If you need assistance contact your airline in advance and they’ll arrange for a wheelchair. There’s officially no cost for the service although in most U.S. airports the people pushing make much of their money on tips. It’s never clear the right amount to tip. Some feel $5 is appropriate, others tip $20. There’s no medical verification needed to request this. And some people ask for the service who don’t, strictly speak, ‘need it’.
When a flight has numerous passengers with wheelchair assistance on boarding, and then most of those passengers get off themselves and walk out of the terminal – walking right past the waiting wheelchairs on the jet bridge – it’s known as a “miracle flight.” Here’s one recent Southwest Airlines flight where 20 passengers used wheelchairs to board, and only 3 used them to get off. 17 passengers experienced an inflight miracle.
Pre-boarding scam at @SouthwestAir 20 passengers boarding using a wheelchair and probably only 3 need one to deplane. pic.twitter.com/3WyKuSWdtt
— Paul (@trendready) June 24, 2023
Let’s be clear: there are certainly cases where someone might need assistance on boarding and not deplaning. But that’s also highly unlikely to be the case for 17 passengers (85% of those needing wheelchair assistance) here.
In addition to the medicinal benefits of flying that cures these passengers, explanations may include a desire for:
- Better seating which is unique to Southwest. You’re going to get a better deal tipping a wheelchair attendant than buying Early Bird Check-in in order to get a better seat.
@SouthwestAir. The wheelchair scam continues this morning. How do a family of 'C' boarding Pre-board? Get grandma to sit in a wheelchair. Now the whole family (5) gets to accompany her. pic.twitter.com/JORUPaXdMr
— Paul (@trendready) June 25, 2023
- Access to overhead bin space. If you’ve got a late boarding group there may not be overhead bin space. But board with a wheelchair and you go on early, bin space is yours.
- Free carry on with a basic economy fare on United. If you need priority boarding assistance you aren’t in the last boarding group, and the full-sized carry on ban on the cheapest tickets is enforced by boarding group.
- Priority check-in and security. But if you’re savvy enough to ask for a wheelchair you are savvy enough to get PreCheck and check-in online and do bag drop.
Since the biggest benefit – seat selection, in addition to airport priority – comes when flying Southwest, it’s little surprise this is noted most in social media with Southwest flights.
A friend shares a not-uncommon sight from Puerto Rico:
55 "handicapped" during pre-boarding, including 25 wheel chairs
On his return flight, 15 used wheelchairs to board, only 1 to deboard pic.twitter.com/gHgIsnzsq7
— Bachman (@ElonBachman) February 19, 2023
Another flight on @SouthwestAir, and I’m happy to report being witness to more miracles. These poor souls came seeking a flight, and instead were healed. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
Always grateful for witnessing the miraculous healing power of flight. pic.twitter.com/7TCYn2T6BB
— Dave Ruminates (@dave_ruminates) April 5, 2023
The reason this concerns me is that people asking for wheelchair assistance who do not need it prevents or delays people who do need assistance from getting it. If everyone at the gate showed up needing early boarding it would defeat the purpose of early boarding (‘if everyone gets early boarding then no one does’).
Would it violate the ADA to charge a fee for use of the chair?
I didn’t need another reason to hate people more.. lazy parasites.
These are the type of people that do the bare minimum to get by then play the victim card when they can’t pay their bills.
Karma
I truly believe in good juju and bad juju.
tick tock
@Johhny,
It definitely would be a lawsuit. Actually if Southwest or any other airlines even tried to stop this with some reasonable method there still would be a pile of lawsuits.
the ADA should have never been allowed to pass.
Tom you have such deep insight on human personalities derived from such brief glimpses of human behavior. Or, more probably, you’re just a smug douche. Sure you don’t request unnecessary wheelchairs, but you’re insufferable in other ways. Lick my ass.
And the saddest thing is, in all likelihood these people think that they are “smart”.
