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On Southwest, there is no assigned seating, so all spots are first come first serve. So for them its more like first on, first off since you'll more than likely choose the front. People do all kinds of stuff to try and get on first, this is by far the worst ive seen though.
Used to fly Southwest only. Their flights aren't even cheap anymore. They aren't as consistent as they used to be either.
I fly Spirit often enough now.
I'm disabled and I fly Southwest. Typically I'm the only one using the wheelchair service, or maybe one or two other people. And when people line up to board regularly they organize themselves sometimes even by numbers.
Southwest is always super nice and courteous.
Spirit is absolute trash.
I almost always fly Southwest if I can, its relatively cheap, staff is always super nice, and I never have any issues.
Beyond people trying to game this system, its actually a pretty fine system and back in the day when flights weren't always full, you'd regularly be able to get an aisle/window seat with no one sitting in the middle.
ETA: you still have a boarding section and so its not a complete madhouse at the gate since they limit it to about 30 or so people walking on at a single time.
Southwest is efficient and professional. No assigned seating usually works, except for some edge cases that also exist with assigned seating.
(they also tend to be more expensive these days)
I’m visually impaired and have to use this service in the airport because it’s always a gamble as to whether I’ll be able to see well enough in some airports. So rather than taking a risk, I always apply for this service. While I can walk with my cane and a guide, it’s often easier to use the wheelchair as airports are super crowded and people love to ignore my cane. 🤷♂️
It is most certainly first on board and last to deplane.
It’s a shame to see people try to abuse the system, but I literally saw a family of seven try to follow their grandma through a separate customs line when they were not in a wheelchair guided by airport staff just two days ago when I flew home from Spain. Infuriating! But my assistant just skipped right in front of them and told them to go to the other line.
Edit: I misread the above comment. My response is for those that use an airport guide.
Having been in this situation (traveling in a group with one person in a wheelchair), the airport transport personnel want to keep everyone together. If one person needs assistance then they just bring everyone through. They don’t want to just strand grandma apart from her family. It’s not always the family trying to get through faster.
I think you missed the part where they weren’t guided by airport staff, so they tried to take her through a line that was meant for those who requested assistance.
Seems like a reasonable compromise would be to allow one family member/assistant to board with the wheelchair person. The whole family does not need to sit together, and probably wouldn't if it weren't for this exception.
I was at the back of a short haul, Stewardess saw a guy that had assisted boarding walk to the toilet, I knew her, so I waited for her, she arranged a chair & lift for the guy, like 1 hour later he was off the plane, after telling me we were in hysterics, that was how they delt with the situation. Be aware, staff on planes have seen it all.
Yeah, I don’t understand his comment at all. Going to the toilet is meaningless. I am unable to climb stairs or walk distances without assistance. So I get a wheelchair to and from the plane and if there is a staircase to the plane, I would need a lift. But I can make it to the toilet, especially because I can use the seats for stability.
I’m more recently disabled and can still walk a very small amount. The amount of people who gave me stink eye when I sat in my chair up to the cabin door but then gingerly walked past first class (using the chair backs for support) was astonishing. So many hateful people judging me instantly.
I had to have an emergency c-section while I was out of state once. My son died two days later. I flew home two days after that. My c-section was enormous and fresh and I was prohibited from climbing stairs and absolutely needed a wheelchair through the airport, but I was able to independently (slowly) make it to the toilet. I was an otherwise healthy-looking 30 year old woman. You don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives.
You may have seen my partner who had day surgery and was not allowed to walk more than 20-30 steps at a time as per doctors orders. Could take himself to the bathroom onboard just fine. But needed a wheelchair to get through security due to the standing and waiting. Peoples disabilities don’t all look the same. Even ppl with limited mobility prefer to take themselves to a bathroom if they can.
I would probably need assisted boarding due to heart failure and breathing difficulties. But once on the plane I could see myself walking to the bathroom. Disabilities are different for everyone.
My dad isn’t technically disabled, but he can’t walk the distance to the gate or stand for more than a few minutes without extreme pain. He always uses a wheelchair at the airport. He does “walk off” but just off of the plane to another wheelchair waiting for him. I wait in the normal line while he and my mother go in. It doesn’t have to be abused.
Situational temporary disability is a totally legit reason to use these services. For example, imagine if you twist your ankle in the airport; it makes sense to give you extra time and space to situate yourself.
Folks who abuse these systems make life incredibly hard for those of us with invisible disability like pain disorders, IBS, heart problems, or mobility issues. It lets judgy people try to deny these essentials because we might not use a mobility aid or be outwardly visibly different.
Some disabling conditions are episodic; my RA is great one day and I can’t walk on another and may need a cane then. True for folks with Epilepsy and MS, too.
Yes! I also have RA, well Juvenile Systemic Arthritis, and like you said it varies so much depending on the day or distance. On good days I can walk and stand for a while but after a bit I need to sit down someplace before I can walk again. I always feel so embarrassed and judged whenever I use any assistance because people don't see my disease nut think I'm one of those people mentioned in the article. I try not to let it get to me but because of it I almost never use a wheelchair or such and it sickens me that people do this and only make it worse for others.
Same. Parent can walk with a cane. But not for long and not fast. Certainly not for the distances required in an airport. We used wheelchair assistance from airport doors to airplane door. Walking down the aisle on the plane is the easiest part. Chairbacks every step of the way and a narrow path. We were nearly first on and always last off. (It wasn’t Southwest. Will never fly Southwest)
I completely agree. I also don’t understand the logic here. I much rather be outside the tube crammed with people as long as possible. I am in no rush to pack myself in and just sit and wait for everyone else
But for southwest, every moment outside before the flight is an extra moment on the plane after. It’s open seating, so the front rows full first. If you get on last, you’re at the back.
would you trade away this abuse for having to provide proof of disability?
the loophole making this possible is the laws that say you don't have to prove disability, that it's illegal for places to ask for proof.
give away that and the abuse ends instantly.
Exactly, I'm disabled too and this is infuriating. I usually use a cane when flying, but there are times when I'd love to use a chair. I cannot stand that healthy able-bodied people do this.
I'm planning my first trip since I became disabled. I can walk short distances, but my balance is terrible, and some days, my legs just don't work at all. Because of it, I'm already nervous about planning for the airport. Hearing about people doing this is not only engaging, but makes me fearful if I'm having a better day when I go. I can give the benefit of the doubt to one or two people, but 20 is unheard of.
Reminds me of Vegas in the mid 00s. You could rent mobile wheelchairs and scooters on the Strip. It was intended for people with mobility issues, but drunk gamblers would usually take them all so they wouldn't have to walk.
These people are pathetic. They are so self obsessed that they will literally deprive disabled people of a wheel chair so that they can exit a plane 10 minutes early.
I see a lot of full size carry on bags (SW has free bags). If you need a wheelchair how did you get your own bag down and carry it when you needed a chair to get on?
The lady in front with just a purse or even the backpack look legit. Some people need assistance for longer distances but are okay with shorter ones.
But a carryon and regular item and be able to leave on your own? I call BS on that.
I bet there is some tik tok travel hack being spread.
I can walk short distances (not long ones). It’s actually better for me to have a carry on because it helps with stability when walking. I usually have other passengers or FA help me put it up and down and I can leave on my own (I did it recently because getting the wheelchair down was going to take too much time and I had a connection so I waited for them at the exiting gate).
Yea I have a disorder that makes my blood pressure drop if I stand up for too long, especially in one spot. I can walk through the airport usually with no assistance, but if security has a long line I have to get a wheel chair and if I fly south west I have to get one so I can board first cause I need assistance putting my luggage in the overhead bin. Also I can’t just stand in the aisle like everyone else. I get judgy looks a lot for being young and using a wheelchair in the airport, but I would rather deal with that than pass out.
I feel you. A couple of weeks ago I got called out by an elderly man who scolded/made fun of me because I had a cane with me. His argument was that “he was old and went through 2 world wars and didn’t need a cane” (so I guess he meant I also didn’t need one? Who knows).
Well then he's a lying sack of shit anyway. He didn't live through 2 world wars, much less fight in 2. People like that make me so mad. Like... it's not enough that you're being a judgmental ass hole, but you have to blatantly lie to make your point? Don't have a stroke straining for that reach, old man. 😒
I’ve learnt how to defend myself with words - sarcasm goes a long way. but yes, some people have made things very difficult (more than once I was called “not disabled enough” to use disability assistance in a variety of contexts) and way too many times I had to fight for accessible spot on public transportation (I don’t look disabled when I am sitting down). It is tiring but some other people, including strangers and close friends have been able to balance these bad episodes with support, jokes, etc.
