Call for crackdown on passengers abusing airport wheelchair service

[@JacquelineB-vs9xx]

There was a gentleman on one of my flights who was literally carried on the airplane because he couldn’t walk. The flight was even a few minutes late because the man was overweight and it took the staff a minute to get him on the plane. Once we got to our destination the gentleman didn’t want to wait for the staff to come down because he had a connecting flight. Well, after complaining he finally “got up” from his seat and walked off the plane! What a disgraceful individual!

[@reimei84]

It's a miracle! The flight made him walk again!

[@parrotcracker6629]

I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and say maybe he felt better. Like the lady said in the video sometimes disabilities don't show. Sometimes they aren't there at one moment and the next they flare up. Maybe he got better after sitting down for the flight. I know this KZbinr called KingKogi (Martina) who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Sometimes she's okay, sometimes I've seen her walking with a cane. She's described other times that she can hardly get out of bed.

[@allisonhudgins2379]

What an awful thing to do

[@d.r.benson5498]

​@@parrotcracker6629my daughter has that too. It's something to do with your tissues i think

[@tashabobasha2382]

Well, what should he have done? Waited forever?

[@shawnafsworld7431]

Their ARE those of US WITH Chronic Illnesss or others who CANT Walk that far Without Pain , Or Breathing Problems Who need wheelchairs To help them. Shame on Those WHO HAVE TO RUIN THE DISABLED Services FOR those OF US WHO REALLY Need it . 😢😮

[@betsykeller9096]

I can tell you this - avoid flying into Atlanta Airport if you need a wheelchair. I was an airport worker who would wheel people to and from planes. The passengers in wheelchairs disembarking from Atlanta would tell me the system was awful and they almost missed their flights because they were all basically corralled into a room. Then, you had to be lucky if someone came back in time to get you.

[@vangary100]

So you ask your Dr. to sign the form for a handcap card.

[@justtabandme8871]

@@vangary100 Exactly!!!

[@farmgirl6866]

Don't fly AMERICAN. I requested a w/c as I had a patellectomy, was in a brace and had a cane. They ignored my request.

[@cliffontheroad]

@@vangary100 SouthWest gate person said they are not allowed to ask the medical reason. Would a "card' be a legal/HIPA tanglement? (Rhetorical question.)

[@Whoddathunk]

If u use a wheelchair to get on the plane early, but not to get off. Then ur a scammer….

[@donaldcornwell1151]

I see it all the time

[@cliffontheroad]

@@donaldcornwell1151 I C it too, but I added my 2 cents 2 weeks later. Insider speak is "miracle flight." We should get a letter writing group together. Can't dump on customer service - it is outside their area of responsibility.

[@allybase9337]

Not necessarily.

[@cliffontheroad]

@@allybase9337 "not necessarly" is true but is this slim chance useful in fixing abuse? "if it quacks like a duck, it PROBABLY is a duck." Same logic as "not neces.." First on, best seats, first off the plane. Scam reason

[@allybase9337]

@@cliffontheroad I have a TBI and use wheelchair access to get to my gate as I can get confused with directions and that also uses a lot of my brain power. Going off the plane I go myself bc I’m looking for the baggage claim to get help from my loved one. I look completely fine. You can’t tell I have TBI unless you talked to me. If I don’t get this service, cognitively I am down the next 1-2 days. It’s called an invisible illness.

[@sunnyscott4876]

You DON'T skip the security lines. I used the wheelchair services this week and had to wait while TSA waved people from the regular lines ahead of me, waiting for more wheelchair patrons to come to the que. You DON'T skip the security line, you go through TSA just like anyone else.

[@gerriebell2128]

@traybernpriority boarding happens after you go through security. This comment above was addressing the statement in the video about using a wheelchair service to “skip security”. Calling someone a dumbbell is rude and reflects on the person saying it.

[@TransitAndTeslas]

Not “skipping security” itself, but people do use it to skip the security “line” and go all the way to the front without Pre-Check, CLEAR, etc.

[@sunnyscott4876]

@CityLifeinAmerica As I mentioned earlier, you may go to the front of the line but as my experience was last week, I still had to wait while others went through ahead of me and the TSA agent waited for more wheelchair patrons to que up. Using the wheelchair service is NOT a magic bullet to get through TSA quickly.

[@jillmac2000]

Because airport staff are limited you are pushed to the front of the TSA line to get you to the gate faster. You then get priority boarding regardless of your seat location

[@nospamallowed4890]

The problem is that there are minor medical issues that are no problem is you stand or walk for a short time but get aggravated and become quite painful if you have to stand in line for a long period of time. As a matter of fact, bad padding on seats seriously aggravate some of those issues - a LITERAL - pain in the rear end. The next time in a plane look for people who can't sit straight for long, but rather end up sitting sideways and keep changing positions to minimize pain in the tailbone. So - from the opposite side of the spectrum - maybe we need legislation to mandate minimum seat padding!!! If car seats can be universally comfortable, airplane seats should be too.

