When 55 passengers board a single flight using wheelchairs, that’s tough not to notice. But when only 25 need assistance getting off the plane at their destination, it starts to look like 30 people requested assistance just to get priority board, plus maybe assistance through the security line at the airport.
And since this is a Southwest Airlines flights, wheelchair assistance means getting on board in front of those with an “A” boarding group – ahead of people who paid the highest fares and have the highest status. That means having first choice of seats on the aircraft.
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
Some unscrupulous people request wheelchair assistance at the airport when they don’t need it, using their ‘injury’ for a whole bunch of benefits:
- Early boarding gets them access to overhead bin space before other passengers, and avoids being forced to gate check bags.
- It also gets around basic economy restrictions at United which are enforced by boarding group, netting a free carry on bag.
- On Southwest they’d have their choice of seats on board.
- Plus help skipping security lines.
At the same time, some flights are going to have a lot more wheelchairs than others. Governor Ron DeSantis calls Florida “God’s waiting room” and travel in and out of South Florida at heavy leisure times is likely to see a lot of passenger assistance. The presence of wheelchairs alone doesn’t mean that someone is faking the need for service.
Moreover, more passengers getting assistance onto the aircraft than getting off doesn’t on its own mean that somebody is ‘faking it’. The long waits for assistance, making it difficult to get help, can mean choosing not to wait even when it would be better for someone to do so. Plus you’re going to want to get up and move around after sitting in a coach seat for the full flight.
Nonetheless a 15-to-1 ratio of passengers using wheelchairs to get onto a plane (and getting priority assistance) versus getting off (and having to wait for service) seems… suspicious?
Sometimes passengers even admit it. One man on TikTok shows how he fakes an injury to get priority screening from the TSA and then assistance through the airport.
And here’s a man who filmed himself pretending to have sprained his ankle at the Bodrum Airport. He saw huge lines and was worried he’d miss his flight, and wound up pushed in a wheelchair through the airport and to his seat. He was even given his own row on board so he could stretch out. After the flight – it was a miracle – he could walk!
Remember that wheelchair assistance can be both costly and in short supply, if you ask for wheelchair assistance when you don’t need it you’re taking away that help from someone else or making someone that does need it wait even longer. The head of London Heathrow airport even blamed problems there on passengers asking for wheelchair assistance when they don’t need it given the shortage of workers to help. That’s no ok.
I have one thing to say to the people who use a wheelchair to jump ahead of others to get on an airplane. If you can walk on two legs every day, be grateful and be mindful of disabled people who have to rely on a wheelchair to get around every day for the rest of their lives.
I blame the airlines for allowing this to happen and
I have a disability and you shouldn’t degrade someone’s disability, unless you walk in their shoes,So keep your opinions to yourself.
Obviously for the future you will need to show a valid Dr. issued Handicap certificate to avail wheelchair service . How should it be otherwise ?
The last time I flew I requested assistance at my connection and it never came so I had to limp to the next gate as quickly as I could. It burns me that they were likely helping someone like this, instead.
I noticed this years back, I used to visit Florida and the return flight was always full of “people with assistance” but when we landed no wheelchairs were on site… we even have a name for it… the miracle flight… the joke in our family was that always was the safest flight because god was there flying with us healing all these people
Someone might look okay to you but might not be able to stand for a long time or walk a long distance. Elderly/ Seniors should be considered. A reseasonable and right minded person cannot fake this l guess.
Sometimes you have the ability to walk but not for long distances. I do have a handicap sticker that I carry with me . I try to walk when I reach my destination. The wait is too long for pick up . The pain is unbearable .
My wife at age 73 can walk short distances but has trouble standing for long periods and walks with a limp. She has a handicapped placard authorized by her doctor. I realize that there is a shortage of wheelchair assistants and gladly volunteer to push my wife in the chair. I am 74 and in better shape. We almost missed a flight connection in Las Vegas airport due to the long distance we had to traverse at the airport. I found an unoccupied wheelchair and got to the gate just in time. We now request a wheelchair whenever we have to fly. Be mindful that not all disabilities are apparent to the eye.
