Southwest Flights Miraculously cure Passengers' Ailments

[davidvel]

Worse than chair Hogs?

When a flight has numerous passengers with wheelchair assistance on boarding, and then most of those passengers get off themselves and walk out of the terminal – walking right past the waiting wheelchairs on the jet bridge – it’s known as a “miracle flight.” Here’s one recent Southwest Airlines flight where 20 passengers used wheelchairs to board, and only 3 used them to get off. 17 passengers experienced an "inflight miracle."

20 Passengers Use Wheelchairs To Board Early On Southwest, Then Walk Off The Aircraft Fine On Arrival - View from the Wing

When a flight has numerous passengers with wheelchair assistance on boarding, and then most of those passengers get off themselves and walk out of the terminal - walking right past the waiting wheelchairs on the jet bridge - it's known as a "miracle flight." Here's one recent Southwest Airlines...

viewfromthewing.com

 

[tombanjo]

And each need to board with 34 close family members.

 

[ScoopKona]

And each need to board with 34 close family members.

And Woogums, the incontinent cat. Don't forget Woogums.

These [censored]-nozzles are so numerous on flights I take on SW to Hawaii that they make the Early-bird seating upsell worthless. But at least they can't take Woogums with them to Hawaii.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

I have not noticed this, but not too surprising.

 

[JudyH]

They are just playing the game. Or really have to get to a bathroom.

 

[dioxide45]

We fly Southwest most of the time when we fly, about 4-6 flights a year and I can say that I have never seen this type of situation. I have also noticed the gate agents being quite strict about how many people can board with the passenger in a wheelchair. No family of five boarding with grandma...

 

[dougp26364]

I noticed this activity several years ago, but with various other airlines. As a nurse I notice various ailments and pay attention, so when the person that needed assistance getting onto the plane suddenly recovers in flights and ambulates without even a limp getting off, I figure we must have flown so close to heaven a miracle must have happened. I’ve seen it on every airline, most recently on an AA flight home. Lots of wheelchairs waiting with no takers as passengers exited the plane.

 

[klpca]

Years ago I flew on Southwest (before the number system) with my 90+ grandparents, one who was deaf and walked with a very slow shuffle, and the other one dealing with dementia. The gate agent in San Diego let us board early. I didn't care where we sat, but we needed to sit together. I would have been fine in the last row. On our return flight, the gate agent in Reno wasn't having it unless grandma was in a wheelchair. So I requested a wheelchair and told my grandma to keep quiet. As the wheelchair was pushed down the jetway, I am sure that everyone could hear my grandma loudly complaining "Katherine, I do not need a wheelchair"! And yes, we did not use the wheelchair when we deplaned. We did wait for everyone else to leave though, but yeah, she didn't need the wheelchair. We only needed extra time, but the gate agent in Reno needed to see that wheelchair to allow us to board early.

Honestly that was the first and last time that I flew with them. Having one who could barely walk and one who thought we were taking the train to see a Reds game (we were going to a wedding) was far more stressful that I had anticipated.

 

[PigsDad]

We fly almost exclusively on Southwest and I have witnessed this many times, and they don't need to be in wheelchairs to get the early boarding -- I have seen people, who to the untrained eye, look perfectly capable, walking on during the call for pre-boarding. It seems to be more prevalent with certain demographics, but I don't want to go down that rabbit hole. In my experiences, Southwest does seem to do a good job of limiting the number of people who can board w/ grandma in the wheelchair, though -- I haven't see more than one or two additional passengers with them.

Southwest does restrict those pre-boarding from occupying the exit row seats with extra leg room, so I do appreciate that.

Kurt

 

[Makai Guy]

... with my 90+ grandparents ...

Wow! That's a lot of grandparents!

 

[ScoopKona]

They are just playing the game. Or really have to get to a bathroom.

And the name of this game is "Pampered Princess with overdeveloped sense of entitlement."

 

[emeryjre]

The power of the internet strikes again
With travel forums spreading the word about travel "hacks", How long will it be before everybody over a certain age needs a wheelchair to board
I used a wheelchair when I had my knee replaced because I did not want to try and negotiate the aisles 2 weeks after surgery.
I wouldn't do a wheelchair to get a better seat, does not fit with my ethics

 

[tombanjo]

It would be fine if it were a symmetrical operation, board first, as you need more time, deplane last as you need more time.

It would be great to have a little notice on their seat to remind them (and everyone else) their wheelchair is waiting, and they must wait until all other passengers deplane to leave. It’s a public service for their safety to keep them planted in their seats.

 

[ScoopKona]

It would be fine if it were a symmetrical operation, board first, as you need more time, deplane last as you need more time.

It would be great to have a little notice on their seat to remind them (and everyone else) their wheelchair is waiting, and they must wait until all other passengers deplane to leave. It’s a public service for their safety to keep them planted in their seats.

It's a loophole. And given the opportunity, there is a small but statistically-significant percentage who will unethically exploit that loophole.

Take service animals. The amount of fakers is so bad today that people who have legitimate service animals are assumed to be just another pampered princess. If ever a social loophole needed to be reined in, this is it. The sort of people who exploit this are the dregs of society. Scum. So they bring spoiled, nippy, spastic animals into restaurants, markets and airplanes -- and then willfully ignore the fact they're making everyone else's life worse. Because to paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Scum is as scum does."

If I had my way, the penalty for faking this sort of thing would be severe enough that most people would be terrified to even attempt it. The same with the people who falsely claim to be veterans to get in on the discounts. They're scum. Plain and simple. And they should be treated like scum.