[@huntergatherer232]

My brother is disabled, and we used this service on united airlines, they made it so easy for us to board the plane. The only thing I can think of is to show your wheel chair placard and dmv documentation to prove the need for this service.. I carry this everywhere so I know that he has easy access.

[@EricaGamet]

Not everyone has a placard, but might need a wheelchair. My mother is in her 80s and walks with a cane. The airport is just too far a distance for her to walk with her bags, etc. She uses one to get to the gate, but very rarely uses it to board... and sometimes she doesn't even board early. But I remind her that she is 80 and should take all the help people are giving. Depending on the airport, she may or may not get to go ahead of the security line. She used to have CLEAR, but not anymore.

[@huntergatherer232]

@@EricaGamet well she would be obviously in need of the service…. It’s the “unobvious” that is tricky. Those that just put a boot on and say they need the service.. where there is a loop-hole there is a way to break the system…. It’s outrageous what people try to take advantage of……. And then everyone is affected by the small percentage that are conning their way onto the plane just to get preferred treatment.

[@chabela1944]

Not every mobility disabled passenger has a disability placard, but still needs the service. Have you considered that AGE is also a factor for wheelchair use?

[@donnaleeah5075]

Thanks! I'll be flying in 6 weeks. Hadn't thought of that. Heart failure and kidney disease. I don't "look" disabled unless you walk with me and hear it. I'm slow, yes. But that can be questionable. Had a couple in their 80s stare me down horribly for being in a handicap parking spot. Sigh. Not all can be seen

[@vangary100]

@@EricaGamet She can still get it.

[@lindahughes954]

We fly often and I see this all the time. One lady pushed ahead of my daughter who is blind so she could get on before us. Then she got out of the wheelchair at the door of the plane and basically jumped around, had no problem leaving her seat during turbulence and several times during the flight. Too bad people take advantage of the situation.

[@susangreene9662]

Airlines don't use common sense when boarding anyway: People should be seated back to front, not front to back. I like to sit in the back and I'm still fighting to get to my seat while people take forever to stow their junk (which needs to go away).

[@nospamallowed4890]

Have you tried to stow your stuff "quickly" while in pain? That is exactly why they have advance seating, whether they use a wheelchair or not. And don't expect someone in pain to give a damn about your (or the airline's) desire for ***quick*** seating, for those people minimizing pain is all that matters.

[@andresmith9212]

Funny how all your junk is stuff but everybody else's stuff if junk.

[@marilyngall]

Ive often wondered why they dont board the back first - only makes sense

[@justtabandme8871]

ABSOLUTELY!!! Spock would love you!!! It’s logical!!

[@lfkatzke]

@@marilyngall Because the people in the back put their baggage in the front bins on the way to their seat because they're too lazy to take it to the back of the plane.... then those boarding in the front have no space for their items.

[@elizabethharley1531]

Airports throughout the US are huge. Walking to the gates can be challenging for me. But to divulge my disability to an airline is none of their business. I need wheelchair service from time to time. I never skipped security lines ever.

[@celestephelps5897]

I'm a wheelchair user and with flying, in order to make it fair for everyone, when it comes time to deplane, passengers who are not disabled get to get off first. So those who fake wheelchair service should have to go through it all the way. Make them get in the aisle chairs to get on and off, and see what it's like for those of us who have no choice.

[@donnaleeah5075]

I'm glad I have to wait. The baggage area isn't so crowded.

[@CrabtreeJK]

This is too true! When you cannot walk you have to wait until the very end to transfer to the isle chair then hope the airlines didn’t damage your very expensive personal chair

[@justtabandme8871]

I cannot use an aisle seat. Once down, (window seat preferred) I cannot keep having to stand up, to allow seat mates to use the restroom! I use airport restrooms *before* the flight, limit fluids, etc., to assure that I don’t have to use airplane restrooms. Once I sit, I don’t try to stand until airplane is almost empty. The airplane staff has always been extremely helpful in getting me to my personal electric wheelchair, which is usually right outside the airplane door. I’ve traveled this way for the last 30 years! Hope this clarifies your thoughts! Blessings!

[@Christopher-hg2yi]

Can only use aisle chair if no mobility at all.

[@jillmac2000]

Not everyone who needs a wheelchair in the airport needs full mobility assistance onto the plane

[@donthetrader]

I’m 92, and use wheelchairs at airports…., however, I have not seen abuse by those who use wheelchairs where I travel by plane.

