'We're sorry for any disappointment': Dude's Twitter thread sparks online debate around popular Southwest Airlines "wheelchair scam"

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 29, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Who wants to be sitting on an airline for longer than they have to? Well—due to Southwest's unique seating arrangement, where no seats are assigned, and all seats are first-come-first-serve, the less honest among us are hugely incentivized to vie for priority boarding without having to fork out extra for it. The way people do this is by asking for a wheelchair before they arrive at their gate, which qualifies them for priority boarding from the airline.

This frustrated passenger hit out against the scam posting a photo of the scene that could be seen at his boarding gate. An entire row of apparently wheelchair-bound passengers can be seen in the photo, some of whom the passenger suspected weren't in one out of necessity—rather, to get first pick of seats. This thought largely owing to the fact that of the 20 wheelchair users who boarded the plane… only three needed a wheelchair to disembark. 

While this is frustrating, as readers have discussed (and as the airline themself responded), the situation is more difficult than one would first assume—and there may be more than meets the eye. Not all wheelchair users are paraplegics or quadriplegics who will never be able to walk again, there are far more wheelchair users who are able to walk short to moderate distances but use a wheelchair due to pain, weakness, or illness. With this in mind, it is important to never lash out at someone standing up out of a wheelchair—are there entitled people who take advantage of this for their own gain? Yes. But is it better to leave them be to avoid mistakenly accusing someone who appears to be completely healthy? Also yes. 

Regardless, the Tweet has spawned an internet-wide debate around the frustrations, problems, and ethics of this scam sandwich. Read on to see selected responses from the original Twitter thread and other areas around the web where screenshots of the original Tweet were posted.

Next, see these flight attendants who shared the most entitled behaviors they ever witnessed.