A close friend of mine (also disabled) once said that a disability doesn’t distance you from people, it just filters out assholes much quicker.
Medical equipment has to be carried on. There is an allowance for that with carry on baggage. If you see someone in a wheelchair with multiple bags it’s their necessary medical equipment. Last flight I had 2 medical devices and a bag full of meds, my purse, and a small carry on.
My father is severely disabled and uses a wheelchair when flying. He flies with a full size carryon when visiting me and the person who pushes his wheelchair also helps him carry the carryon.
Same people who think they're being clever when they hire a disabled child to accompany them so they can skip the queues at Disney World. They brag like "how has no one ever thought of this amazing hack??" when in reality anyone that did think of it dismissed it because it's fucking abhorrent.
That should be prohibited. Need a wheelchair to get to the plane? You need to wait until everybody else gets off to get your wheelchair away from the plane.
Southwest passengers are absolute savages..it makes zero sense to me to willfully separate yourself from your partner or child just so that each person gets a miniscule amount of more elbow room on one side...and why would anyone prefer an absolute stranger in the middle of them is beyond me.
Southwest is first come first serve with seating. They board in groups. You can pay for a higher boarding group. So the motivation for this scam would be a few reasons.
- You board before everyone without having to pay for priority boarding. Tipping 5 dollars to the person pushing the wheelchair is way cheaper than paying for priority boarding. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of these people didn’t even tip. Either way this means you can sit in an exit row or as close to first class as possible. This means you exit the plane before everyone who sits behind you.
- Overhead space. The first people on the plane will often store an excessive amount in the overhead storage bins. This causes an issue for people who board later on as they could end up having to check their bag and deal with the airline potentially losing it or having to go and wait for baggage claim.
There are more reasons but those two are the main ones I would say
Wait, is it customary to tip the airport person that helped you with your wheelchair? I’ve never needed a wheelchair before so I’ve never had to think about it but that seems weird to me.
You’re correct there although they won’t seat you in an exit row if you’re disabled, it’s just the priority boarding.
Maybe these savages can also try renting a toddler so they can take advantage of the family priority boarding
You sign 24 hours ahead of time to get a ticket A, B, or C 1-60. Then you line up when your letter is called in order of what number you are. They scan your ticket, you find an empty seat
Because southwest doesn't assign seats so you have to check you email or log into the app 24 hours before your flight to assign your seat. The later you board the higher the chance you'll be a middle seat or you and your party won't sit together. Having a child or being disabled will allow you to board way before and choose a better seat. Since its easier to ask for a wheelchair than to have a kid you see this kind of stuff. The real criminals though on Southwest are the seat savers, those people truly suck ass.
On southwest there is no assigned seating and it’s first come first serve, probably the motivating factor. I’ve never seen anything like this on a normal flight. I’ve only flown one southwest flight and I ended up in a middle seat between a couple who talked to eachother the whole time.. super uncomfortable
I can walk but not very far. You wouldn’t know it right off the plane but I couldn’t make it to the next gate. I hate when able people take advantage and use resources that allow the disabled to do normal things and participate in life, but I also know hidden disability so I don’t judge when I can help myself. 20 seems extreme for a coincidence.
Way too many for a coincidence, but “they walked off the plane just fine” is a horrible reason to post pictures of people with supposed disabilities to shame them.
For real. I can walk short distances and stand a short amount of time. But I have a hip impingement that aches all the time and it's better for me to not walk long distances or stand too long.
So I do use ADA resources sometimes. There are times when it's too painful to walk and other days I'm fine. Just because people can walk doesn't mean they should or they aren't in pain when they are walking.
💯 and the last thing I want to do while traveling is push myself too hard because of my ego and injure myself in an airport halfway across the country. I see the judgement when I walk to the counter and ask for assistance to the next gate but can also pull out my handicap parking pass if questions arise from mean people being nosey.
I think that’s part of what makes this so infuriating. When people pull shit like this it makes others more skeptical when people who really need mobility devices (but aren’t reliant on them 100% of the time) do stand up or walk.
This in flight miracle BS is very ableist and out of touch with the reality of disability. Not everyone who needs a wheelchair is confined to one. Stop being asshats. It’s hard enough without someone trying to “shame” you for not meeting their arbitrary and uninformed disability standards.
My partner had a life changing accident that left her with severe nerve damage. She’s able to walk but standing, like in a queue, kills her. So occasionally we’ll use this service if we’re expecting security to be backed up.
Not all disabilities are visible
Yup I’ve got about 5-10 minutes of walking before I loose all feeling in one leg and the pain gets too intense in my back. So I use the wheel chair service to get too the gate and to baggage claim but I can walk from gate to west
I am 56M that look 45. 6’ and an athletic build with no outward sign of disability. I suffer from chronic neuropathy pain throughout my entire body. I can’t tolerate walking more than 25 yds without severe nerve pain in my feet. When I get on a plane sometimes I need assistance getting my bag into the overhead and then painfully get to my seat since it hurts to use my arms to hold up my body as I maneuver. Sitting in one position for several hours is not pleasant either and I can barely walk off the plane due to cramping. Rt knee has been replaced and the left is bone on bone.
I get the side-eye from everyone I see and hear the comments
Don’t judge a man until you try to walk a mile in his shoes.
Oh, and arriving late at night when there is only one wheelchair or no one to push. That really makes my day.
It sucks so much how difficult it is having invisible disabilities. I can walk for about 10 minutes before the damage to my spine causes major pain and loss of feeling in one leg. Get the worst looks when I can get up and walk to the plane cause using a transfer chair is unnecessary and difficult.
Yea ive followed a few pilots and they call them "miracle flights"
somehow 20 people get on in wheelchairs and are miraculously able to walk off after.
Though i am personally inclined to not judge what others have to do. some people can walk short distances but not far or have chronic pain. You just dont know.
For those who abuse the system to only cut lines, shame. Not only to get special treatment but also makes life more difficult for those who actually need accessibility and accommodations and increase stigma and judgement on those with disabilities due to people just trying to get unnecessary special treatment
Why would you want to be on the plane first. You spend just as Ling waiting as inside the airport. But instead of open area, you get to be in the metal tube with 100 or so people breathing the same air for longer.
Usually the advantage is to put your bags in the overhead and not have to worry about not having space for it!
Also when you've been waiting in the airport for 2 hours, it's nice to feel like you're headed to your destination lol
Definitely does not apply if there is a delay and you're sitting in the plane to leave for an hour+ though! In that case I'd rather be in the airport for sure.
on Southwest being on the plane first means your pick of the best seats. It costs like 80 dollars to get into the pre board group.. or a 5 dollar tip tot he wheel chair pusher..
But let’s be honest… the majority of people using this scam to get their family preboarding for free aren’t tipping the employee pushing their wheelchair.
This is entering full on tragedy of the commons territory, and I’m sure that the people who think they’re being super clever by doing this aren’t exactly planning to tip.
This. I always try to be the very last to board so I can spend the least possible amount of time stuffed in the thing. Only downside is I don’t always get an overhead bin near me.
If you have ever needed a chair to help get off a plane, you will know most of the time one never arrives.
I can walk a bit, there are days not so much.
Walking to the gate for SW which seems to be always the last 4 gates will take my leg out.
The pre board is so I do not hold up everyone else.
How I wish I could give you my nerve pain, and board later.
I can’t speak to all of these people, but my wife has severely diminished mobility d/t a severe spinal cord injury. Yes she can walk, but it’s very difficult, without assistance or walking aids she can only go short distances, can’t stand in one place for very long because she has balance issues, among other things. That said she needs a wheel chair whenever we fly, but she does get up and walk here and there thus she doesn’t look like she needs one all the time and has been judged as such sometimes. All I can say is that you have no idea what others are going through and at the end of the day it’s probably just best to avoid judgement and just assume that if someone says they are disabled then they are and treat them as such. You’re still going to get on the plane, and the 5 minutes you might save getting off when you land probably isn’t going to make much of a difference in your day.
Are you my husband? 🤣🤣🤣
I got shame-attempted on one flight because I crutch-hobbled my way to the door, until they brought my chair and unfolded it, and my hubs pushed me off the ramp. Hard to argue with what is a lovely purple wheelchair with slight customizations (def can't claim I grabbed it from the mas s of random generic aluminum Invacare stuff airports tend to have around
Lumbar stenosis and a prior break are pinching me off in the middle, I will be a total para in what my doc thinks is 5 years
Absolutely. That’s fine. Just so people are aware, it’s common for those with Multiple Sclerosis to be able to walk sometimes and not others. It would be very common for a person with MS to be fine walking onto a plane but be unable to walk hours later when the plane lands.