 

[bobpark56]

I noticed this activity several years ago, but with various other airlines. As a nurse I notice various ailments and pay attention, so when the person that needed assistance getting onto the plane suddenly recovers in flights and ambulates without even a limp getting off, I figure we must have flown so close to heaven a miracle must have happened. I’ve seen it on every airline, most recently on an AA flight home. Lots of wheelchairs waiting with no takers as passengers exited the plane.

We, on the other hand, have frequently found wheelchairs missing on arrival. Airlines don't seem to take responsibility for this, as they say it's an airport operation they have no control over.

 

[tombanjo]

It is a function of the airport. If you notice, all terminals and gates are served by the same company - generally they have shirts or uniforms with the company name. The Gate relays to the service provider the number of wheelchairs needed, and they company then is responsible for getting them there.

A corollary to the miracle in air contingent is they use up all these resources for people who actually need assistance getting from place to place in the airport. The twenty wheelchairs used to load the plane are sitting at the gate until the passengers get on first, and cannot be used for those actually needing them. This case an over 600% additional staff and wheel chairs needed to accommodate these idiots.

 

[dioxide45]

I don't think the presence of a wheelchair passenger alone should be the determining factor for pre board. Many passengers can't walk long distances and would appreciate a pusher t the gate but could then board the plan themselves and have a pusher at the destination airport. Guests being pushed should be asked if they need the wheelchair to go down the jetway, many won't. Another problem with pre board is that they rarely offer extra time. Often when we have done pre board, there are either regular passengers or other pre boards on our heels coming down the jet way. Then when you get into the plane they are right up your ass all the time. That isn't giving extra time to get on the plane. Basically the gate agent does pre boards and then instantly starts calling the next group.

 

[klpca]

I don't think the presence of a wheelchair passenger alone should be the determining factor for pre board. Many passengers can't walk long distances and would appreciate a pusher t the gate but could then board the plan themselves and have a pusher at the destination airport. Guests being pushed should be asked if they need the wheelchair to go down the jetway, many won't. Another problem with pre board is that they rarely offer extra time. Often when we have done pre board, there are either regular passengers or other pre boards on our heels coming down the jet way. Then when you get into the plane they are right up your ass all the time. That isn't giving extra time to get on the plane. Basically the gate agent does pre boards and then instantly starts calling the next group.

Exactly. My grandma was soooooo slooooow. If we didn't preboard we would just hold up the entire B and C group people who happened to be behind us.

 

[Talent312]

DW has Parkinson's and actually needs a chair to board and leave.
We've had to wait a good bit for a chair to come down the jetway.
No doubt they were being used by someone gaming the system.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I don't think the presence of a wheelchair passenger alone should be the determining factor for pre board. Many passengers can't walk long distances and would appreciate a pusher t the gate but could then board the plan themselves and have a pusher at the destination airport. Guests being pushed should be asked if they need the wheelchair to go down the jetway, many won't. Another problem with pre board is that they rarely offer extra time. Often when we have done pre board, there are either regular passengers or other pre boards on our heels coming down the jet way. Then when you get into the plane they are right up your ass all the time. That isn't giving extra time to get on the plane. Basically the gate agent does pre boards and then instantly starts calling the next group.

On most of the flights I'm on, they don't begin regular boarding until the wheelchairs are out of the plane and in the jetway.

 

[dougp26364]

There is a difference between legitimately needing a WC and/or extra time to board and those who abuse the system.

 

[Brett]

I noticed on my last Delta flight there were many wheel chair passengers lined up for early boarding but I didn't wait around to see how many had a "miracle cure"

 

[ScoopKona]

For what it's worth, I have a completely different strategy -- EXCEPT for Southwest. So that doesn't help this particular thread at all.

Southwest, it's "every person for him-or-herself." That's the big-picture problem. People who are willing to fake a handicap do this more often on Southwest because of their boarding policies. And it's SOP for so many with even a single gray hair flying to Hawaii. I've never seen such a wanton display of entitlement -- sprinting from the wheelchair as soon as they're in front of everyone else.

For every other airline, I make sure I'm the last person on the plane. I have my seat assignment. I'm carrying a bag that will fit literally anywhere. I usually toss it in unused space in the first overhead I pass and then find my seat. I don't want to be strapped into that chair for a single minute more than necessary. So I wait for everyone else to board. And then ask the gate attendant to give me the heads up when it's "now or never, they're going to close the door." (Occasionally, on a 100% full plane, there's no waiting around at the end. If I wait, it holds everyone else up.)

On Southwest, I get on as soon as I can. But I don't wear a uniform to fake being an active-duty military member, or demand a wheelchair for non-existent medical issues. Such people are a lost cause and society would be better off if we treated them like horse thieves in the 19th century.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

On Southwest, I get on as soon as I can. But I don't wear a uniform to fake being an active-duty military member, or demand a wheelchair for non-existent medical issues. Such people are a lost cause and society would be better off if we treated them like horse thieves in the 19th century.

Just to reinforce the point, perhaps an electric chair should be installed next to each departure gate, with a sign saying "Special seating reserved for passengers who fake medical conditions or misidentify service animals." That jolt of electric current should take care of many maladies!

If this succeeds in airports, the logical progression would would be to similarly install electric chairs under beach or swimming pool palapas, with a sign announcing "This palapa is for guests who reserve lounge chairs with beach towels and then leave the pool area."

 

[beejaybee]

I've seen this ruse used on SW. That airline could easily have wheelchair people board after "A' and those with status.