BOSTON, MA — Some airline passengers are asking for wheelchair assistance to move to the front of airport lines, then walking normally after they land, according to JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty. She said the practice puts airlines in a difficult position because they must provide requested assistance under US law, even when they suspect the request is not legitimate.
Geraghty’s comments reignited a long-running debate over how airlines can protect travelers with real disabilities without unfairly scrutinizing passengers whose mobility issues are not visible.
JetBlue says airlines must honor wheelchair requests under US rules
Geraghty made the remarks in an interview earlier this month with WBUR’s Breakfast Club. She said airlines generally cannot press passengers for detailed explanations beyond what is needed to handle the request and get them to the aircraft.
She said some travelers use wheelchairs “to get to the front of the line, and not for legitimate reasons.” Geraghty also said JetBlue has seen flights with 23 to 25 wheelchair customers, describing the issue as hard to confront because it raises both practical and emotional concerns.
Advocates say abuse is real but screening could harm legitimate riders
Michele Erwin, founder and president of the advocacy nonprofit All Wheels Up, said airlines do discuss misuse privately and try to address it within the law. Still, she said there is almost no reliable way to verify whether a traveler has a disability without asking for protected medical information.
Erwin warned that tighter policing could create new problems for people who need wheelchair service for reasons that are not obvious. Some passengers may need help navigating a large airport, she said, while others may simply be exhausted after a long international trip.
Other airline leaders have flagged costs and misuse for years
Former Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said in 2024 that the carrier was seeing “massive, rampant abuse” of special services and estimated each wheelchair request cost about $30 to $35. A former leader at London’s Heathrow Airport also said in 2022 that some travelers were using wheelchair assistance to “fast-track” through terminals after seeing it promoted on TikTok.
Reports have also said Southwest’s former open-seating system may have encouraged some passengers to request wheelchair help to secure a better boarding position.
Disability complaints remain high as airlines struggle to staff service
Transportation Department data shows US airlines received about 43,500 disability-related complaints in 2024. More than half involved failures to provide wheelchair service, including not having enough staff or leaving passengers behind.
Geraghty said the industry does not do a great job serving customers with disabilities, while Erwin said another issue is that many travelers do not notify airlines in advance. Passengers can usually request wheelchair assistance during booking or later, but the workers who provide it are often employed by outside contractors.
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