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  • 01
    Font - Paul @trendready. Jun 25 Pre-boarding scam at @SouthwestAir 20 passengers boarding using a wheelchair and probably only 3 need one to deplane. 279 REVIS 1 76 176 ₁23.9K ←]
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    Organism - Southwest Airlines @SouthwestAir. Jun 25 We're sorry for any disappointment, Paul. We work hard to maintain the integrity of the boarding process while providing appropriate accommodations for all who fly. Since many disabilities aren't visible, we're unable to question the validity of preboarding (1/2) -Racquel 29 27 2 43 | 8,274 ↑
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  • 03
    Font - Southwest Airlines @SouthwestAir requests. We appreciate your feedback and hope to create more pleasant memories next time. (2/2) - Racquel 10:38 AM Jun 25, 2023 11K Views 1 Quote 3 Likes
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  • 04
    Organism - Paul @trendready. Jun 25 How about making all those passengers who board with a wheelchair wait for the entire plane to deplane. That will stop the scam. Maybe Southwest should do the research and count how many wheelchairs are needed at the destination. Use the data to make policy. 35 27 11 236 ₁10K (→ Terry Givens @tgivensdotcom1 - 11h Great idea & you are totally right ppl do just that. My husband was legit in a mechanical wheelchair & was unable to stand (due to #ALS) to go thru #
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    Font - Paul @trendready. Jun 25 It's making us rethink our choice. 91 27 4 1,136 2 Ryan Stookey @enfuegos2k. 6h Make them provide medical documentation. If it's legit, they won't have an issue with it. (2 (→ 43 انار [→
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  • 06
    Font - TL@Rue @tblarue. 11h I've witnessed this scam as well. Complicated. Couple thoughts - each chair gets 1 but no more than 2 co- boarders and they sit three abreast in the same row; and present their placard with boarding pass, they'll likely need the placard with a rental or driver at destination. 22 232 انار ↑
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  • 07
    Organism - Mel Wil @MelWSites 12h It's so ridiculous that you allowed us... You really should take a lesson from Disney back in the day when they had to stop allowing wheelchairs to cut the line. You charge me for earlybird and then allow anybody who wants to cut the line with their ENTIRE family. 22 1 182 را ↑
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  • 08
    Sky - CAROLYN BREZA @PEEKLOVESTINK. 12h My pilot son in law from JetBlue calls them "in flight miracles". It is a problem industry wide 27 56 ار ←]
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    Font - Sujin Jeon @esfield • Jun 27 I have a legitimate need for boarding assistance. At SFO, where wheelchair attendants have been scarce for years, wheelchair customers deplaning can wait for 90 minutes for an attendant, who may then push 2-3 chairs, while their bags go unclaimed. 22 1 3 25 ₁6,080 ←]
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  • 10
    Font - M PEACE THE OLD Mark Von Sas @MarkVonSas1.16h I see this several times a week. I have 10 prostics in me, so I probably qualify, but I can walk and golf. NEVER used one except after surgery. It is our lazy, get over, I'm entitled society! 93 27 30 Bombs Away @braedalibby. 9h Thank you. We need more folks like you. 22 3 2,219 1,655 ... ←]_:_ _←] 企
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  • 11
    Font - Musings of a nobody @JustaCi54400863.2h I've spent 40 years in aviation and this has always been an issue but not on scale that we've seen in the last few years. 27 5 ₁389 ↑
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  • 12
    Organism - Slim Shady @BadAsparagus333.3h It is frankly hilarious! Last flight some woman was yelling at everyone that was laughing at her for her fake foot injury. I loved every minute. 27 4 | 541 ↑
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  • 13
    Organism - Tom Harman @Tom Harm78109548.11h I'm A-list preferred, fly business class 6 to 8 x month, and only use a SW credit card. I noticed this first flying to Las Vegas over 40 people lined up at BWI with wheelchairs, and when we landed in Vegas, a Southwest miracle occurred they all got up and ran off the flight. 9 3 27 2 ₁1,006 37 ↑
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  • 14
    Font - & tack! KnoWanUKnow2 . 7 hr. ago There's a simple solution. Anyone boarding in a wheelchair obviously needs to de-board in a wheelchair. Using a wheelchair will get you onboard faster, but at your destination most airlines that I've flown require the wheelchair users to de-plane last, so that the flight attendant can wheel their chair up to their seat and assist them with the transfer. Southwest implementing that would likely cut down on this. Reply Share 2.7k
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  • 15
    Font - guarionex2009 · 4 hr. ago . Exactly. If you want a wheelchair to board early, the airline can give u a claim ticket for the wheelchair (like you rented the wheelchair). They can use your credit car or something to put a hold on your account. If you don't use the claim ticket to get off the plane, you get charged for not returning the wheelchair. 519 Reply Share
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  • 16
    Font - KaldaraFox +3.8 hr. ago What SW should do is insist that anyone who boards with a wheelchair is offloaded with a wheelchair - and waits until the plane is empty to do so. Reply Share 2.2k
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  • 17
    Font - gouwbadgers 7 hr. ago . Another big problem with these liars is that they are taking up the airport wheelchairs for those who need them. If you don't normally use a wheelchair and therefore don't own one (but need one to get through a large airport), you have to wait at the airport until one becomes available. It can take over an hour to get a chair. So these people are directly harming those that need these services. 824 Reply Share
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  • 18
    Font - EasilyLuredWith Candy · 7 hr. ago I hate this because I have a hidden disability. I always feel like people think I'm gaming the system because of these assholes. I look perfectly healthy, but my spine is messed up. I also can walk short distances without difficulty. I just can't stand or walk for long. Reply Share 291
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  • 19
    Font - +2.8 hr. ago Disneyland had the same problem a few years ago. Wheelchair users got to go to the front of the lines so everyone was using wheelchairs. Reply Share Equivalent-Chance-39 64
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  • 20
    Font - doglover507071956 . 9 hr. ago Well I fly Southwest a lot and I see this all the time. I also see people who just got in front of the line and nothing is said to them. So I just take the attitude of they can't leave without me so I just sit and wait till the last second and make them call my name and find a seat. It doesn't matter because when you finally get on the plane you're still waiting for people to put their bags up and dinking around so I would just rather let all that go and then
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  • 21
    Font - InitialDapper 9 hr. ago Trash gotta trash. 97 ↓ Reply Share
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  • 22
    Font - .8 hr. ago Southwest needs to have assigned seats. So tired of all the boarding games! 4152 neh5303 Reply Share
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  • 23
    Font - Mcgoozen +1.4 hr. ago Imagine WANTING to spend more time on the plane than you absolutely have to Imao 15 Reply Share GiraffeandZebra +12 hr. ago It's about getting first seat selection because southwest doesn't assign them. 42↓ Reply Share
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  • 24
    Font - PsychologicalStage21 4 hr. ago . The problem is is I have a disability that isn't very visible and some days I can't walk. People judge me a lot especially when I'm out in town and can't pick heavy things up in my wife is doing all the work. 34 Reply Share ●●●
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  • 25
    Font - carrie626 6 hr. ago For a small fee, these people could buy early bird check in and get a good seat without scamming and lying and using resources meant for people that NEED them. Reply Share 36
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  • 26
    Font - anynononononous 9 hr. ago I think Southwest had the perfect response to it "Since many disabilities aren't visible, we're unable to question the validity of preboarding requests." It sucks but it's necessary. I'd rather be the last person to board after 400 people than one person who needed a wheelchair be denied service. The TSA is already fucking awful to wheelchair users and people with other accessibility aids. Maybe one day we'll get a humane and easy to use verification system, but
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  • 27
    Font - Jennet_s +1.5 hr. ago While I'm sure some people do game the system, please remember that about 50% of wheelchair users can stand and walk for short distances, so if you see someone stand from a wheelchair to stretch, or to reach for something high level, don't assume that they are faking. Life with an invisible chronic illness. is hard enough without having to defend your use of medical devices to strangers. 25 Reply Share ●●●
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  • 28
    Font - NursePepper3x +1.6 hr. ago I'm allowed to walk 200yrds unassisted. My local airports are MUCH further walks than that. I wouldn't mind boarding last, or anything like that, but WOW do some people really not understand disabilities. ↑ 46 ↓ Reply Share
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  • 29
    Font - +1.7 hr. ago Cripple Here: I usually try and walk with my cane, but SEATAC was too big, the Gate too far. I was ashamed, but I had to ask for a wheelchair. That being said, I am astonished there is not an official national "Disabled ID" ↑ 7 azul55 Reply Share
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  • 30
    Font - griftertm 5 hr. ago Which mom group did they get this "travel hack"? 7 Reply Share
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  • 31
    Font - Rivka333 +2.4 hr. ago I'm always a little cautious about assuming a given individual in a wheelchair doesn't need it. Not everyone who needs a wheelchair is a paraplegic or quadriplegic. Some people need them because they can stand and even walk a little on their own, but can't stay on their feet. 45+ Reply Share
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  • 32
    Font - . Idk_whats_real +1 · 35 min. ago I've heard southwest flights being called "miracle flights" because so many people who came onboard in a wheelchair no longer need one after the flight Vote Reply Share
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  • 33
    Font - Spirited-Internet-77 · 8 hr. ago I never understood preboarding. You want to be the first person to be crammed into a tube of recycled air and spend the most time on the plane. Either way you end up in the same seat and the plane takes off at the same time. 36 Reply Share steak___and___eggs 7 hr. ago Not with southwest, they don't do assigned seats. So the people who get on first get to choose where they sit before anyone else. 45 Reply Share ●●●
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