[@joanwood9480]

Back in "01 I fell and injured my leg. A gentleman on the shuttle bus offered me his cane. When I arrived at LAX the skycap went and got me a wheelchair. I didn't ask for one but I was very happy for the service.

[@delsakelly3510]

Require Disabled passenger a certificate from the doctor of his inability to walk near or far. I’m a wheelchair user. I look normal but limited to walk far. I carry my card of being a PaceMaker recipient. I can’t carry heavy things and get short of breath walking too long. I pay tip to the person who pushes my w/c from $5.00 to $10.00 depends on how far the gate of the plane. At first I hesitate to sit in a w/c because of embarrassment. But I have to admit my limitation.

[@frenchustube]

I am 5 11 185 lbs ,healthy looking but i am not. I have peripheral neuropathy. Loss of mobility , weakness in my legs and specially loss of balance. I do have a handicap placard but i am not on disability because i have assets. What makes me mad are all the people using handicap placards for parking spots that we disabled people really need

[@lifesIronyboard]

A few years ago, I traveled to have abdominal surgery and had to fly back home after the operation. I am very fit and healthy looking. I remember my wife requesting a wheelchair for me and then going though the airport telling everyone who looked at me, I had just had surgery and wasn't able to walk very far. I looked like I was gaming the system too. It is really hard to tell just by looking who needs one but if there is abuse, we should at least try to find some solutions that don't put everyone on the spot.

[@celebrityrog]

Yeah, like that large person at Charlotte who claimed no one came and got her and she just sat there. She had a broken foot and didn't want to walk cause it would take too long. Give me a break. People also fake medical issues to get their PET into a restaurant. Sorry but your chihuahua isn't a service animal or even a support animal. It's your dog. STOP FAKING CONDITIONS TO GET AHEAD.

[@christinemyers9341]

I have a disability, and I walk with leg braces. I use this service when I fly and I always tip well. Without it I couldn't navigate a large airport. I have trouble even at my local airport which is not considered large. I'd rather the airlines cracked down on esa support animals. I truly need assistance to get to the gate, I'm not so sure you need your emotional support turkey. Aside from that, the abuse that people who use this service take from other passengers is worse then anything else. I've had people tell me to my face that it's nice to see me walk on board with a cane and they'll be watching me when I get off to see if I'm still using my cane. WTF? I would love nothing more than to be able to walk without these goddamn braces. Harassing other passengers ought to have its own fine.

[@PalmBeachDog]

Fine if you need a wheelchair, but why does that mean you have to cut in front of everyone else?

[@chezellis]

Probably because it would be more difficult for someone in a wheelchair who is truly disabled to get into their seat amidst the crush of able bodied people. Kind of like asking why do people with little children get to cut in line.

[@EricaGamet]

Part of it is to get the folks pushing the chairs back to pick up someone else.

[@betsykeller9096]

It can take longer to vet them. The wheelchair has to be searched to ensure nobody is stuffing anything in the chair. If the person can't stand up, they may need to be scanned with a magnet wand and also use swipes to check for drugs or bombs. If that person has any sort of alert, they may need to go into another room for a better search.

[@gillauld2965]

Disembarking you’re last off and if there are a few of you then can take even longer. Where there isn’t a gangway or what ever it’s called you need to wait for the elevator to reach the plane. Going through security is a pain, I need my walking stick sometimes crutches but they always try to get you to walk through the scanner without any aids and can make you feel shitty for saying you can’t. On arriving at the airport you have to go to the assistance area and wait, this is for me the worse as they can cut it fine and I’m convinced one day they won’t get me to the gate in time. Why people would use it just to cut a a line😂 baffles me

[@CrabtreeJK]

@@betsykeller9096they feel up the person not just scan with a wand. My wife is paralyzed and has to have an aggressive search every time we fly. They also test her wheelchair

[@justtabandme8871]

If you want to verify necessity, ask to see their disability placard (picture positive, now). I use my own mobility scooter to get through the airport. I’m screened heavily at security, I’m often delayed as much as 20 minutes LONGER than others. However, I do drive right up to the door of the plane and use the seats to support me walking to my seat. I book a window seat, because it’s extremely difficult to stand to let some out to use the bathroom. My last flight, a gentleman sat in my window seat, and tried to convince me that the middle seat was just as good. However, I finally prevailed (thank you Captain & Steward!) and the guy proceeded to get up 5 (!) times to go to the restroom, on a 4 hour flight! I’d have had to be hospitalized if I’d had to try to stand that many times! I *never* use the airplane restrooms due to balance issues. I have never noticed a problem, but I also am not looking for them. BTW….I’m 80 years young!

[@chaoticallysay2625]

I have a disability and I dont use a wheelchair but I know someone abusing it.