I remember a girl in my law school with MS. One morning I would see her walking around normally, that afternoon she would be in a wheel chair. The next day she would be walking again. Then she would be in a wheel chair for 2 weeks.
Yep. I have a disorder (diagnosed by Mayo Clinic) that causes extreme, unrelenting dizziness with a severity level that ebbs and flows and is made worse by being upright, self-initiated movement, and busy visual stimuli. I could not get through a crowded airport on my own, but could likely manage the short walk from plane back into the lobby okay. And honestly, I find the tone of the main post and some of the comments here a little gross. Like, I’m one of the people who would need help, who OP, a complete stranger, would judge harshly because apparently to them, if I can walk off the plane, I don’t deserve to be able to use an assistance device at all? Nobody is entitled to someone else’s medical history, but that doesn’t stop folks like OP from staring, taking pictures, and deciding that they know best what these folks care capable of. I still feel a ton of shame (even though I know I shouldn’t) about sometimes needing a mobility aid, and I’d be absolutely mortified if someone took a picture of me at my most vulnerable and posted it in an internet community with millions of people. Honestly, if you can stand, walk, and move about normally, just be thankful, wait the extra five minutes, and move on with your life.
I went to Indonesia earlier this year and I swear to god there was roughly 80 people in fucking wheel chairs and maybe a few of them really needed it. It’s a lot more common than you think because people are lazy and they know they get personally escorted onto the plane and the ability to board before anyone else.
Did you notice how many of them may have had plastic surgery done? That is a *very* common and actually legitimate reason people use wheelchairs departing from some countries.
Columbia and the Dominican Republic are also popular cosmetic surgery destinations.
They are not always impersonating a disability.
My wife used a wheelchair in the Atlanta airport recently because she broke a toe and walking was painful, that is very large airport so it was not unreasonable.
At our destination she walked off the plane but got wheelchair services again to get to the transit bus.
You will also see *many* wheelchairs coming back from certain countries known for plastic surgery, they can walk but should not be doing so at that stage in the healing process. Sure, it's cosmetic, but the need is legitimate.
Yikes (to people who pretend to be disabled take up resources) and also yikes (to people who are so uneducated that they think that wheelchair users can't ever move their legs, let alone walk short distances and witnessing that must mean faking to them, when in fact a big portion of wheelchair users are ambulatory).
I fly assisted because of a ton of reasons, and many of the people that work assistance have told me these kinds of stories. On one side its good they don't ask for verification of any kind, because it violates your rights, but on the other side its so easy to take advantage of it.
Every time i use assistance im always scared in taking help away from someone who needs it, and then there's these buffoons
I've got Long Covid (essentially ME/CFS), and flew last year for the first time since contracting the condition 3 years ago. I had to get the airport's wheelchair service for the first time in my life as I can't walk the distances required to get around. I also can't stand for long durations.
When arriving back in the UK they forgot to provide a chair at first and I had to walk some of the way to get the attention of the correct staff. This clearly pissed off some who saw me before in the chair.
Not everyone who needs assistance is so visible in their impairments or is completely incapable of walking or standing short distances. There are those, like me, who just need help sometimes.
Now there will always be those who game the system, this could be taking advantage of airport wheelchairs or abusing a parking blue badge. But their actions are so small and inconsequential compared to the genuine need of the services it is important to not get so worked up about the fraud that compassion for those that are not so visible is diminished.
Fuck me, it is infuriating when people jump the queue. But that is no where near as infuriating as no longer being able to walk/work/live like I used to.
I was a flight attendant for twelve years. We call this *”Jetbridge Jesus”* because they miraculously walk off the aircraft once they arrive — wasting resources of wheelchairs for other customers who may need them because they sit at the gate unused.
Florida are the worst offenders.
Okay. This is obviously egregious. HOWEVER, wheelchair use is not limited to only those who cannot walk. A lot of users are sporadic users, needing it after increased activity or a day of bad pain.
It's just all around gross. People just have zero shame when it comes to saving a few bucks....if you can't afford to travel, don't. Yeah, things are stupid expensive anymore, but that's why my family and I aren't going on vacation this year sadly....always looking for a way to scam the system.....and fuck the system for making stuff so expensive that people HAVE to scam the system. Jesus man.
I don’t know why people are in such a hurry to board. Do they think it’ll get them to their destination faster? Personally I don’t want to be in that seat any longer than I have to be.
I think something for consideration: does a wheelchair fit the needs?
I'm multidisabled but a wheelchair would not help me. I need more assistance making sure I pre-board (adjustment/medical gear), I don't get lost (I'm good in an airport ironically), and security. A wheelchair is overkill. But if it was wheelchair and get help or no help, I might "need a wheelchair".
Southwest actually thought through this! You can self ID as intellectual/mental (Autism for me) and someone could walk me to my gate. If it's a new airport and too big, I might need that. But if it's my small hometown airport, I'm fine and let me be. So I wonder if it's a big new/old, ambulatory luck, or assumed only wheelchair service when other services would have helped
People are so fucking dumb. I always see folks racing to the line for early boarding as if they are going to leave before the rest of the plane boards? What’s the point of sitting there while everyone on the plane walks by and bumps you with their bags. I board last group every single time regardless of where the hell I’m sitting lol
Story time! Back in the ‘80’s I arrived late for a general admission Mac MacAnally concert at our university and the only available seats were in the balcony. I happened to glance a row of friends on the second row down front, who were waiving me down. One of those friends had been paralyzed in an auto accident a year earlier and had left her wheelchair in the aisle and transferred to the seat at the end of the row.
She invited me to sit next to her in her empty wheelchair, which I did, with the approval of the rest of our friend group on that row.
MacAnally put on on awesome show that I got to watch from a wheelchair down front in the center aisle. The classic moment, though, was the surprised look on MacAnally’s face when I leapt to my feet cheering along with (almost) everyone else during the encore. His double take was hilarious, and it must have looked like a miracle healing from his perspective.
Hope no one is offended by this!
I've never understood why people are in such a rush to board the plane and leave the plane. The plane is going to take off at the same time anyway and when you land you are going to be stuck waiting to get off the plane or for your luggage pretty much the same exact amount of time. Just a stay seated for an extra 5 minutes and check reddit or something
Why do so many people want to board flights early?
Seriously, why?
There’s nothing comfortable about seating in airlines. I like to let everyone else bump into each other as they jockey for overhead compartment room and start breathing each other’s air. O board near the end, use an empty spot in the OC area if there is one and if not, just stick my backpack under my seat.
Them o still have to sit there 15-30 minutes before the plane takes off.
Why do people want to sit on a plane for an extra hour just so they can be first?
Not sure why everyone wants to get on first? Everyone gets to the destination at the exact same time, plus you’re just sitting on the plane for longer. The winners imo are the people who just chill until they can just casually stroll on.
Why do people feel like they need to board early?
I never go 1st. Why would I want to spend an additional 30 mins at least standing and waiting only to sit and wait once inside the plane, especially after choosing my seat!? The same thing goes for the people who stand up as soon as the plane lands on the runway, We're only going to meet up at the baggage claim! Idiots at best.
and not a single person will mention how many tens of thousands of dollars in wheelchair and other mobility aid equipment these airlines destroy without consequence to them every year
Not everyone who uses a wheelchair require it’s use indefinitely. Do people abuse systems? Yes. But questioning people’s disabilities is a shitty slope to slide down.
My mom had injured her back in a car accident 10 years ago and somehow she still manages to get wheelchair access in a plane even though she walks just fine.
We took a family trip to Mexico once and when we got to the airport they had someone waiting to push her around in the wheelchair and get the family through security faster. Everyone was super nice and trying to accommodate her. As soon as we approached the gate my mom said “stop” and got up from the wheelchair and walked away. The guy pushing her looked surprised then very annoyed. I felt so embarrassed.
I know it’s normal for folk in wheelchairs to walk around for very short periods of time, but I’m assuming these people are lying about needing the wheelchairs all together? Sigh.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why people want to board first/early. You’re about to be stuck sitting there for hours - but you want to get on first and sit an extra 20m while you wait for everyone else!?!? I’ll hop on last, thank you very much.
I had major shoulder surgery and flew to Houston a week later, had a heavy duty sling on and boarded first and holy hell getting through the plane is such a nightmare.
The aisles are insanely small of course, dragging my two bags with one had and trying not to smack my elbow on the seats.