I’m a frequent traveler on ISP to Florida flights, whenever I travel I call those flights “miracle flights” because 10 to 20 need wheelchairs to get on board, and only 5 to 10 need them at their destination. Finally glad someone noticed this.
It burns me up when I see people abusing handicap parking and wheelchairs when the truly needy pepple need them. ‘Karma knows everyone’s address and sooner or later it will come knocking on your door’. Someday they may need that wheelchair or handicap spot.
Indian old ladies doing this for years when they fly to India
The problem here in the US is that you cannot deny anyone who asks for a wheelchair. The ADA will fine you. You are not really allowed to ask about their disability only how can we assist you? I blame the laws that allow it to happen.
As a mother of a disabled son and former cust service for Southwest I’ve seen this from both sides. Both people with temporary disabilities and permanent get placards for their cars or could if they applied. If airlines required these it could alleviate some of the problem.Of course there would be exceptions ie children and truly wheelchair users with own chair but without placard.
I have a child who had 9 knee surgeries in the last 6 years, including 2 bone/cartilage transplants. He looks completely healthy but needs extra time to board and a spot where he can stretch his legs often. We get dirty looks all the time pre-boarding. We also skip the wheelchair getting off so he can stretch out his legs unless he is having trouble bending his knees. The fact that someone used a wheelchair when they arrived but not when they got off doesn’t mean they’re faking.
The rule should be “if you get on by wheelchair, you must wait to get off by one”! Blame it on liability for the Airline!
Well that service is now ruined. I am just too old and slow and I get lost easily. That doesn’t qualify for a Dr note. I stopped flying after lost over an hour in Dallas.
That is horrible!!!! I have used a wheelchair due to a legit foot surgery/injury and felt bad I was using a wheelchair in the airport. My son-in-law is in an electric wheelchair the rest of his life and needs legit assistance and struggles to get safely on an airplane. Those that fake the injury to get ahead of lines and then laugh and joke about getting by with it is just aweful and the most selfish act!
As we become more and more of an ‘entitlement’ society; even the losers gets trophy; less and less possess a moral compass. In the old days, parasites like these posers would be dealt a harsh ‘lesson’. May Karma have God punish them with a REAL disability, then they would understand what disrespect this thrusts onto those that really need the help.
As a gate agent this pissed me off that we were so short staffed with wheelchair pushers but then tiktok were showing “hacks” how to beat security lines. It got to the point people might miss their plane because of having to wait for a wheelchair.
Being short staffed is the airlines fault but people are such asses for taking up resources that people need because they don’t want to get to the airport early.
We can’t deny people preboarding at the gate if they say they need assistance because many do have an invisible disability. I’m less annoyed with the boarding early but the taking a wheelchair when you don’t need it just to stroke the ego that you tricked(or so you think) us airline employees is a douche move.
The problem here are the incentive structures put in place by the airports and airlines
Sure, these people are playing the system, but the system encourage it through false scarcity and aggressive monetization of basic amenities
On a recent flight to Baltimore, I watched a woman walk over to a wheelchair n sit down. She was able to get priority, along with the 3 other people with her. At BWI she walked off the plane n they were all laughing. I had just had foot surgery but decided there were others needing assistance so I did my own thing. Elders deserve help more often than others. But I really believe that a doctors note should be given to people so it’s not taken advantage of.
Also to add the needing a wheelchair on but not off could have to do something with not being able to stand for very long. My mom needs a wheelchair through the airport as it is hard for her to walk.
But just because a person needs it one way doesn’t mean they need on the other.
I find on international flights people are more likely to scam and even heard people admit they only had one to get through customs and that to their connecting flight quicker. Stupid influencers love filming themselves getting away with their clever “travel hacks.”
You’ve got parking passes for cars to use the handicap parking space, why not a pass for wheelchair assistance at airports?
