Airline passengers crack 'code' by claiming to need wheelchairs, report says

Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News on Dec 30, 2024

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Southwest Airline passengers have “cracked a code” allowing them to subvert the travel provider’s boarding rules by claiming to need wheelchairs.

A report on airline site View From the Wing alleges 30 passengers claimed to need wheelchairs on a recent flight between Florida and Puerto Rico. When the plane landed, 28 of those travelers reportedly walked away, leaving the chairs behind.

Southwest seats passengers through an open seating process that rewards travelers who either arrive early, pay extra or have a physical disability, the airline’s website states.

“They didn’t all need a wheelchair, but cracked a code,” View from the Wing reported.

The site calls the passageway that gets travelers on board their flights a “Jetbridge Jesus” because people who supposedly need a wheelchair to board miraculously rise to their feet and walk away upon arriving at their destination.

Several photos posted to the site show passengers seated in wheelchairs as well as several empty wheelchairs. It’s not clear if the passengers in those chairs needed them or were gaming the system. Southwest couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Multiple passengers posted images on social media claiming they also had encountered travelers boarding in wheelchairs, then walking away when their Southwest flight deplaned.

“Fix this please,” wrote one social media user who expressed frustration over what they called an “abuse of privilege.”

That person claimed to have witnessed 15 wheelchair-bound travelers pre-board, then rise to their feet once inside the jet.

The point could be moot when the airline implements an assigned seating process similar to what its competitors use.

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