Frontier Airlines’ CEO has alleged that there is widespread abuse of wheelchair services by passengers who do not actually need them, but request them to skip ahead in lines at airports. The CEO made these remarks ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, one of the busiest travel weekends in years. He noted that some passengers are using wheelchairs to move to the front of security lines and obtain priority boarding on flights, creating delays and additional costs for airlines. While airlines are required to provide wheelchairs for passengers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act, there are no penalties in place to deter abuse of these services.
A wheelchair registration or verification system, along with legislation to impose penalties for abusing the system, is being proposed by Frontier Airlines to address the issue of passengers feigning disabilities to receive special assistance. While some passengers may legitimately require wheelchair assistance due to long distances at airports, others with “invisible disabilities” may also need help, even though they do not appear to have a disability. Additionally, passengers who travel with their own assistive devices, such as wheelchairs or scooters, face challenges as these devices are often mishandled or damaged during air travel.
In 2022, the ten largest U.S. airlines lost, damaged, or destroyed over 11,000 wheelchairs and scooters, representing 1.5% of all such devices boarded onto planes, according to the Department of Transportation. This poses significant financial burdens on passengers who rely on these devices for mobility. Cory Lee, a wheelchair user and avid traveler, has noted that his electric wheelchair is damaged about half the time he flies, resulting in costly repairs. Flying with a disability can be challenging due to the risk of damage or mishandling of assistive devices, highlighting the need for airlines to address these issues and ensure better services for passengers with disabilities.
Passengers who abuse wheelchair services to skip ahead in lines at airports create delays and additional costs for airlines, ultimately impacting the overall travel experience for all passengers. Airlines like Frontier are calling for a more stringent system to prevent abuse of wheelchair services by passengers who do not have legitimate disabilities. The lack of penalties for such abuse highlights the need for legislation and regulation in this area to protect the rights of passengers with disabilities and ensure fair and equal treatment for all travelers. Airlines and regulatory authorities must work together to address these challenges and improve the air travel experience for passengers with disabilities.