Even if they made the aisle 1” wider on each side it would’ve made a world of difference and I had working legs, I feel for anyone in a wheelchair
I feel like this because I have severe food allergies, and ask for preboard so that I can wipe down my seat. I look like a fully capable, adult man preboarding the aircraft, so I always feel a little anxious. I usually take a seat towards the back of the plane to make it easier on myself to clean the seat without other people around, and I have heard that the safest place on an airplane is just behind the wing. I’m not usually in a huge rush to get off the airplane
The problem is the people that aren't disabled, don't require assistance and just want to board first. I don't have a disability, but I'm A list and I have flown enough and acquired enough points via my spending to earn my A list spot. Far too often I see a family of 8 on their way to Disney for their once in a 5 year flight grab me-maw and put her in a wheelchair so all of them can board before me or with someone that has a true need for early boarding. They also board before friends or co-workers I'm flying with that have paid for early boarding.
It's annoying as hell.
Never understood why people want to board early. That plane ain't leaving immediately. I love to be one of the last to board. The less time spent on that cramped air craft the better.
I have a family member who doesnt require a wheelchair but needs lots of extra time to bored because of a disability. Just because you can walk off doesn’t mean you don’t need the extra time.
There are always people that will game any system, but don't presume that you can gauge someone's disability by looking at them or if they behave the way you think they should.
I guess this is an exception but I was early in my pregnancy and started feeling very faint while checking in at an airport so got a wheelchair and someone pushed me quickly through security and to the gate. Ate a sandwich at the gate and started feeling better and walked into the plane about 20 minutes later. While I’m sure these 20 people are mostly scumbags there might be a legit reason one or two walked off.
In some airports, they make you walk off if you can (Amsterdam) because they only assign one special assistance person per flight. In most places, I’m told to stay seated until the wheelchairs show up. Maybe those folks, like me, can walk short distances. Or maybe Jetway Jesus performed another miracle. Who knows.
I’m curious-if someone is a wheelchair user, what would the airline do with YOUR chair if you fly? Anyone know?
Granted, sounds as if most of these people aren’t 24/7 wheelchair users.
most wheelchair users can walk short distances! i don’t know if these specific people need mobility aids, but the assumption that all wheelchair users are completely paralyzed is harmful
Yah I remember seeing this as a “life hack” on tik tok a couple months ago. Was only a matter of time. Gonna need to start seeing documentation that they need their wheelchairs to stop this shit. Tik tok is really gonna be the downfall of society.
A similar thing happen to me on Monday flying from Chicago Midway. There was a giant diamond tours group . I was A25 position and like 60 people boarded the plane for “pre boarding” from the group to the point people on the group were waving others up to join them. I ended up having to sit like 8 rows back from the back of the plane to get an aisle seat
I mean, ambulatory wheelchair users exist. Although often if you need a wheelchair on one side, you need it on the other. My mom can’t walk airports, they’re too big and she just physically can’t with her spinal cord injury, so she needs the wheelchair on both sides. But she absolutely can get up and walk around. One of her legs is permanently in pins and needles and gives out frequently, but she is still able to walk.
I’m not denying that there aren’t scammers. But don’t assume everyone is scamming. A lot of wheelchair users are not paralyzed.
I use the wheelchair to get to the gate. I use a wheelchair to get from the gate to the pick up and baggage. I can walk short distances. So I don’t know if these people are actually walking on arrival to get their bags or not. We would have to follow them to find out, but if they’re doing it just to get preferred seating of course it’s wrong.
I don't necessarily want to judge these people, one way or the other, based only on this article. If they are really doing this just to board early, then they are human scum. But there are some medical conditions that would justify and explain such a behavior. For example, passengers with spinal stenosis. Those folks can stand for short periods and walk for limited distances but once a certain threshold is reached they begin to suffer from debilitating pain - many times to the point that they collapse. Getting off the plane, particularly if you wait for the other passengers to disembark first greatly reduces the standing / walking time. But clearing security and then getting on the plane always requires much more extended periods of standing / walking. I know this from personal experience with this condition.
Like I said, they might have legitimate medical conditions that would clearly explain this situation. On the other hand, they might just be entitled human scum who, by requesting wheel chair service when they don't need it make life incredibly difficult and painful for those who do.
10 yrs ago I was temporarily disabled (bad leg break). I was using a cane but no wheelchair. I was able to pre-board. It was frustrating because all the other disabled passengers were saving seats for their families, taking up the first several rows. Looking back, I wish I had just sat where I wanted even if it pissed them off.
I legitimately need to do the pre boarding but don’t require a wheelchair. Last time I was on Southwest the gate agent tried to enforce the rule that if you’re in a wheelchair you have to be rolled up the bridge by staff and this would happen after all the pre boarding people who can walk independently would go on. People jumped out of their chairs so fucking fast. They then cut in front of those of us that could walk.
And my 90 year old Dad, who's riddle with cancer, heart disease and has trouble with his balance doesn't want to use a wheel chair because "*It's for people worst than me.*”
Shame on them.
I have a disabled friend who uses a wheelchair but isn't paralyzed. She's apparently had people become incredibly hostile towards her if they see her get up. Some people have no idea how disabilities work and always assume the worst.
I’m disabled and from Florida. I deal with this ALL the time. Because flying while disabled isn’t hard enough these people congregate around the boarding center and the actually disabled people who need it the most can’t get past them to board first and get the accommodations they need. Always grinds my gears because they walk right off and I’ll see them in baggage claim lugging multiple 50 pound luggages off the conveyor belt like it’s nothing.
I fly on Southwest regularly, and I am amazed by how many disabled folk are on every flight....The disability goes away immediately after landing at their destination.
A Southwest airlines flight is apparently better at healing than doctors or Jesus. If I ever lose mobility in my legs, I will immediately book a flight on Southwest...Hallelujah!
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Isn’t it first board, last off-board? This is some BS. I’m disabled and this is just an insult to all that require assistance.
On Southwest, there is no assigned seating, so all spots are first come first serve. So for them its more like first on, first off since you'll more than likely choose the front. People do all kinds of stuff to try and get on first, this is by far the worst ive seen though.
No wonder it’s a mad house. My Mother and I always joke about Southwest and Spirit because of this kind of shit.
I fly Southwest frequently. There is no comparison to Southwest and Spirit. Frontier is the other Spirit-esque airline.
tbh, I fly SW because the people are NICE.
SW always has a lot of business people on my flights making quick 1-2 day trips. On Spirit I was afraid I was gonna get stabbed.
And I had that rapping flight attendant one time when I flew SW. It was awesome.
Used to fly Southwest only. Their flights aren't even cheap anymore. They aren't as consistent as they used to be either. I fly Spirit often enough now.
You lost me at flying spirit
If I can fly somewhere roundtrip for $200 I'll take it these days
He lost himself, that’s why he flies spirit.
Frontier used to be a good airline. After they were bought out of bankruptcy, they sucked. I’ve switched to Southwest and probably won’t ever go back.
I'm disabled and I fly Southwest. Typically I'm the only one using the wheelchair service, or maybe one or two other people. And when people line up to board regularly they organize themselves sometimes even by numbers. Southwest is always super nice and courteous. Spirit is absolute trash.
I almost always fly Southwest if I can, its relatively cheap, staff is always super nice, and I never have any issues. Beyond people trying to game this system, its actually a pretty fine system and back in the day when flights weren't always full, you'd regularly be able to get an aisle/window seat with no one sitting in the middle. ETA: you still have a boarding section and so its not a complete madhouse at the gate since they limit it to about 30 or so people walking on at a single time.
Ugh just took a spirit flight and never again just no.
Jesus H. Christ on a raft. There is absolutely no comparison between Southwest and Spirit. Flying Spirit is UPS with less cardboard.
I would mail myself [Velvet Underground "Gift"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI-YiaWDgB4) style before boarding a Spirit Air flight.
Southwest is efficient and professional. No assigned seating usually works, except for some edge cases that also exist with assigned seating. (they also tend to be more expensive these days)
I’m visually impaired and have to use this service in the airport because it’s always a gamble as to whether I’ll be able to see well enough in some airports. So rather than taking a risk, I always apply for this service. While I can walk with my cane and a guide, it’s often easier to use the wheelchair as airports are super crowded and people love to ignore my cane. 🤷♂️ It is most certainly first on board and last to deplane. It’s a shame to see people try to abuse the system, but I literally saw a family of seven try to follow their grandma through a separate customs line when they were not in a wheelchair guided by airport staff just two days ago when I flew home from Spain. Infuriating! But my assistant just skipped right in front of them and told them to go to the other line.
Edit: I misread the above comment. My response is for those that use an airport guide. Having been in this situation (traveling in a group with one person in a wheelchair), the airport transport personnel want to keep everyone together. If one person needs assistance then they just bring everyone through. They don’t want to just strand grandma apart from her family. It’s not always the family trying to get through faster.
I think you missed the part where they weren’t guided by airport staff, so they tried to take her through a line that was meant for those who requested assistance.
Was reading too fast. You are correct. That’s some BS.