Chad, you sound like the person who would say she had it coming because her skirt was too short or why have gun laws if criminals aren’t going to follow them anyway. Then again based on your name your comment has to be the most on brand thing someone’s ever said.
Yes, these people do think they are smart. I know one of them who boasted about this to me. It was all I could do to hold my tongue, but I’ve carefully avoided her since. They are deceitful and dishonest. Sadly, I don’t believe in juju otherwise the only justice for them would to be to discover that they really always will need a wheelchair in the future.
I remember having lots of flights like this every summer back in the 90s and early 2000s with tour groups going to Branson. We had this happen on almost every flight in and out all summer. It made on time departures virtually impossible. We only had 30 minutes for a BAe-146 turn, and there’s only so many wheelchairs and agents you can get down the jet bridge at one time to assist them.
Here in Florida we call them “miracle flights”.
My thought is those passing judgement knowing zero about these people, yes Gary you wear the crown, are typical right wing idiots.
I had a stroke just under a year ago. I can get by much of the time but occasionally I can use the support, such as long walks and clearing immigration/customs, the support can help. So is you see me using wheelchair assist but walking on the flight or on arrival, there is a reason. People like Gary and Chad are redneck half-wits that know very little about the world.
@Pete D.
Yeah we wouldn’t get along. You’re ok with lazy people and I am not.
A variant – in Seattle – (Delta, domestic) I saw a couple that looked trim and fit – probably early 60’s – extend their collapsible walking sticks, and hobble up to the gate for pre-boarding. As soon as they were past the jetway door, they flicked closed their walking sticks and robustly walked down the jetway.
And this was not a case of SWA’s ridiculous cattle-call, no-assigned-seat.boarding. There is a reason I am approaching 500 commercial flights and have never flown SWA.
This piss*s me off. They should be publicly shamed.
One solution might be to require that people who board early, accommodating their lack of mobility or whatever, be required to wait with deplaning until all of the able-bodied are off, so that they don’t gum up the process with all the wheelchairs and walkers and such. You would find out who was truly mobility-impaired because those folks would generally prefer to deplane when it is less chaotic.
Southwest needs to fix this abuse of their policy. It has become more problematic in the past few years. Requiring an uploaded physician document would be helpful.
A doctor’s signature is necessary to get a handicapped parking placard. A similar procedure could be helpful in filtering out scammers. Selfish dishonest scammers.
There is low-life pond scum, then there are these people.
It often depends on the airports; for example at large ones such as Atlanta more people need chairs to board than when deplaning at smaller facilities.
@Michael
yes it’s called being rational.
Simple fix: Designate the last rows for pre-boarders. First ones on, last ones off.
Another benefit: on international flight, wheelchairs go to the front of the immigration line. I saw this pulled off by a group of 5 ladies who walked onto the flight in Istanbul and got wheel-chaired to the front of immigration in Chicago. Istanbul airport is huge — the ticket agent had suggested due to my age that I might want a wheelchair, which I declined. So it is unlikely all 5 women in this group are in Ray’s situation.
They should all board last, problem solved
I have crippling arthritis. It doesn’t prevent me from flying, and I can walk in and out of the ramp and airplane.
Getting back into a seat or getting out of it is painful and takes time.
At the suggestion of a flight attendant on SWA she told me I should ask for priority boarding when she saw me wincing in pain.
Are people abusing the system. Sure! You don’t know what another person is dealing with.
I don’t think shaming people works anymore. They just don’t care. It’s all about them.
I see this every time I fly southwest. Total miracle. I think they should have a section for these people and then rope it off. When they land and those people have to get off last. That would solve some of this BS.
Or maybe they’re not allowed to sit in the first 15 rows. I was A1 one time and I had to get on Behind These two people that had an emotional support animal. Obviously one of them wasn’t doing the job for the other. Luckily they cracked down on the animal BS
Japan would never!
But the deranged left love to call them ‘racists’, because they value the HONOR and values of their country, hence naturally they make it really difficult for foreigners to live there. So much for the BS ‘diversity’ and ‘cultural enrichment’ speech of the left.