[@justtabandme8871]

Just like the handicap parking spaces!!!

[@spikefivefivefive]

@@justtabandme8871 - I see it every day and the buisness do nothing about it.

[@fakerating]

Crazy that it costs the airlines $35 every time. I don't like subsidizing anyone, whether legit handicap or fake scam. Interesting how there can be 20 people boarding flights in wheelchairs, then when the flight arrives, no one needs a wheelchair anymore. It's a miracle.

[@isocarboxazid]

"I don't like subsidizing anyone," Jesus, what a selfish pig.

[@betsykeller9096]

I worked at an airport as one of the wheelchair aides (we were called Passenger Services Associates). We could spot abusers, but we weren't allowed to call them out due to ADA. I had a man and his parents who faked it because they didn't want to wait in line. The man had me drop him off at the bar on the secure side. When he realized his plane was being called about a half-hour later, he ran. We saw it all the time. People who run late would abuse this system. We'd get calls from the airlines they needed 4 wheelchairs at landing, and generally one, maybe two, would come off the plane needing a wheelchair. The others most likely faked it. It's rampant. The guy at the end of the interview is just wrong.

[@justtabandme8871]

I use my own electric chair. I’m the last off the plane, and sometimes there’s a wheelchair for me upon landing. Turns out, a disabled flyer is noted in the system when we board, triggering a wheelchair meet. I simply thank them, and since my chair has shown up just outside the plane, I point it out! I have huge gratitude to the airplane staff and baggage handlers for making my life a LOT simpler for the last 30 years!!!! Hope this helps clarify.

[@moonbuni59]

To me much of the problem also stems from the fact that many airports only have wheelchair service, but no other types of people movers available. I have sciatica, which doesn’t make me need a wheel chair, but might cause me to need another type of help if the gate is super far away. My cousin on the other hand looks healthy but because of a stroke in her late forties makes it difficult for her to walk long distances. I think that sometimes it is really hard to tell apart the fakers and people who just need extra help.

[@tashabobasha2382]

What is this CEO basing his claim on? An increase in use of the service? A few people on the internet bragging that they abuse the service? Honestly, claiming there’s a rampant issue that warrants legislation seems a little (or a lot) knee-jerk.

[@LorisBenedict]

George Costanza😂😂😂

[@donnaleeah5075]

Hahahaha. That episode was beyond funny. As well as the 1 in gym class "CantStandYa".

[@LorisBenedict]

@@donnaleeah5075 That is my favorite episode!🤣

[@nancyadams9228]

Many of us have disabilities that require wheelchair assistance in airports while marginally ambulatory. I have a permit for disabled parking, yet can walk for short distances. I have missed flights due to this until I requested a wheelchair at the suggestion of a Delta employee.

[@MsRotorwings]

“It would be a lot of work to fake it.” Exactly! Anyone who’s been injured and needed help would know this.

[@betsykeller9096]

All you have to do is say, "I need a wheelchair", and the airlines have to comply by law. If they don't, they can be sued.

[@nyancatnatalie]

Same thing happens in stores. The scooters get used by kids and shoplifters for fun and stealing. There's never enough.

[@battano]

[@annegreenwood3624]

as a person with a disability I have had times where no help or wheelchairs are available as others took them it’s shameful or you need a assessable washroom and a able bodied person is in it yes not all disability’s are visible but those taking advantage of the service so many really need is disgusting

[@useyournoodle100]

So don't give the person in a wheelchair priority. Just make the line wheelchair accessible. I just went through LAX and it was like going through a cattle gate. This problem is only a problem because the airports don't make the line accessible to all so disabled people have to go in a different line creating a priority situation, which is then exploited by people with no conscience.

[@vulcan2882]

I have a friend who is disabled, he was hit by a drunk driver ( messed up his lower back and his left leg ) years before we met. He has a disable placard for his car and only uses it when he needs to. Most of the time he uses his cane on his bad days ( weather related ).

[@Emily-cw7tj]

His blower back!? 😂

[@vulcan2882]

@@Emily-cw7tj .. thanks, I just saw that.

[@jeffgorham8819]

I have used a wheelchair from time to time at an airport when connecting. I use a cane to get around when traveling, but moving fast often isn't possible. If the airline has a tight connection, I'll arrange for a wheelchair just to get from A to B quickly. But I don't used it get around security (TSA-Pre takes care of that). And yes, for the record, I tip those guys driving the wheelchair!

[@clairevancleave1508]

I’ve often noticed that a disproportionate number of Indo-Paks take advantage of this program.

[@caseyLYm49]

Plot twist shes faking it with a fake cast 😂

[@Anon-zv7pi]

sounds like a slippery slope to a lawsuit.