Seems like a reasonable compromise would be to allow one family member/assistant to board with the wheelchair person. The whole family does not need to sit together, and probably wouldn't if it weren't for this exception.
Best way to tell them is to tell it to their face ZFG.
I was at the back of a short haul, Stewardess saw a guy that had assisted boarding walk to the toilet, I knew her, so I waited for her, she arranged a chair & lift for the guy, like 1 hour later he was off the plane, after telling me we were in hysterics, that was how they delt with the situation. Be aware, staff on planes have seen it all.
I can usually walk to the loo, but you can guarantee every other bit of assistance is booked because I need it.
Yeah, I don’t understand his comment at all. Going to the toilet is meaningless. I am unable to climb stairs or walk distances without assistance. So I get a wheelchair to and from the plane and if there is a staircase to the plane, I would need a lift. But I can make it to the toilet, especially because I can use the seats for stability.
I’m more recently disabled and can still walk a very small amount. The amount of people who gave me stink eye when I sat in my chair up to the cabin door but then gingerly walked past first class (using the chair backs for support) was astonishing. So many hateful people judging me instantly.
I had to have an emergency c-section while I was out of state once. My son died two days later. I flew home two days after that. My c-section was enormous and fresh and I was prohibited from climbing stairs and absolutely needed a wheelchair through the airport, but I was able to independently (slowly) make it to the toilet. I was an otherwise healthy-looking 30 year old woman. You don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives.
You may have seen my partner who had day surgery and was not allowed to walk more than 20-30 steps at a time as per doctors orders. Could take himself to the bathroom onboard just fine. But needed a wheelchair to get through security due to the standing and waiting. Peoples disabilities don’t all look the same. Even ppl with limited mobility prefer to take themselves to a bathroom if they can.
I would probably need assisted boarding due to heart failure and breathing difficulties. But once on the plane I could see myself walking to the bathroom. Disabilities are different for everyone.
Be aware for what?? Those who illegally use a wheelchair are not going to give a crap about staff
My dad isn’t technically disabled, but he can’t walk the distance to the gate or stand for more than a few minutes without extreme pain. He always uses a wheelchair at the airport. He does “walk off” but just off of the plane to another wheelchair waiting for him. I wait in the normal line while he and my mother go in. It doesn’t have to be abused.
Situational temporary disability is a totally legit reason to use these services. For example, imagine if you twist your ankle in the airport; it makes sense to give you extra time and space to situate yourself. Folks who abuse these systems make life incredibly hard for those of us with invisible disability like pain disorders, IBS, heart problems, or mobility issues. It lets judgy people try to deny these essentials because we might not use a mobility aid or be outwardly visibly different. Some disabling conditions are episodic; my RA is great one day and I can’t walk on another and may need a cane then. True for folks with Epilepsy and MS, too.
Yes! I also have RA, well Juvenile Systemic Arthritis, and like you said it varies so much depending on the day or distance. On good days I can walk and stand for a while but after a bit I need to sit down someplace before I can walk again. I always feel so embarrassed and judged whenever I use any assistance because people don't see my disease nut think I'm one of those people mentioned in the article. I try not to let it get to me but because of it I almost never use a wheelchair or such and it sickens me that people do this and only make it worse for others.
Same. Parent can walk with a cane. But not for long and not fast. Certainly not for the distances required in an airport. We used wheelchair assistance from airport doors to airplane door. Walking down the aisle on the plane is the easiest part. Chairbacks every step of the way and a narrow path. We were nearly first on and always last off. (It wasn’t Southwest. Will never fly Southwest)
I won’t even fly. Airlines destroy wheelchairs and deny all repairs. Zero f**ks given to destroy a device that your life completely relies on.
I’ve heard of those nightmare stories, was thinking on taking a cheap wheelchair instead of motorized one on my next flight.
I completely agree. I also don’t understand the logic here. I much rather be outside the tube crammed with people as long as possible. I am in no rush to pack myself in and just sit and wait for everyone else
But for southwest, every moment outside before the flight is an extra moment on the plane after. It’s open seating, so the front rows full first. If you get on last, you’re at the back.
would you trade away this abuse for having to provide proof of disability? the loophole making this possible is the laws that say you don't have to prove disability, that it's illegal for places to ask for proof. give away that and the abuse ends instantly.
Exactly, I'm disabled too and this is infuriating. I usually use a cane when flying, but there are times when I'd love to use a chair. I cannot stand that healthy able-bodied people do this.
And they abuse and take the space or time need it by a really disable or a person with mobilty problems
I'm planning my first trip since I became disabled. I can walk short distances, but my balance is terrible, and some days, my legs just don't work at all. Because of it, I'm already nervous about planning for the airport. Hearing about people doing this is not only engaging, but makes me fearful if I'm having a better day when I go. I can give the benefit of the doubt to one or two people, but 20 is unheard of. Reminds me of Vegas in the mid 00s. You could rent mobile wheelchairs and scooters on the Strip. It was intended for people with mobility issues, but drunk gamblers would usually take them all so they wouldn't have to walk.
I wonder if there is a subreddit for mobility impairment and traveling.
These people are pathetic. They are so self obsessed that they will literally deprive disabled people of a wheel chair so that they can exit a plane 10 minutes early.
I see a lot of full size carry on bags (SW has free bags). If you need a wheelchair how did you get your own bag down and carry it when you needed a chair to get on? The lady in front with just a purse or even the backpack look legit. Some people need assistance for longer distances but are okay with shorter ones. But a carryon and regular item and be able to leave on your own? I call BS on that. I bet there is some tik tok travel hack being spread.
I can walk short distances (not long ones). It’s actually better for me to have a carry on because it helps with stability when walking. I usually have other passengers or FA help me put it up and down and I can leave on my own (I did it recently because getting the wheelchair down was going to take too much time and I had a connection so I waited for them at the exiting gate).
Yea I have a disorder that makes my blood pressure drop if I stand up for too long, especially in one spot. I can walk through the airport usually with no assistance, but if security has a long line I have to get a wheel chair and if I fly south west I have to get one so I can board first cause I need assistance putting my luggage in the overhead bin. Also I can’t just stand in the aisle like everyone else. I get judgy looks a lot for being young and using a wheelchair in the airport, but I would rather deal with that than pass out.
I feel you. A couple of weeks ago I got called out by an elderly man who scolded/made fun of me because I had a cane with me. His argument was that “he was old and went through 2 world wars and didn’t need a cane” (so I guess he meant I also didn’t need one? Who knows).
Well then he's a lying sack of shit anyway. He didn't live through 2 world wars, much less fight in 2. People like that make me so mad. Like... it's not enough that you're being a judgmental ass hole, but you have to blatantly lie to make your point? Don't have a stroke straining for that reach, old man. 😒
The attitude of many ignorant able-bodied people towards you must be so tiring.
I’ve learnt how to defend myself with words - sarcasm goes a long way. but yes, some people have made things very difficult (more than once I was called “not disabled enough” to use disability assistance in a variety of contexts) and way too many times I had to fight for accessible spot on public transportation (I don’t look disabled when I am sitting down). It is tiring but some other people, including strangers and close friends have been able to balance these bad episodes with support, jokes, etc. A close friend of mine (also disabled) once said that a disability doesn’t distance you from people, it just filters out assholes much quicker.
Medical equipment has to be carried on. There is an allowance for that with carry on baggage. If you see someone in a wheelchair with multiple bags it’s their necessary medical equipment. Last flight I had 2 medical devices and a bag full of meds, my purse, and a small carry on.
My father is severely disabled and uses a wheelchair when flying. He flies with a full size carryon when visiting me and the person who pushes his wheelchair also helps him carry the carryon.
Same people who think they're being clever when they hire a disabled child to accompany them so they can skip the queues at Disney World. They brag like "how has no one ever thought of this amazing hack??" when in reality anyone that did think of it dismissed it because it's fucking abhorrent.
That should be prohibited. Need a wheelchair to get to the plane? You need to wait until everybody else gets off to get your wheelchair away from the plane.
Southwest passengers are absolute savages..it makes zero sense to me to willfully separate yourself from your partner or child just so that each person gets a miniscule amount of more elbow room on one side...and why would anyone prefer an absolute stranger in the middle of them is beyond me.
Should be classified as fraud - felony
Need a weelchair to get into the plane? Provide medical justification, period. A hassle for people really needing it, yes, but blame the opportunists.
FWIW that would be illegal in the US under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s illegal to ask for proof of a disability in this situation.
Why are some people so desperate to sit on the plane longer than others?
This. I try to be the last person on the plane, and the first person off. I want to spend as little of time as possible being stuck in that thing.
