved assistance dogs including guide, hearing, diabetic alert and seizure alert dogs. You must register the dog at least 48 hours ahead and carry a training certificate stating the type and duration of training and the task trained for.

Does Lufthansa require a passenger with a disability to travel with someone?

Lufthansa's requirement is that the passenger can follow the crew's safety instructions in flight, including during turbulence. Where a cognitive impairment causes confusion or disorientation, Lufthansa strongly recommends that someone travels with them. A stretcher passenger must be accompanied by another person on board.

Get a written quote with your assistance filed

Airlaza quotes Lufthansa fares in writing and registers the assistance codes with the booking, including the wheelchair code, mobility aid details and any assistance dog, so nothing depends on being remembered at the airport. Where medical clearance may be needed, we tell you before you book, not afterwards. No card details are taken on this site. Call +1-888-890-4009 or email sales@airlaza.com.