Is it just me, or this is disproportionately occurring in FL? IME, it’s always been flights to/from FL.
My husband is disabled and we pre-board together. A possible solution would be that those who pre-board need to show their handicapped placard to the gate agent. We would be happy to do so. We bring it with us on trips so if we rent a car or even get an uber, or get picked up by a friend, we can use it.
It’s not just southwest. I use to fly Etihad and Qatar and Emirates a ton from various us cities to their respective hubs. This happened on every flight all the time
I use a cane to walk with and am very unsteady due to chemotherapy
I did use wheelchair service on my last Southwest flight
There was at least one woman who she was using the wheelchair for her personal items, pushing it, but boarded the plane ahead of everyone else, because she pushed away to the front
Just ask them to show their handicapped placard. My husband is severly disabled and we bring it with us for use wherever we are. We also board early and I always wonder whether the fakers take a look at him in his chair and think, “maybe this is a bad idea” – karma-wise
How about if you use a wheelchair to board, you have to use one to deplane.
I use a wheelchair and handicap parking spaces every time I fly. I have ED and I’m the pilot.
Agree with those who avoid Southwest for precisely this type of reason. Would also remind folks that there are zero means available to cabin crew to enforce who will be last to deplane, so the only solution to pax using wheelchairs to game the system is probably the aforementioned “pre-board, sit in the rear” rule.
So as the daughter of a perfectly ambulatory older woman w multiple health issues I can say many of the posters here are a bunch of ableist morons who don’t understand how “need assistance” works. Many people cannot handle walking fast to make boarding times, especially under stress. My mother, like probably many of these passengers, can walk around the store and around her home, but when walking fast and under stress, suffers from severe angina. Not safe. We ask for assistance to get to the gate and on the plane. I help her walk off the plane and wait for a wheelchair before walking to baggage claim or a connecting flight. My mother is not wheelchair bound. She needs assistance nonetheless. So, if you want to be a jerk and pretend to need a wheelchair like you are accusing others of doing g, feel free. But don’t assume everyone who walks off a plane after having assistance is as evil as you want to be.
I’ve heard that Frontier now charges $20 for a wheelchair.
Southwest should start escorting all those in wheelchairs to the back of the plane.
One thing to enact immediately. Only ONE family member can board with them. Not the father, mother, 5 kids and 10 grandkids like I see on some international flights. Carrying everything they own except the family goat.
This is hardly new or news nor is the debate whether people are “faking” it.
Seems to run the same percentage, 15% is legit needs and 15% support the fakers not matter what they see.
I do hope this service will still be available when my family needs it in the future.
To those suggesting that Southwest should ask for a handicap placard, you realize these people most likely have one. These are the same people that park in a handicap spot, hang the tag on the mirror and walk/run into the store. They are easily attainable.
As a person who requires a wheelchair, your article does a great disservice to us. I can now expect to be repeatedly questioned by passengers whether I am disabled.
The fact that some people would pose as disabled is a sad commentary on todays world.
If I could stand in line, I would eagerly dispose of my wheelchair because it meant that my wife was no longer required to push me for 100s or 1000s of yards. I could now go hiking, camping, and play volleyball again
Shame on all you who seek to dilute our need for a basic necessity.
I understand that some people wish to require me to give up my right of privacy to prove I am disabled. Would all you like to be questioned on your medical history simply to go traveling?
All I want is to be able to travel so as to visit friends and relatives.
We are the people who will be punished by this article.
I am guess these are the same people that put their bare feet on your seat, talk loudly on their phone once boarded and feel entitlements everywhere they go.
The airlines need a $100 non-disability surcharge for these clowns.
Miracles performed by Jetbridge Jesus.