I wont feel bad for asking for a wheel chair to my gate. I could not put off my trip. I was in good health when I agreed to go to my destination. I thought I could go through the process. I had a carry on bag that included BP machine and a back.pack filled with my meds. I didnt think that i would physically make it to my gate. The person pushed me to my gate. I wasnt out of breath or w worst. I sat down and waited to be boarded. Short distances were not too bad. I took so long to get down to the exit that the family member who was waiting for me called my husband. I didnt look good. While away I regained my health and stamina. When I left I was weak and felt bad. I stunned a family member when I walked out of the security areas. It was the best 4 weeks of my life. I didnt realize that the smell in the house was from a short in a ceiling fan. That’s what made me ill. It was replaced while I was away but the odor lasted for a while. I know that I made the right decision.
I didnt realize that folks were doing stuff like this when they were not ill or needed assistance.
Perhaps those needing assistance bring their own wheelchair? I recently travelled with my disabled husband for a funeral. We were unable to bring his powerchair due to lack of car rental options at our destination. This, we brought his manual chair with us. The travel portion of the trip was so stressful, me trying to push his wheelchair, carry the OSA medical equipment bags PLUS tow our luggage from the car to the check-in desk where we were finally able to get assistance.
Yep, we call them “miracle” flights. Your “disability” is miraculous healed in flight. It’s sickening that some people are that callous and self -centered.
People are so ignorant about certain medical conditions. For example, I have early onset Parkinson’s disease. I look fine on the outside but, my body in the inside makes my body very weak,unbalanced, and I have freezing. Freezing makes my body stop moving, and amongst many other Parkinson’s issues. This being said please don’t judge people unless you have been in their shoes. Trust me the embarrassment of being young and In a wheelchair is not worth the advantage.
This is so sad! I am a disabled veteran and I use this service. Although, I also have to say MCO airport is the worse and customer support is nasty!
I am fine to show proof of my ♿ if it HELPS the system.
I have 2 artificial hips, an artificial knee, lymphedema in the left leg. I have never asked for a wheelchair. I do not have a handicapped parking sticker. Anyone who has ever faked it to get wheelchair access, the world will get even with them, one day.
As an airline agent I see this every day. It seems most frequently abused by people traveling to and from India. They have no problem dragging 2 50 pound bags into the terminal but then the female passenger needs a wheelchair. Also had a husband get upset because he was not allowed to board with his wife because they were traveling basic economy fare.
I once saw someone being pushed in a wheelchair thru security and once they got thru, hopped out of the chair and ran to their gate.
Ha, watch that show for years as a pilot. The flight attendants referred to it as the “Everyday Miracle”. Miracle that somehow these poor, crippled souls were suddenly able to leap out of their seats at the arrival gate and run off of the plane.
This article is ignorant. There are people who have medical conditions such as; many neurological disorders that they may look fine on the outside but, are physically hurting in the inside. Therefore, when you look at someone in a wheelchair that looks fine don’t assume they’re trying to trick the system.
All flights to PR have this issue. One time in Orlando the gate attendant said, if you can walk, get yourself out of the chair, cause it will take me an hour by myself to get you down to the plane. Many of the passenger helped get everyone onboard.
But flying to PR has several other crazy things, no order to get off the plane as well.
I recently had to fly: 2 weeks post knee replacement and needed wheelchair assistance. I waited over an hour after we landed to get a wheelchair off the plane. This was only to be pushed to the top of the jet bridge and stuck in another line of people waiting for assistance. There was plenty of Jetway Jesus healing people who suddenly got up and were able to walk after experiencing the long wait and seeing the lines. I luckily had my 12 year old son with me who quickly learned how to push a wheelchair. Otherwise, I might still be sitting in ATL.
Full disclosure here: I am legitimately disabled due to arthritis and COPD, and I am not faking it when I use wheelchair service. Often when I get to my destination I end up having to walk using my wheelchair as a brace to lean on, because with a minimum of 5 or 6 handicapped travelers it’s inevitable that there won’t bw enough helpers to push us. Also inevitably I never end up going in the first group. That means essentially that those of us left behind have to wait for the first group to get all the way out to passenger pickup before they come back to pick up the rest of us. That can take up to 40 minutes or more. Meanwhile your ride provider has to circle the airport endlessly while waiting for you to get out to where you can be.picked up. On my last trip they sent a vehicle to pick up the disabled. The gate person directed me to get on it, but before I could even make it there several very spry old people literally sprinTed past me, each carrying two suitcase and lept onto the cart. I was told there would be another cart soon, or someone to push my chair, but after about 30 minutes I realized I had been forgotten. The airlines could help this by both asking for people to provide a doctor’s proof that they need the service, and hiring a lot more people who’s only job is offering assistance to the disabled.
