Airline Passengers Might Be Using Wheelchairs to Skip Long Lines at Airports

Are some airline passengers using wheelchairs to get through airline security quicker? That's what some airport employees are saying.

According to CBS Miami, some passengers might be using wheelchairs, even if they aren't disabled, to bypass long waits at the airport. There has been a significant increase in the number of wheelchairs being used at airports in South Florida and across the country.

"We've handled maybe 100 wheelchairs a year. Now there are some times
where we can handle 100 wheelchairs in a day," Westchester County Airport Manager, Peter Scherrer told CBS.

Mid-sized airports keeps 300 wheelchairs available and major airports receive about 2,000 special assistance requests a day.

Of course some of these increases are due to disables passengers traveling more, but some believe that able-bodied customers are simply taking advantage of the situation to board a plane sooner or save time.

"People who don't really need special assistance or have a disability sometimes do say they're a person with a disability to go through that special line or to the head of the line to get through security quicker," said Kleo King of the United Spinal Association.

King believes that at least 15 percent of people worldwide use wheelchairs who don't need them, but it is difficult to come to an accurate number of how many cases are fake.

"When people abuse the system it makes it harder for my child to access the accommodations that he needs, and it's frustrating and it's rude," said mother and special needs advocate Barb Likos.

Airlines are required by law to offer assistance to anyone who asks for it. They feel obligated to obey this law or they may face large fines. Airline workers also have to be careful about questioning a person's disability as such questions violate their privacy.

However airline personnel are hearing more frequent complaints about "miracle flights."

"It's a phrase that's coined by a lot of the flight attendants. They see a person come on with a wheelchair and when they get to the destination, for some reason, they actually are able to walk again," said Scherrer.

One way to solve the problem is by creating a universal disability pass, which are already in place in other countries, however there are no current plans to bring this to the U.S., so airport employees have to simply trust passengers.

According to the 1986 Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are required to provide free wheelchair service to anyone who requests it or face fines. The passenger doesn't have to provide details or documentation.