[@jaklg7905]

Good. I was flying SWA out of Orlando one year and there was an Indian(East Indian, not native Americans) couple, probably in their 50s, early 60s at most. Both had wheelchair service to the gate, which was the last one down at the end of the terminal. When the attendants left, the woman gets up and walks all the way back to the food court and brings back food then plops her behind back in the chair. If you can walk that length there and back, you could have walked it there to begin with. I see a lot of Indian people use the wheelchair service for SWA because they get on first.

[@aziltemp]

100% agree with the CEO of Frontier Airlines... Southwest Airlines should do this too. There are so many scammers who abuse the airport's wheelchair service. My father has to use a wheelchair at every airport we go to whenever we fly because of a complex 2 day surgery he had to have back in 2019 and it limited his mobility since then. He also has to use a walker and a cane as well to walk because of the surgery. He also cannot handle walking long distances and stand for a long time because of that surgery he had to have. He would also have to hold onto railings while he walks with a cane so that he doesn't trip and fall. Whenever he has to use a walker to walk long distances, it's hard for him because he would have to stop after a few minutes and sit in his walker for a very short while and then continue walking more. We have seen wheelchair parades at the various airports several times. Most of them clearly looked like a fraud and scammers. At the Tucson airport, we saw one particular woman who was able to walk to the bathroom from the wheelchair she used and sit back down. There was no doubt that she requested a wheelchair so that she can avoid paying the Southwest Airline's early bird fees and board first to get a seat of her choice. At the Chicago Midway airport going to Tucson, we saw a woman who used a wheelchair to get pre boarding. When we deplaned in Tucson, she didn't use a wheelchair and was able to walk on her own comfortably without any use of assistive devices. There was no doubt that she was clearly a fraud and a scammer. We actually wrote a complaint letter to Southwest Airlines about this wheelchair scam issue and the response was absolutely fatuous and inane..."under FAA law, we have to provide wheelchairs for those who need it." One time last year, at the Tucson airport, we saw a couple who both used wheelchairs and they too were able to walk without problems. Also, one time when we flew into the LAX airport, we had to wait for about 10-15 minutes for a wheelchair to come at the gate for my dad to use. Here are a few other ideas to consider... how about requiring a doctor's notary for using a wheelchair? How about imposing a fine for those who abuse the wheelchair system? How about reserving a section of seats on the plane that would be specifically for handicapped passengers only? Public transportations reserve sections of seats for handicapped and disability only. At the LAX airport, there is a lounge at the Southwest Airlines check-in section and it's exclusively for handicapped people. I saw a person get turned away when he entered the lounge because the wheelchair assistance employee told him that it's only for handicapped people and he wasn't even handicapped at all. Seriously and overall, wheelchairs at the airport should clearly be only reserved for REAL handicapped passengers.

[@XeniaMS-yv5fy]

Long ago, when I worked for an airline, we asked for a medical certificate. There were different kinds of wheelchair services, from the one where the passengers could walk a few steps in an emergency, to that were the passenger was completely unable to do so.The number of the latter wheelchair users was limited on each flight since in case of an emergency landing the airplane has to be evacuated in under 90 seconds and the crew could not cope with several such passengers.I don’t know how it works today, but abusing the need for a wheelchair is egoistical and detrimental to the people who really need one.

[@peaceofapuzzlebfg]

There should be a crackdown on the fact that wheelchairs are not stored in a way that prevents them from being broken. As a wheelchair user, I would never fly with my power wheelchair because of this. I have never seen a large amount of people in wheelchairs being preboarded. Trying to regulate who can have a wheelchair and who can't seems less of a problem for wheelchair users than our chairs being mishandled, lost, broken or even seen to be airport wheelchairs (which happened to me) and taken by able-bodied passengers to get to another flight.

[@leighannesmith9483]

To be honest with all of you i think that you should have a doctor note from the doctors office saying that you can used the wheelchair if you have a disability and you can go front of line to go on the plane first and to other people don't have a doctor note should not used it one bit and i think that should be new rule of the airlines companies and have a great day everyone the end

[@aziltemp]

100% agree! My father has to use a wheelchair at every airport we go to because of a complex 2 day surgery he had to have and it limited his mobility. We even got a doctor's note made for him that explains his mobility condition. He can only handle walking short distances and cannot stand very long because his hips would start to become painful. He also uses a walker and a cane to walk. He also even has to use a rental shopping scooter whenever we shop at Costco, Lowe's, Walmart, Target, and Home Depot since he cannot handle walking and standing so long.

[@sray5415]

Regardless of whether there is rampant abuse of wheelchair services at airports or not. There is no way to prove that a person is or is not disabled without violating their hipaa rights or potentially discriminatory treatment because the person doesn’t have an external disability that can be seen. This type of policy really isn’t going to work long term and will probably lead to many airlines being sued for discrimination against a disability.

