Wheelchair Abuse at Airports Needs to Stop, but Can It?

The Air Carrier Access Act was passed in 1986. It requires airlines to provide passenger with disabilities access to wheelchairs in the airport at no additional cost. This is a service that should be available for those who need it, but rampant abuse exists as some passengers look at it as a way to preboard, snag seats, and skirt airline policies while buying the cheapest tickets possible. But, can anything be done to curb this bad behavior?

Airlines legally cannot ask a passenger to explain why they need a wheelchair or demand any proof of disabilities. That leads to many just asking for them as they either don’t want to walk, want to board first, or some combination of these factors. I’ve seen many situations so egregious that there has to be fraud. The photo above is from the gate area of a flight to Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) last summer. The gate agent made an announcement that boarding would be delayed because there were 43 passengers needing wheelchair assistance. I don’t see how this is legitimately possible aside from if a disabled travel group was on a trip together (which did not appear to be the case here). I wrote about this last August, but not much seems to have improved (it’s getting worse).

Not all disabilities are visible and that’s fair. Just because you can’t see that someone has mobility issues does not mean that they are lying. That said, I saw another young woman in her early 20s sitting in a wheelchair at the gate in Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) realize that she left something in the bathroom. She jumped out of the wheelchair and sprinted across the airport. Then she ran back with the item (her wallet) and got into the wheelchair to be pushed on board.

A friend shares a not-uncommon sight from Puerto Rico:

55 "handicapped" during pre-boarding, including 25 wheel chairs

On his return flight, 15 used wheelchairs to board, only 1 to deboard pic.twitter.com/gHgIsnzsq7

— Bachman (@ElonBachman) February 19, 2023

CNBC spoke with Frontier Airlines CEO, Barry Biffle. He shared some thoughts around the abuse of wheelchair requests and the fact that each one costs the airline $30 to $35. That adds up quickly. Here’s what he said:

There is massive, rampant abuse of special services. There are people using wheelchair assistance who don’t need it at all. Everyone should be entitled to it who needs it, but you park in a handicapped space they will tow your car and fine you. There should be the same penalty for abusing these services.”

It seems like certain airports and some airlines experience this issue more than others. Airports that typically draw an older crowd (like some of those in Florida) commonly experience the phenomena known as the “miracle at 35,000 feet” or “jetway Jesus.” People need a wheelchair to board, but are then miraculously no longer experiencing whatever disability or ailment that they had when they land.

What Can Airlines Do?

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has written the guidelines that airlines need to follow for passengers with disabilities. These rules state:

Airlines are required to provide assistance to passengers with a disability as they navigate through different portions of the airport, this includes:

• Assisting you from the terminal entrance (or vehicle drop-off point) to the gate location where your flight is departing, including the security checkpoint, and onto the aircraft to your seat; and
• Assisting you from your aircraft seat on an arriving flight through the airport to the gate location of your connecting flight (if you have a connection); and
• Assisting you from the gate location of your connecting flight to your seat on the aircraft; and
• Assisting you from your aircraft seat on an arriving flight through the airport to the baggage claim area, terminal entrance, or vehicle pick-up location.”

With the current laws and airline policies, it does not seem like much can be done. That said, assigned seating (Southwest is even considering this partially due to wheelchair abuse) and even going so far as to make passengers with disabilities board last could help to alleviate the issue. We’ll see if any of this takes hold and what, if anything, can be done to combat it.

Anthony’s Take: I have witnessed wheelchair abuse countless times. I would never call out someone who genuinely needs a wheelchair (and I’m not a physician to make that call), but I will chide those like the woman who got up and ran or others who miraculously no longer need a wheelchair upon landing.