Ugh! As someone who actually needs assistance, there is so much to unpack here. If you really don’t need assistance, I hope karma bites you if you use it anyway. I request assistance because I am visually impaired, and very light sensitive as a result. I don’t usually request assistance in my “home” airport because I know it pretty well. However, when I am in a less familiar airport, I don’t know what I am walking into. There a multiple obstacles I could encounter that means requesting assistance is safer for me and the other people in the airport. I have often had a very difficult time getting across to the assistance providers that not only can I walk, I prefer to walk as I will be sitting plenty on the plain. I’ve ended up using the wheelchair more than once because the assisters could not be persuaded otherwise. I have a degree in human factors. I’m an expert in accessible and inclusive design and am very articulate and precise in explaining my needs. I still have a difficult time getting the assistance providers to meet my needs without grossly exceeding them. In my experience, the providers generally will only follow one, or a few, protocols rather than listening to the person receiving assistance.
I realize we have discussed this topic before here on View From a Wing and I believe the issue is primarily exclusive to Southwest.It isn’t happening at American as they have strict policies which I believe are discriminatory from my understanding.They require a very narrow definition of what qualifies which I believe is illegal.I called on behalf a family member once and they said bone fusions with the hip or something like that.It wasn’t that way in past years.Very odd.
They are aggressive enforcing this as they only wish to sell seats even if you are handicapped
At United given the choice they have and will throw a handicapped in the luggage dept maybe out the plane door lol if they can sell a seat first and have been sued for handicapped violations in the past to my understanding.
Early on when I first started flying Southwest I was taken back by how many more wheel chairs they had than almost any other airline I flew historically anywhere in the world.
At first I thought maybe its because they are a friendlier airline but eventually I realized there was something else @ play
The increase over the past 5 years is especially notable as some others seem to be abusing the system.Two factors compound the issue.
First no seat assignments @ Southwest makes this incredibly challenging with today’s rapidly deteriorating good behaviors in society.
Secondly the rapidly increasing costs to buy Early Bird check in which compounds those to consider gaming the system
This really compromises the integrity of helping those with real needs.
That said likely the laws need to change so airlines can accommodate those in true need productively.Perhaps with either a Dr letter sent in advance of the flight for verification,in person or a handicapped placard presented with the paperwork shown with documentation who was approved and to what date.
Showing a handicapped placard is meaningless as it has no name attached to it.
This would solve most of the entire issue freeing up for those most in need and who pay for it or earn it by flying.
When I came out of joint replacement surgery a year ago though I could walk slowly I remember all eyes on me as I pre-boarded. I am sure too some thought I was milking the system so I get all sides I really do.My biggest fear was falling or being pushed etc.
Thankfully to the credit of Southwest they gave me the opportunity to go slow and settle in which was greatly appreciated at the time.Dr gave me a card to show the new device but neither the TSA or the gate agents could care less to see it!
I now set off alarms almost everywhere I go when getting screened!
Amazing how they can’t tell the difference between a gun or joint in your body 🙁
A use case that you haven’t considered and assume all these folks are guilty. My husband needs help when the walk to that gate is very long. But if the walk is short or the gate is close between flights OR the layover is long enough that he can make it with a few rest stops, we may not need a wheelchair in between or at the end. How horrible of you to assume all people are faking. Do you stand at handicap parking spaces and pass judgements there too?
“The reason this concerns me is that people asking for wheelchair assistance who do not need it prevents or delays people who do need assistance from getting it.”
How so? Sure, if the airline doesn’t have enough wheelchairs to accommodate all who request them. Who else gets to board early? Passengers with young children; fine. Who else?
As long as airlines treat passengers as badly as they do — cramped seating being the main problem — passengers will exploit the rules.
It’s an exclusively Southwest problem. But yeah, let’s attack the passengers instead of Southwest’s insane concept for boarding a plane
I have found from traveling extensively it is people of diversity that seem to game the system. They don’t have status and know having a wheelchair gets special treatment and early boarding. Mostly Hispanics and Indians. Sister in law is Puerto Rican and she knows every way to game the system.
Traveled through LHR and there had to be 15-20 people from India in wheelchairs that magically got up when they got to baggage claim