[@hawhite2000]

Frontier's CEO should know better. And considering what people say about that airline I think he has other things to worry about before this. Maybe they get on the plane a little faster but they are also the last to get off the plane.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

You miss the point - these fakers do NOT get off last. They miraculously have no need for a wheelchair and often push and shove their way off upon deplaning. Explain what kind of disability is that.

[@bibibachmd9995]

There are a lot of scammers.

[@aziltemp]

100% agree with you. Those scammers should get bad karma.

[@davidh9844]

My wife needed lower spinal surgery a year ago. It resolved most of the issues, but she still gets severe pain with prolonged standing (as in long TSA lines), and she is as slow as molasses when she walks. She gets a wheel chair. She has her ADA handicapped parking sticker, which is used as infrequently as possible. I cut to the head of the line because I'm with her. The airlines don't like it? Too bad. Let them figure out the abusers.

[@Sarah-ic4yu]

This makes me sick to my stomach. I have an invisible disability that requires me to use a wheelchair when I’m at the airport, but I look perfectly healthy to those who don’t know me. I feel sick thinking that people might think I’m abusing this vital service. It’s more of a hassle and honestly embarrassing to be wheeled around in a wheelchair bc people stare at you, I can’t understand why anybody would want to do that unless they had to.

[@Sunset4Semaphores]

I have flown *Southwest with an A1 boarding position* several times... not ONCE was I within the first 10 people to board the aircraft! It is sickening to watch abusers... of which very few tip their wheelchair stewards! Abuse is real and rampant!

[@Ballygirl886]

Of course there is as well as people claiming their animal is a service dog. Anyone getting on first should have to get off last.

[@SandraHof]

If was bordering on ridiculous for my last flight from Seattle Washington to Frankfurt Germany. It seemed like a fourth of the plane were lined up in wheelchairs waiting for priority boarding. Really? Even a man standing next to me commented on how more and more people seem to be wheelchair bound for flights. They do need some kind of system in place so it is not abused.

[@d05wtt]

My parents are both 91. They can walk, but they can’t walk very far and they walk slow. And we all know airports are huge and there’s gonna be a lot of walking in them. They both don’t want to use the wheelchairs because of their pride but we force them to use them because they’ll have to stand a long time in line at TSA and at the rate they walk and the breaks we have to take, we may miss the flight. On top of that they both have high blood pressure so we don’t need them more stressed than normal.

[@egyphon]

Hell is going to run out of room with people like that.

[@ghulamnaseer4633]

I agreed. A lot of people abusing the system. People are faking to skip the line.

[@rabidsamfan]

I go to the airport two hours ahead of my flight because wheelchair service takes time. And I tip the attendants, so it isn’t as if it is cheap. TSA lines are a mixed bag, some airports take the chairs through quicker, others don’t, and the time of day affects it too. If I could stand for a long period or walk long distances I would much prefer it, but for now I am just super grateful for the accommodation.

[@killahkurlz7157]

my first airline job was a PAA. yes, people fake it. going to a destination, youll have multiple people being pushed, and when you get to the destination, no one needs the wheelchair. we call it jet bridge miracles.

[@apaulatauiliili7025]

You can ask for proof of disability benefits from SSA so ask them to request a benefit letter from SSA

[@darksarcasmsvideodiaries6262]

Its getting ridiculous!

[@talon310calif]

Isn't that why flying SWA is a miracle. Dozens use wheels chairs to board early, but only a few use wheel chairs when they land. These people are awful.

[@tmontero8492]

This soccer mom is so right about the difficulty of faking the use of wheelchairs. The one time an injury while vacationing necessitated I use an airport's wheelchair service was miserable. I felt like a forgotten piece of luggage parked at my gate with other "luggage." Obtaining hot food, using the restroom, and purchasing beverages and snacks was difficult at best. Airline's escorts are not typically at a traveler's beckoned call. They are very busy running disabled travelers back and forth through huge airports to deliver them to gates on time. The one aspect I hated the most besides the discomfort was the waiting... No thanks. Although I'm certain there is a percentage of people who fraudulently take advantage of this service, it's no fun.

[@rabidsamfan]

Good point. And wheelchairs aren’t the most comfortable seats!

[@JenniferPerryMyScraproom]

If I am traveling with my husband I normally do not request a wheelchair (probably should have last time after falling twice in the airport). But if I travel alone I always request a wheelchair and pre-boarding. As far as getting off of the plane if alone I can get myself off of the plane but the chair is waiting for me on the ramp. If with my husband we just take our time and get there when we get there.