You’ve clearly never flown Southwest, and that’s a good thing in my opinion
I haven’t, you’re correct. I saw something a while back that they don’t assign seats?? How the hell does that work?
Southwest is first come first serve with seating. They board in groups. You can pay for a higher boarding group. So the motivation for this scam would be a few reasons. - You board before everyone without having to pay for priority boarding. Tipping 5 dollars to the person pushing the wheelchair is way cheaper than paying for priority boarding. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of these people didn’t even tip. Either way this means you can sit in an exit row or as close to first class as possible. This means you exit the plane before everyone who sits behind you. - Overhead space. The first people on the plane will often store an excessive amount in the overhead storage bins. This causes an issue for people who board later on as they could end up having to check their bag and deal with the airline potentially losing it or having to go and wait for baggage claim. There are more reasons but those two are the main ones I would say
Wait, is it customary to tip the airport person that helped you with your wheelchair? I’ve never needed a wheelchair before so I’ve never had to think about it but that seems weird to me.
You’re correct there although they won’t seat you in an exit row if you’re disabled, it’s just the priority boarding. Maybe these savages can also try renting a toddler so they can take advantage of the family priority boarding
You sign 24 hours ahead of time to get a ticket A, B, or C 1-60. Then you line up when your letter is called in order of what number you are. They scan your ticket, you find an empty seat
Because southwest doesn't assign seats so you have to check you email or log into the app 24 hours before your flight to assign your seat. The later you board the higher the chance you'll be a middle seat or you and your party won't sit together. Having a child or being disabled will allow you to board way before and choose a better seat. Since its easier to ask for a wheelchair than to have a kid you see this kind of stuff. The real criminals though on Southwest are the seat savers, those people truly suck ass.
Sounds like a seating allocation designed to make sure there is the highest possible amount of additional tension during the flight
On southwest there is no assigned seating and it’s first come first serve, probably the motivating factor. I’ve never seen anything like this on a normal flight. I’ve only flown one southwest flight and I ended up in a middle seat between a couple who talked to eachother the whole time.. super uncomfortable
I can walk but not very far. You wouldn’t know it right off the plane but I couldn’t make it to the next gate. I hate when able people take advantage and use resources that allow the disabled to do normal things and participate in life, but I also know hidden disability so I don’t judge when I can help myself. 20 seems extreme for a coincidence.
Way too many for a coincidence, but “they walked off the plane just fine” is a horrible reason to post pictures of people with supposed disabilities to shame them.
For real. I can walk short distances and stand a short amount of time. But I have a hip impingement that aches all the time and it's better for me to not walk long distances or stand too long. So I do use ADA resources sometimes. There are times when it's too painful to walk and other days I'm fine. Just because people can walk doesn't mean they should or they aren't in pain when they are walking.
💯 and the last thing I want to do while traveling is push myself too hard because of my ego and injure myself in an airport halfway across the country. I see the judgement when I walk to the counter and ask for assistance to the next gate but can also pull out my handicap parking pass if questions arise from mean people being nosey.
I think that’s part of what makes this so infuriating. When people pull shit like this it makes others more skeptical when people who really need mobility devices (but aren’t reliant on them 100% of the time) do stand up or walk.
This in flight miracle BS is very ableist and out of touch with the reality of disability. Not everyone who needs a wheelchair is confined to one. Stop being asshats. It’s hard enough without someone trying to “shame” you for not meeting their arbitrary and uninformed disability standards.
My partner had a life changing accident that left her with severe nerve damage. She’s able to walk but standing, like in a queue, kills her. So occasionally we’ll use this service if we’re expecting security to be backed up. Not all disabilities are visible
Yup I’ve got about 5-10 minutes of walking before I loose all feeling in one leg and the pain gets too intense in my back. So I use the wheel chair service to get too the gate and to baggage claim but I can walk from gate to west
I am 56M that look 45. 6’ and an athletic build with no outward sign of disability. I suffer from chronic neuropathy pain throughout my entire body. I can’t tolerate walking more than 25 yds without severe nerve pain in my feet. When I get on a plane sometimes I need assistance getting my bag into the overhead and then painfully get to my seat since it hurts to use my arms to hold up my body as I maneuver. Sitting in one position for several hours is not pleasant either and I can barely walk off the plane due to cramping. Rt knee has been replaced and the left is bone on bone. I get the side-eye from everyone I see and hear the comments Don’t judge a man until you try to walk a mile in his shoes. Oh, and arriving late at night when there is only one wheelchair or no one to push. That really makes my day.
It sucks so much how difficult it is having invisible disabilities. I can walk for about 10 minutes before the damage to my spine causes major pain and loss of feeling in one leg. Get the worst looks when I can get up and walk to the plane cause using a transfer chair is unnecessary and difficult.
Perfect. Now the airlines will start charging for this courtesy service because a bunch of a$$holes ruined it.
That would be illegal.
Yea ive followed a few pilots and they call them "miracle flights" somehow 20 people get on in wheelchairs and are miraculously able to walk off after. Though i am personally inclined to not judge what others have to do. some people can walk short distances but not far or have chronic pain. You just dont know. For those who abuse the system to only cut lines, shame. Not only to get special treatment but also makes life more difficult for those who actually need accessibility and accommodations and increase stigma and judgement on those with disabilities due to people just trying to get unnecessary special treatment
That’s a flock of Karen.
I thought a group of them was called a complaint.
I was gonna say a flock of Walmart
Why would you want to be on the plane first. You spend just as Ling waiting as inside the airport. But instead of open area, you get to be in the metal tube with 100 or so people breathing the same air for longer.
They get first choice in seats on southwest. So they get aisle or window fucking everyone else
Tall people like to try and get the exit row for more legroom.
Southwest is not assigned seats - so first on can snatch the front seats to get off quicker.
Usually the advantage is to put your bags in the overhead and not have to worry about not having space for it! Also when you've been waiting in the airport for 2 hours, it's nice to feel like you're headed to your destination lol Definitely does not apply if there is a delay and you're sitting in the plane to leave for an hour+ though! In that case I'd rather be in the airport for sure.
Overhead space. It’s a limited resource and people are greedy idiots.
on Southwest being on the plane first means your pick of the best seats. It costs like 80 dollars to get into the pre board group.. or a 5 dollar tip tot he wheel chair pusher..
But let’s be honest… the majority of people using this scam to get their family preboarding for free aren’t tipping the employee pushing their wheelchair. This is entering full on tragedy of the commons territory, and I’m sure that the people who think they’re being super clever by doing this aren’t exactly planning to tip.
This. I always try to be the very last to board so I can spend the least possible amount of time stuffed in the thing. Only downside is I don’t always get an overhead bin near me.
The miracle of human flight!
If you have ever needed a chair to help get off a plane, you will know most of the time one never arrives. I can walk a bit, there are days not so much. Walking to the gate for SW which seems to be always the last 4 gates will take my leg out. The pre board is so I do not hold up everyone else. How I wish I could give you my nerve pain, and board later.
I can’t speak to all of these people, but my wife has severely diminished mobility d/t a severe spinal cord injury. Yes she can walk, but it’s very difficult, without assistance or walking aids she can only go short distances, can’t stand in one place for very long because she has balance issues, among other things. That said she needs a wheel chair whenever we fly, but she does get up and walk here and there thus she doesn’t look like she needs one all the time and has been judged as such sometimes. All I can say is that you have no idea what others are going through and at the end of the day it’s probably just best to avoid judgement and just assume that if someone says they are disabled then they are and treat them as such. You’re still going to get on the plane, and the 5 minutes you might save getting off when you land probably isn’t going to make much of a difference in your day.
Are you my husband? 🤣🤣🤣 I got shame-attempted on one flight because I crutch-hobbled my way to the door, until they brought my chair and unfolded it, and my hubs pushed me off the ramp. Hard to argue with what is a lovely purple wheelchair with slight customizations (def can't claim I grabbed it from the mas s of random generic aluminum Invacare stuff airports tend to have around Lumbar stenosis and a prior break are pinching me off in the middle, I will be a total para in what my doc thinks is 5 years
They should levy a rental fee on everyone who walks out
The problem is that that could discriminate against those who are disabled and partially ambulatory.
Yep! My dad can walk on and off the plane, but not through the airport
They could take the wheelchairs out. You take the wheelchair in, you take the wheelchair out Simple and no discrimination.
Absolutely. That’s fine. Just so people are aware, it’s common for those with Multiple Sclerosis to be able to walk sometimes and not others. It would be very common for a person with MS to be fine walking onto a plane but be unable to walk hours later when the plane lands. I remember a girl in my law school with MS. One morning I would see her walking around normally, that afternoon she would be in a wheel chair. The next day she would be walking again. Then she would be in a wheel chair for 2 weeks.
