A growing airline controversy has emerged as travelers and industry experts accuse able-bodied passengers of exploiting disability accommodations to board early and avoid long airport walks.
Social media users describe flights in which passengers arrive at gates in wheelchairs, receive priority boarding, and then walk off planes unassisted after landing. One Reddit user summarized the practice bluntly: “People fake mobility issues, arrive at the boarding gate in wheelchairs, [then] secure better treatment and better seats.” The same user added that after landing, “the flights miraculously cure these people.”
Some commenters openly admitted using the system for convenience. “I have my grandma wheeled around when I take her to the airport, so she doesn’t get lost on the way to the gate. No mobility issues whatsoever,” one user wrote.
Airlines are feeling the strain. The International Air Transport Agency reported a 30% yearly increase in wheelchair assistance requests at major airports. “The considerable increase in wheelchair assistance requests is a key issue for the aviation industry,” the organization said, noting that many requests come from passengers without physical disabilities.
Travel industry expert Gary Leff explained the incentive. “Boarding early [may] get you access to a better seat on board,” he told Fox News Digital, adding that limited staff means “frivolous requests hurt those with a real need.”
Airlines typically do not require proof of disability. United Airlines confirmed, “No, we do not require a doctor’s note or any other proof of disability.”
As complaints mount, critics highlight a system vulnerable to abuse—one that ultimately slows travel and disadvantages passengers who genuinely need assistance.