[@justd4377]

When you use the wheelchair service you do get to pre board, but you are LAST to get off the plane. It’s pretty obvious when you see people suddenly not needing a wheelchair after the flight.

[@lfkatzke]

Yes... it's referred to as the "ramp Jesus".... they are cured by His miracle right as the plane lands.

[@jeanyclattenburg9829]

I have diabetic neuropathy in my feet. This causes painful feelings of pins & needles when walking. There is no disability card for this. The only visible proof is a cane & orthopedic shoes. So, I don’t get to use a wheelchair? How is that fair?

[@Rob02150]

Guy has flown over 1000 flights in a decade? I've been on 2 flights in 10 years.

[@RobBeaglesRock]

Bad karma to fake it.

[@grahametindale8292]

I travel, regularly by air. Abuse is rife! 20 early boarders, only me left to assist, at destination!

[@Mutasis_Mutandis]

I used wheelchair service (abroad) but was sick. I would have never made it without it.

[@mamatrain100]

Hubs needs a heart transplant. We travel for medical purposes. The service is vital.

[@richalfres3727]

You owe me. You must hire someone to push me around. You have to get up early to serve me….

[@TransitAndTeslas]

Industry “lingo” for this is, “the miracle flight”

[@Trentz2]

Are airlines charged for wheelchair use by airports. Is this another greedy for them to cut service but charge more, so that they can have fat paycheck for top level, while cutting salaries of lower level employees and downgrading service to customers. Or is there any other reason like wheelchair people take time to get on the plane and off the plane, time factor. If that is true, it’s pure evil and nefarious. I have parents and in-laws who are old and can’t walk, long distances. Infact I have seen mostly old people on wheelchair. Very few times young people, but they actually are disabled. Using one or two idiots as example, is like using that one drunk man as example and say all Americans are irresponsible drunkards.

[@sambhatia7166]

i mean the simple answer is to cut down on the TSA security theater and add more agents

[@chrisphilhower6029]

I see this at Walmart. Mother, 8 year old daughters driving the Scooters round. Nothing wrong with them.

[@genevievehiguera6162]

I myself require wheelchair assistance. I went through the same security line, did not skip ahead just did it in a wheelchair. I am able to walk very short distance only. I am unable to stand for longer than about five minutes. I have bone on bone arthritis in both knees and suffer from severe vertigo and balance issues and use a cane . I am very well kept, look 10 years younger than my age of 76 although overweight. Using wheelchair assistance in the airport was an humiliating experience for me. The side eyes, staring and glaring of passengers and staff. Getting out the wheelchair at the cabin door and walking to my seat with a cane, you would look at me and think I am abusing the service. But that short distance is a major effort for me and very painful. walking from sidewalk to check-in, thru security, to the terminal, to terminal check-in, through the gate , to the cabin would be impossible for me. Then if you have a connecting flight with the distance between terminals I would not be able to visir my family. It's not convenient and it's humiliating to be dependent. I can't imagine anyone faking it.

[@muzak-px5fj]

Unfortunately we have customers that don't tell the truth. Some of The larger customers will not get scooters which will assist the smaller airline employee

[@duck853]

Malia Scott has a good heart and believes in the best in people. Then there's the real world, and the real world is not that way.

[@paulj8740]

this is only a problem for those discounted airlines like frontier, nobody on a mainline carrier needs to use it to skip the line because they have a preassigned seat. I suspect the frontier CEO is complaining because people have found they can get access to seats normally reserved by additional payment.

[@nobodynothing00000]

They should stop offering the wheelchair to anyone who is otherwise perfectly able bodied. Countless times at the airport when I notify them I am deaf they offer me a wheelchair.

[@justtabandme8871]

Talk about dimwit!!! Thanks for the chuckle, but I realize it’s not totally funny!!!! I’ve been in a wheelchair almost 30 years, and legally deaf, but I’ve found that one needs to see the funny side to things or be very lonely!!! Blessings!!!

[@nodrogytsirk]

I just experienced this with my friend travelling from Toronto to Florida. She uses a cane, lives with excruciating pain and struggles to walk. We used a wheelchair service and saw others who just up and walked away when they were required to wait for assistance. I would never accuse someone of misusing the service because you don’t know what people are suffering, but we did see two people “change their minds” when they had to wait for help!

[@noahboat580]

It should be against ADA rights if youre faking a disability just so you can expedite your way through an airport, and security too? Thats a security compromise imo

[@chrysvest4746]

Happens on cruise ships too. A mind boggling amount of people “need assistance “ and priority boarding, but then are fine walking all over the ship!

[@croiners4166]

I’ll bet they don’t need assistance eating ❤

[@dawn-gk2tr]

There needs to be a limit of the weight that workers are expected to push. This us a work safety issue .