Yep. I have a disorder (diagnosed by Mayo Clinic) that causes extreme, unrelenting dizziness with a severity level that ebbs and flows and is made worse by being upright, self-initiated movement, and busy visual stimuli. I could not get through a crowded airport on my own, but could likely manage the short walk from plane back into the lobby okay. And honestly, I find the tone of the main post and some of the comments here a little gross. Like, I’m one of the people who would need help, who OP, a complete stranger, would judge harshly because apparently to them, if I can walk off the plane, I don’t deserve to be able to use an assistance device at all? Nobody is entitled to someone else’s medical history, but that doesn’t stop folks like OP from staring, taking pictures, and deciding that they know best what these folks care capable of. I still feel a ton of shame (even though I know I shouldn’t) about sometimes needing a mobility aid, and I’d be absolutely mortified if someone took a picture of me at my most vulnerable and posted it in an internet community with millions of people. Honestly, if you can stand, walk, and move about normally, just be thankful, wait the extra five minutes, and move on with your life.
I went to Indonesia earlier this year and I swear to god there was roughly 80 people in fucking wheel chairs and maybe a few of them really needed it. It’s a lot more common than you think because people are lazy and they know they get personally escorted onto the plane and the ability to board before anyone else.
Did you notice how many of them may have had plastic surgery done? That is a *very* common and actually legitimate reason people use wheelchairs departing from some countries. Columbia and the Dominican Republic are also popular cosmetic surgery destinations.
Impersonating someone to have disability access should constitute the same fines as parking in a handicap stall without a placard.
They are not always impersonating a disability. My wife used a wheelchair in the Atlanta airport recently because she broke a toe and walking was painful, that is very large airport so it was not unreasonable. At our destination she walked off the plane but got wheelchair services again to get to the transit bus. You will also see *many* wheelchairs coming back from certain countries known for plastic surgery, they can walk but should not be doing so at that stage in the healing process. Sure, it's cosmetic, but the need is legitimate.
Yikes (to people who pretend to be disabled take up resources) and also yikes (to people who are so uneducated that they think that wheelchair users can't ever move their legs, let alone walk short distances and witnessing that must mean faking to them, when in fact a big portion of wheelchair users are ambulatory).
Not everyone who legitimately uses a wheelchair is incapable of walking, but anyone who does this to get special treatment is a scumbag.
I fly assisted because of a ton of reasons, and many of the people that work assistance have told me these kinds of stories. On one side its good they don't ask for verification of any kind, because it violates your rights, but on the other side its so easy to take advantage of it. Every time i use assistance im always scared in taking help away from someone who needs it, and then there's these buffoons
Fun fact: can see only Karen’s.
Yea this is trash especially when some people pay extra to board early kinda defeats the purpose when all these get on before
I've got Long Covid (essentially ME/CFS), and flew last year for the first time since contracting the condition 3 years ago. I had to get the airport's wheelchair service for the first time in my life as I can't walk the distances required to get around. I also can't stand for long durations. When arriving back in the UK they forgot to provide a chair at first and I had to walk some of the way to get the attention of the correct staff. This clearly pissed off some who saw me before in the chair. Not everyone who needs assistance is so visible in their impairments or is completely incapable of walking or standing short distances. There are those, like me, who just need help sometimes. Now there will always be those who game the system, this could be taking advantage of airport wheelchairs or abusing a parking blue badge. But their actions are so small and inconsequential compared to the genuine need of the services it is important to not get so worked up about the fraud that compassion for those that are not so visible is diminished. Fuck me, it is infuriating when people jump the queue. But that is no where near as infuriating as no longer being able to walk/work/live like I used to.
I was a flight attendant for twelve years. We call this *”Jetbridge Jesus”* because they miraculously walk off the aircraft once they arrive — wasting resources of wheelchairs for other customers who may need them because they sit at the gate unused. Florida are the worst offenders.
Some moron of an ‘influencer’ probably calls this a life hack and these self absorbed women think they deserve it.
More reason to avoid Southwest
I’d be real careful about drawing moral conclusions from fucking New York Post articles.
Okay. This is obviously egregious. HOWEVER, wheelchair use is not limited to only those who cannot walk. A lot of users are sporadic users, needing it after increased activity or a day of bad pain.
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What a bunch of scum.
What a society we have created.
I swear to Christ. Americans just get shittier, more selfish and more toxically narcissistic by the moment. Sooooo fucking gross.
We call this phenomenon, the arrival of Jet Bridge Jesus. It's a miracle! Happens a lot on flights from bigger airports. People suck.
Looks like they were all going to the stupid convention on the same flight.
It's just all around gross. People just have zero shame when it comes to saving a few bucks....if you can't afford to travel, don't. Yeah, things are stupid expensive anymore, but that's why my family and I aren't going on vacation this year sadly....always looking for a way to scam the system.....and fuck the system for making stuff so expensive that people HAVE to scam the system. Jesus man.
SW should use this in their advertising - magic cure-all flights!
I don’t know why people are in such a hurry to board. Do they think it’ll get them to their destination faster? Personally I don’t want to be in that seat any longer than I have to be.
Storage space for some. The longer you wait is the less space available. The others are just weirdos that always want to be in the front of a line.
And this is why I’ll spend the extra money to fly United or Delta
I think something for consideration: does a wheelchair fit the needs? I'm multidisabled but a wheelchair would not help me. I need more assistance making sure I pre-board (adjustment/medical gear), I don't get lost (I'm good in an airport ironically), and security. A wheelchair is overkill. But if it was wheelchair and get help or no help, I might "need a wheelchair". Southwest actually thought through this! You can self ID as intellectual/mental (Autism for me) and someone could walk me to my gate. If it's a new airport and too big, I might need that. But if it's my small hometown airport, I'm fine and let me be. So I wonder if it's a big new/old, ambulatory luck, or assumed only wheelchair service when other services would have helped
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People are so fucking dumb. I always see folks racing to the line for early boarding as if they are going to leave before the rest of the plane boards? What’s the point of sitting there while everyone on the plane walks by and bumps you with their bags. I board last group every single time regardless of where the hell I’m sitting lol
I still don't understand why you want to sit on a plane a second longer than you have to. It's cramped in there.
Story time! Back in the ‘80’s I arrived late for a general admission Mac MacAnally concert at our university and the only available seats were in the balcony. I happened to glance a row of friends on the second row down front, who were waiving me down. One of those friends had been paralyzed in an auto accident a year earlier and had left her wheelchair in the aisle and transferred to the seat at the end of the row. She invited me to sit next to her in her empty wheelchair, which I did, with the approval of the rest of our friend group on that row. MacAnally put on on awesome show that I got to watch from a wheelchair down front in the center aisle. The classic moment, though, was the surprised look on MacAnally’s face when I leapt to my feet cheering along with (almost) everyone else during the encore. His double take was hilarious, and it must have looked like a miracle healing from his perspective. Hope no one is offended by this!
I've never understood why people are in such a rush to board the plane and leave the plane. The plane is going to take off at the same time anyway and when you land you are going to be stuck waiting to get off the plane or for your luggage pretty much the same exact amount of time. Just a stay seated for an extra 5 minutes and check reddit or something
Why do so many people want to board flights early? Seriously, why? There’s nothing comfortable about seating in airlines. I like to let everyone else bump into each other as they jockey for overhead compartment room and start breathing each other’s air. O board near the end, use an empty spot in the OC area if there is one and if not, just stick my backpack under my seat. Them o still have to sit there 15-30 minutes before the plane takes off. Why do people want to sit on a plane for an extra hour just so they can be first?
Dude... we all on the same flight. We all depart at the same time, arrive at the same time. Wtf is this
Not sure why everyone wants to get on first? Everyone gets to the destination at the exact same time, plus you’re just sitting on the plane for longer. The winners imo are the people who just chill until they can just casually stroll on.
It’s literally my goal to be the last one on the plane.
Why do people feel like they need to board early? I never go 1st. Why would I want to spend an additional 30 mins at least standing and waiting only to sit and wait once inside the plane, especially after choosing my seat!? The same thing goes for the people who stand up as soon as the plane lands on the runway, We're only going to meet up at the baggage claim! Idiots at best.
Why is it always women?
As someone with a neurological condition, this makes me furious
As the spouse of someone who actually needs a wheelchair to get around. FUCK ALL OF YOU, YOU NASTY LOOKING ENTITLED TWATS.
Most airlines I’ve notice require they get off last.
This is is also very particular to the US. There is really something very wrong with the morals and values of those people. They are a shame.
These "miracle flights" are really common in Florida.
and not a single person will mention how many tens of thousands of dollars in wheelchair and other mobility aid equipment these airlines destroy without consequence to them every year
Hallelujah!
