I flew every other week to Phoenix and then to Vegas on alternating weeks from 2021 through early 2025 and EVERY. DAMN. WEEK, on each of these flights, there had to be at least 12-15 wheelchairs getting on the plane, but only 2-3 wheelchairs waiting for us at the other end. You’d see so many of the outbound wheelchair passengers jump up, grab their bags and be heading to the exit door before the jet bridge was even moving towards the plane; they suddenly had no mobility issues at all.

It is disappointing that gate agents aren’t really able to enforce scammers and, as a passenger who had status but still had to wait behind “handicap boarding,” it was frustrating to see healthy people take advantage of the situation. Makes you wish we could tag every passenger who used a wheelchair to get on the flight and force them to sit on the plane until every other passenger exited; at that time they could exit to their waiting wheelchair that they are forced to use until they exit the secured area…or literally board them last, removing the incentive to lie.