[@robjohnson1138]

People have been “renting” actual wheelchair users to get through lines quicker at Disney for years.

[@daylightdaylight6612]

In EU you can not refuse a wheelchair if a passenger request it. It is not up to the wheelchair service to decide if a pzssenger may have or not may have a wheelchair also an airline can not dicide this. It is an EU law.

[@alexlorenz4103]

Working for that wheelchair service, I can tell you this. Just because you are getting wheelchair service, that doesn't mean you will get through security faster. That wheelchair line can get really backed up!

[@celestephelps5897]

Not to mention that wheelchair users like myself do have to be checked by security only we don't have to wait in line after putting things in the bin to go through X-Ray.

[@alexlorenz4103]

@celestephelps5897 I once had to wait with a passenger in TSA line for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It was during the government shutdown.

[@invisiblegirl4151]

Amusement parks have dealt with this too. People using wheel chairs to line jump, and then the policy changed and so did the number of wheelchairs in the park.

[@donshetterly]

This angers me because I need a wheelchair.

[@vangary100]

Easy to fix. A person with a handcap can have their Doctor sign the forms for you to get a handcap card . I have a problem walking if I have to park a log way due to Bursitis in my left foot and a cardiac issue. With the card I got for my car, I was given a wallet card so you show that and you should not be able to get one, unless your Dr. agrees.

[@tkralva.6668]

Should be quite simple, if they use to get on, but not to get off, then they should be black listed. The walk getting off, to passport control and luggage claim is just as long as getting on the plane.

[@lornamurdocheaton624]

I fly often and noticed this phenomenon all the time these days.

[@texasguysanantonio8295]

I seriously doubt this is a wide spread thing. First off, you're expected to tip the person that pushed your wheelchair. Second, if you just get TSA Pre-Check, you get through security pretty darned quick at most airports. And the lady in the video is right, it would be a lot of work to fake it, and the wheelchairs often take LONGER to clear security vs. ambulatory passengers.

[@dawnj2360]

Skip tsa? Are you kidding? Last time my grandma went through she got a full pat down and swabbing of her hands and chair! That being said, she can walk. She just can't walk for long periods of time. She needs help with her luggage because she can't manage even getting her handbag into the overhead bin and she can't stand in a line for even 5 minutes.

[@purberri]

I have really bad knees and need one for distances in an airport but I have never used one to board or go through security.

[@patriciaclancy9560]

I no longer are able to fly twice believe it was United Airlines I was left at the gate without a wheelchair. my cardiac condition has worsen and I can’t take a chance of not being able to have someone wheeled me from the plane to the baggage area and from the gate to the plane

[@violetbonnyai3318]

Well, if it’s on Tik Toc, then you know it’s happening. They show you them lying??

[@debbiehanson9201]

I don't need a wheelchair to get across an airport, but I do have metal implants in my arm and shoulder and was issued a card by my orthopedic shoulder that indicates I have those implants and that I may set off some types airport security scanners because of that or that I may not be able to raise both arms over my head sufficiently for TSA machines that require that. Why couldn't people who need wheelchair access have similar physician-issued cards to carry? That way, people whose disabilities aren't as obvious or who are temporarily, as opposed to permanently, disabled could simply show their cards to prove they needed a wheelchair. The laminated card I was issued is basically the same size as a driver's license or credit card so it's not difficult to carry in a wallet or pocket.

[@TeresaColorado-cy1cg]

Passengers should have to get a “tag” of sorts (like for their parked car). Also, stop taking the wheelchairs to the front of the line. They can wait just like everyone else!

[@rayrazz1659]

If you in a wheelchair you still get horrible service What’s the f difference. Welcome to f air

[@chabela1944]

Could it be that Frontier Airlines isn’t getting a cut of the tips that wheelchair passengers give to the attendants receive from the users? From my personal perspective, my husband has a mobility issue and finds that it’s much too distant to walk to the gate, so he always uses a wheelchair to transport him to the gate. He is able to get from the gate, walks down the ramp and into the plane to his seat. Upon deplaning he’s transported to the baggage area. He always tips the transporter at least $20 each direction. Not everyone may be able to tip, depending on their circumstances. I really wonder if that Frontier CEO making the complaint would tip his transporter if he had to use a wheelchair at an airport? He stated it is a ‘FREE SERVICE’??

[@mcomeslast]

Make them bring them handicapped placard.

[@ano070602]

As a wheelchair user, I pay for the ability to board early. Plus call ahead of time to make sure the flight crew knows I am flying and will need to have my husband help me during boarding and during the flight.

[@KristianaW]

While travelling in America and needing the wheelchair services for my mum, definitely saw people who were very able abusing the system. This makes it very hard for others cause I noticed the TSA agent was then very rude to people in the wheelchair line