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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,694 posts, read 58,004,579 times
Reputation: 46171
context:
"Pre-boarding scam at Southwest Airlines 20 passengers are boarding using a wheelchair, and probably only three need one to deplane," Paul Tweeted.
"I saw this in Miami last week. At least 30 are in wheelchairs. Then the gate got moved, and probably 28 of them got up and walked to the new gate. I also saw a family with small children on board. The children were teenagers. Probably 14-15 years old. People take advantage of everything," commented one user.
It's a 'real' thing. Carriers cannot ask for medical qualifications of need of wheelchairs or preboarding medical request.
very few who use a wheelchair for early boarding use a wheelchair for leaving the aircraft. Personally... since wheelchair bound people get free rides to connecting flights, and the rest of us have to run... seems the wheelchair and destination passengers should let those making connections get off first.
Not everyone is scamming the system but there are some who are just like in any other situation/system.
Recently I changed planes at Love Field in Texas. On the connecting flight I overheard the airline personnel mentioning that there were 17 (approx.) wheelchaired people that needed to preboard the plane.
Also I know of an elderly person who uses wheelchair assistance (when he travels alone) as he occasionally get a rare episode of "absence" (where he faints for a few seconds due to a rare type of epilepsy and then is disoriented for a few minutes although he is on medication) and make sure someone gets his on the plane (meaning doesn't miss his flight).
I have seen this many times. The worst one was at Copenhagen on a flight to the U.S. There were 25-30 wheelchair pax waiting to board. I boarded first because I was the only one who actually needed assistance. On arrival, I was the last one off of the plane because I had to wait for the assistants to arrive to get me out of the seat. People seem to think that being disabled is a perk. I’d gladly trade my disabilities for their “disability” anytime.
This happens on flights with Southwest and other airlines that treat their boarding like lining up cattle for an auction. There are no assigned seats, so I don't fly those airlines. I like picking out where I'm going to be sitting so I can be guaranteed an aisle seat, and I put my husband by the window. Every now and then we get lucky and will have nobody between us.
We were in line a SW flight in Tampa in advance of a hurricane and saw 14 wheelchairs at the head of the line.
None of those people looked like fakers, more like nursing home people headed out.
We ended up seated next to one of them who looked near death and 24 hours later we had one of the worst viruses ever.
We haven't flown since then. It was pre-Covid and worse than catching Covid (we had several shots for that).
I normally stay out of airline consumer issues on this forum, but don't the disabled have to carry some kind of identification that they are disabled? To even use a handicapped parking space, one has to have the appropriate decal or license plate.
So one can just roll up in a wheel chair at a gate, and board an airliner no questions asked?
I don't fly the airlines, but if I did at this point in my life, I doubt if I could handle the required walking. I would need a wheel chair to get through the terminal to the gate, but could walk onto the airplane. Too much of a hassle, and the same applies to attending games at major league stadiums.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,694 posts, read 58,004,579 times
Reputation: 46171
Quote:
Originally Posted by BLS2753
I normally stay out of airline consumer issues on this forum, but don't the disabled have to carry some kind of identification that they are disabled? To even use a handicapped parking space, one has to have the appropriate decal or license plate.
So one can just roll up in a wheel chair at a gate, and board an airliner no questions asked?
No need for a medical reason (or arrivingin a wheel chair), just ask for "Wheel Chair assistance" at check-in. You can arrive from your daily run, they still need to accomidate your request for a wheelchair / extra assistance in boarding. Airlines are not allowed to ask medical reasons. (Which is a bit bizarre since they are sticking you in THEIR tube for a few hours) and 200+ passengers and airline staff and air traffic control / diversion airports may be putting up with the reperussions of YOUR medical issue.
No need for a medical reason (or arrivingin a wheel chair), just ask for "Wheel Chair assistance" at check-in. You can arrive from your daily run, they still need to accomidate your request for a wheelchair / extra assistance in boarding. Airlines are not allowed to ask medical reasons. (Which is a bit bizarre since they are sticking you in THEIR tube for a few hours) and 200+ passengers and airline staff and air traffic control / diversion airports may be putting up with the reperussions of YOUR medical issue.
Are they required by law to provide any wheelchair service at all? Designate the last few rows of the plane as wheelchair seating and I bet that crap will end right quick.
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