Social media calls them “miracle flights,” where passengers request wheelchairs to board early, then miraculously walk off the plane when they land.
Carlos Gomez’s recent flight from Guadalajara was delayed because 25 wheelchair passengers were boarding, The Wall Street Journal reported. When the plane landed, most stood up without assistance and walked off toward baggage claim. Flight attendants told him able-bodied passengers request wheelchairs for “the VIP experience,” skipping lines and getting first crack at overhead space. Social media calls it “Jetway Jesus” healing passengers mid-flight.
The scam delays flights, leaves people with real disabilities waiting for wheelchairs, and forces unpaid flight crews to work late. Southwest Airlines recently announced assigned seating partly to combat the preboarding chaos caused by wheelchair abuse.
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