One thing is certain – travelers are FED UP with the ineptitude of airlines and airport execs.
From canceled flights – to lost luggage – to massive delays – traveling this summer has been complete insanity.
In fact, some passengers are so desperate to make it to their flight, they’re faking having a disability – just wait until you hear the details.
We’ve reached a new moral low.
Wheelchairs are available at airports to accommodate those who are in need – whether it’s an elderly man who can’t walk long distances, or a mom who just had surgery on her ankle – airports are generally willing to work with those who need extra assistance.
Those who receive assistance from airport staff typically breeze through security – and have someone push them right up to the gate – meaning they’ll make their flight on time (if it’s actually on schedule) without any problems.
Sadly, some people decided to get “creative” by pretending to have a disability so they too could request wheelchair service and make their flight on time.
Ever since a TikTok post went viral demonstrating this shady hack it’s resulted in massive problems at airports.
The Guardian reported:
“John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow airport, told LBC radio that some passengers were using the wheelchair support available to try to get fast-tracked through the airport, adding that this was “the wrong thing to be doing”.
He told LBC: “For passengers requiring wheelchair support we have more demand than we had before the pandemic. Why is that happening? Some of this is because people are using the wheelchair support to try to get fast-track through the airport. That is absolutely the wrong thing to be doing.”
Clearly we don’t endorse bogus hacks like these.
Yes – airports are a complete circus – especially in Europe.
There’s no excuse for airlines not having enough staff – forcing passengers to miss their flights.
But that doesn’t mean the solution is to pretend to have a disability hoping to game the system.
There are actually travelers with disabilities who need this service – and we must keep it reserved for them.
But there are some things you can do this summer to help your travel experience go smoothly and hopefully make your flight on time.
First – don’t check a bag.
There are thousands of stories of passengers whose bags got lost – or ended up in a completely different city.
In fact, Delta was even forced to fly an entire plane full of only bags to return lost luggage to weary travelers.
It’s not worth the headache to have to deal with tracking down your luggage.
Next, make sure to arrive at the airport extra early and ensure your carry-on bag is TSA compliant so they don’t steal your stuff…
…or force you to waste time with extra security measures.
Finally – make sure you have multiple backup plans with different flight options already scoped out in case your flight is delayed or canceled.
But whatever you do – don’t be the jerk who fakes having a disability and requests a wheelchair in order to catch your flight on time.
What are your thoughts on people faking disabilities and requesting wheelchairs to breeze through the airport?
Would you ever do something like that?
You can post your response and stay current on the latest Proud American Traveler stories on Facebook!
And if you think your friends or family would be interested in receiving our newsletter directly to their inbox, please forward this email and encourage them to subscribe to our newsletter here.