I can walk, but not long distances. I will always wait for a porter to assist my sister (78 yrs), my husband (84 yrs) and myself (75 yrs) all incapable of the long trek to and from the gates. We will offer to walk thru the TSA check machines to free up the wheelchair line for those that cannot walk. If we seem to be capable of walking, please come walk in our shoes. One last thing, if you’re faking to be handicapped, don’t forget the wonderful porters that are pushing sometimes 2 chairs at the same time to so called needy passengers.
I was once recovering from a broken foot and because of how far it was from sidewalk to gate at the departure airport(BKK), I requested assistance. The airline then denied my exit row seat I paid for(ok, but at least give me my money back). What really pissed me off though was no wheelchair showed up at the arrival airport where I was transferring to another flight. I managed to walk, but then the airline didn’t even let me board first!
You need documentation to get a handicap parking permit. Why not the same thing for an airport wheelchair?
It is sad to see such a degradation of morality/integrity in our society. This behavior makes things worse for those who truly are disabled and need assistance. So many people don’t care about what is right anymore; they only care about themselves and gaining an advantage. Did their parents raise them this way? Really pathetic.
I recently flew home from Manchester, NH and saw several people pushing their airline wheelchairs from shop to shop in the terminal.
However, when our boarding call was made, they hopped in their wheelchairs and pitifully made their way to the gate. There were at least 25 “disabled” people who got on before we did…and we had A2 and A3. Every single “disabled” boarder were in the very front rows. Makes one go “hmmmmm”.
I am truly unable to WALK with out assistance. It makes me so upset that I can’t get handicapped parking due to all the fakers out there. Not to mention flying.. I once missed my connection due to not enough airport personnel.
I need a walker, a wheel chair to get to the gate. On board, I use a cane to get to bathroom. Use WC when I get off plane as well. Little girl asked her dad why I was allowed ahead of them at airport. Walker on my lap as I rode in WC. I am a terrible fall risk with bad arthritis as well. His response to his daughter mad me angry. “She is just a cheater.” What a horrible thing to say and teach her daughter. Most people are kind. Especially the transporters!!!
I’m loving all these lengthy multi-paragraph comments attempting to convince the rest of us that they’re not the scammers. Its almost…….unbelievable.
We’re talking about walking 80 feet down a jetway and then maybe another 30-40 more to your seat. There are probably ONLY 3 or 4 people per flight who are legitimately unable to do that. The rest are scammers.
This sounds exactly like the average entitled selfish republican. I would bet my life savings that over 85% of them were republican.
A valid verification form a hospital showing you need a wheelchair should be shown. I am disabled, I walk with a cane,I can show a valid verification. The airlines dhould start asking for a valid verification. Especially after people were seen walking on 2 feet to exit the plane. Nothing against handicapped people, but what you did was wrong and disrespectful.
One exception to these comments, being in a WC does not exempt or make it easier/quicker to go thru TSA screening.Sometimes the opposite with hand wanding,Pat downs required.I had an instance where my middle aged son had to get out of his chair(he couldn’t stand unaided) and I couldn’t assist him.pretty upsetting for him.
I need wheelchair assistance every time I fly. I have an invisible foot disease that does not allow me to walk past 50 feet and, or stand up for over a few minutes at a time. I hate the looks I get from other travelers and feel guilty for having to use a wheelchair. It actually ends up costing me extra money as I always tip the employee that pushes me, 5-10 at the departure airport and the arrival spot. So not everyone is a scammer. I’m all for having to show proof of my disability if needed.
So many people are so quick and easy to get offended on this thread. If you have a disability, that requires a wheelchair, then you are NOT the person being talked about. We’re specifically talking about those who are pretending to have a disability and carelessly destroying the opportunities for you all. I didn’t think us, trying to defend YOUR needs would anger you all so much…dang..