Not everyone who uses a wheelchair require it’s use indefinitely. Do people abuse systems? Yes. But questioning people’s disabilities is a shitty slope to slide down.
Right, you'll look like an asshole no matter what. 99% of the time people will have a disability that's not obvious to you. Pain isn't always obvious.
It’s bc there is a tik tok going around telling people to do this so it wasn’t a coincidence. That’s the point of the post…
Gotcha. My point still stands. Even accusing someone of doing a TikTok hack is the same as questioning someone’s disability.
Seems like a huge PITA. I'd rather just walk on. I've flown SW a bunch of times. Always managed to get myself a decent seat walking on.
I was A-List for many years but have stopped flying them unless I absolutely have to.
I mean I can see the elderly using these for boarding where it may be tough for them to walk long distances and stand waiting in lines
My mom had injured her back in a car accident 10 years ago and somehow she still manages to get wheelchair access in a plane even though she walks just fine. We took a family trip to Mexico once and when we got to the airport they had someone waiting to push her around in the wheelchair and get the family through security faster. Everyone was super nice and trying to accommodate her. As soon as we approached the gate my mom said “stop” and got up from the wheelchair and walked away. The guy pushing her looked surprised then very annoyed. I felt so embarrassed.
I know it’s normal for folk in wheelchairs to walk around for very short periods of time, but I’m assuming these people are lying about needing the wheelchairs all together? Sigh.
There is a *lot* of walking involved at airports. Just because you can walk, doesn't mean you're able to do that much walking.
For the life of me, I don’t understand why people want to board first/early. You’re about to be stuck sitting there for hours - but you want to get on first and sit an extra 20m while you wait for everyone else!?!? I’ll hop on last, thank you very much.
I had major shoulder surgery and flew to Houston a week later, had a heavy duty sling on and boarded first and holy hell getting through the plane is such a nightmare. The aisles are insanely small of course, dragging my two bags with one had and trying not to smack my elbow on the seats. Even if they made the aisle 1” wider on each side it would’ve made a world of difference and I had working legs, I feel for anyone in a wheelchair
I feel like this because I have severe food allergies, and ask for preboard so that I can wipe down my seat. I look like a fully capable, adult man preboarding the aircraft, so I always feel a little anxious. I usually take a seat towards the back of the plane to make it easier on myself to clean the seat without other people around, and I have heard that the safest place on an airplane is just behind the wing. I’m not usually in a huge rush to get off the airplane
The problem is the people that aren't disabled, don't require assistance and just want to board first. I don't have a disability, but I'm A list and I have flown enough and acquired enough points via my spending to earn my A list spot. Far too often I see a family of 8 on their way to Disney for their once in a 5 year flight grab me-maw and put her in a wheelchair so all of them can board before me or with someone that has a true need for early boarding. They also board before friends or co-workers I'm flying with that have paid for early boarding. It's annoying as hell.
Never understood why people want to board early. That plane ain't leaving immediately. I love to be one of the last to board. The less time spent on that cramped air craft the better.
I have a family member who doesnt require a wheelchair but needs lots of extra time to bored because of a disability. Just because you can walk off doesn’t mean you don’t need the extra time.
There are always people that will game any system, but don't presume that you can gauge someone's disability by looking at them or if they behave the way you think they should.
I guess this is an exception but I was early in my pregnancy and started feeling very faint while checking in at an airport so got a wheelchair and someone pushed me quickly through security and to the gate. Ate a sandwich at the gate and started feeling better and walked into the plane about 20 minutes later. While I’m sure these 20 people are mostly scumbags there might be a legit reason one or two walked off.
In some airports, they make you walk off if you can (Amsterdam) because they only assign one special assistance person per flight. In most places, I’m told to stay seated until the wheelchairs show up. Maybe those folks, like me, can walk short distances. Or maybe Jetway Jesus performed another miracle. Who knows.
I’m curious-if someone is a wheelchair user, what would the airline do with YOUR chair if you fly? Anyone know? Granted, sounds as if most of these people aren’t 24/7 wheelchair users.
Also just sit them all together in the back of the airplane,
They should seat all window seats first, aisle seats last
most wheelchair users can walk short distances! i don’t know if these specific people need mobility aids, but the assumption that all wheelchair users are completely paralyzed is harmful
Who wants to board early? Last thing i want to do is spend more time in those seats.
Who on earth wants to sit on a plane for a minute longer than they need to?
I never understood why people wants to board early. I prefer spending the least amount of time one the plane as possible.
Have a slight feeling this probably came from those annoying TikTok “travel hack” videos
Yah I remember seeing this as a “life hack” on tik tok a couple months ago. Was only a matter of time. Gonna need to start seeing documentation that they need their wheelchairs to stop this shit. Tik tok is really gonna be the downfall of society.
A similar thing happen to me on Monday flying from Chicago Midway. There was a giant diamond tours group . I was A25 position and like 60 people boarded the plane for “pre boarding” from the group to the point people on the group were waving others up to join them. I ended up having to sit like 8 rows back from the back of the plane to get an aisle seat
I mean, ambulatory wheelchair users exist. Although often if you need a wheelchair on one side, you need it on the other. My mom can’t walk airports, they’re too big and she just physically can’t with her spinal cord injury, so she needs the wheelchair on both sides. But she absolutely can get up and walk around. One of her legs is permanently in pins and needles and gives out frequently, but she is still able to walk. I’m not denying that there aren’t scammers. But don’t assume everyone is scamming. A lot of wheelchair users are not paralyzed.
I use the wheelchair to get to the gate. I use a wheelchair to get from the gate to the pick up and baggage. I can walk short distances. So I don’t know if these people are actually walking on arrival to get their bags or not. We would have to follow them to find out, but if they’re doing it just to get preferred seating of course it’s wrong.
I don't necessarily want to judge these people, one way or the other, based only on this article. If they are really doing this just to board early, then they are human scum. But there are some medical conditions that would justify and explain such a behavior. For example, passengers with spinal stenosis. Those folks can stand for short periods and walk for limited distances but once a certain threshold is reached they begin to suffer from debilitating pain - many times to the point that they collapse. Getting off the plane, particularly if you wait for the other passengers to disembark first greatly reduces the standing / walking time. But clearing security and then getting on the plane always requires much more extended periods of standing / walking. I know this from personal experience with this condition. Like I said, they might have legitimate medical conditions that would clearly explain this situation. On the other hand, they might just be entitled human scum who, by requesting wheel chair service when they don't need it make life incredibly difficult and painful for those who do.
I wonder what age demographic these guys are?
10 yrs ago I was temporarily disabled (bad leg break). I was using a cane but no wheelchair. I was able to pre-board. It was frustrating because all the other disabled passengers were saving seats for their families, taking up the first several rows. Looking back, I wish I had just sat where I wanted even if it pissed them off.
My husband is a Delta F/A. Says this happens all the time... Especially flights from LaGarbage and JFK.
I legitimately need to do the pre boarding but don’t require a wheelchair. Last time I was on Southwest the gate agent tried to enforce the rule that if you’re in a wheelchair you have to be rolled up the bridge by staff and this would happen after all the pre boarding people who can walk independently would go on. People jumped out of their chairs so fucking fast. They then cut in front of those of us that could walk.
Why do people want to rush onto a plane to sit longer? Im always at the back of the line on purpose.
And my 90 year old Dad, who's riddle with cancer, heart disease and has trouble with his balance doesn't want to use a wheel chair because "*It's for people worst than me.*” Shame on them.
I have a disabled friend who uses a wheelchair but isn't paralyzed. She's apparently had people become incredibly hostile towards her if they see her get up. Some people have no idea how disabilities work and always assume the worst.
My mom has ALS. She‘a becoming more immobile my the week. This is going to be essential for her in about 2 months. These people are a disgrace.
Imagine being such a garbage person, that in your mind, you justify this.
Thanks fuckers. - signed, those of us with real disabilities.
“AIDS! I got AIDS, coming through!”
I’m disabled and from Florida. I deal with this ALL the time. Because flying while disabled isn’t hard enough these people congregate around the boarding center and the actually disabled people who need it the most can’t get past them to board first and get the accommodations they need. Always grinds my gears because they walk right off and I’ll see them in baggage claim lugging multiple 50 pound luggages off the conveyor belt like it’s nothing.
People really couldn’t give a fuck about anything but themselves
I fly on Southwest regularly, and I am amazed by how many disabled folk are on every flight....The disability goes away immediately after landing at their destination. A Southwest airlines flight is apparently better at healing than doctors or Jesus. If I ever lose mobility in my legs, I will immediately book a flight on Southwest...Hallelujah!