JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty has called out a real problem in air travel: passengers who request wheelchair assistance to skip lines and board early. The problem is obvious. The solution is not.

JetBlue CEO Calls Out Wheelchair Abuse At Airports, But Is There A Fix?

JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty recently addressed the difficult issue of wheelchair abuse, a topic we have visited from time-to-time that strikes me as almost as egregious as the fake service dog problem.

During an appearance at WBUR’s Breakfast Club, Geraghty said airlines are required to provide wheelchair assistance when passengers request it, but that some passengers exploit the system to move to the front of the line.

As flagged by Business Insider, Geraghty said:

“We have certain flights that have 23 to 25 customers with wheelchairs, and, frankly, nobody wants to try to address some of those challenges because it’s a very tough situation to navigate, both politically, but also just heart.”

She also acknowledged the problem more directly:

“There is a group of folks that use wheelchairs to get to the front of the line, and not for legitimate reasons.”

Most of us who travel regularly have seen the so-called “miracle flights,” where passengers who “require” wheelchair assistance to board, suddenly walk off the aircraft at the destination without assistance. #JetwayJesus

The Problem Is Real, But Policing It Is Dangerous

The difficulty is that airlines cannot simply start interrogating passengers about their disability. Nor should they…

There are passengers with heart conditions, neurological issues, chronic pain, severe fatigue, anxiety, temporary injuries, vision problems, cognitive issues, and many other conditions that may not be obvious. A person may be able to walk off an aircraft but still need assistance navigating a huge airport, clearing security, or reaching a connecting gate. It’s simplistic to reduce the use of these chairs to those who cannot walk.

So while wheelchair abuse is real, the risk of over-policing it is also real. Geraghty seems to understand that tension. She also made a broader point about the airline industry’s shortcomings when it comes to passengers with disabilities:

“In general, I don’t think the airline industry does a great job with our customers with disabilities.”

Airlines routinely damage wheelchairs and can make disabled travelers feel like burdens rather than customers. So the answer probably should not be to make disabled passengers jump through hoops to prove they deserve help, as unsatisfying as that is.

Is There A Viable Solution?

I am not sure there is a perfect solution.

One idea people often suggest is simple: if you board with wheelchair assistance, you should also deplane with wheelchair assistance. That would remove some incentive to abuse the system because you would not get to board first and then sprint off the aircraft at the destination.

But even that is imperfect. Some people may need help at the departure airport but not the arrival airport. Some may be exhausted at one end of the trip and fine at the other. Some may have short connections or different airport layouts. A rigid rule might punish legitimate travelers.

Another idea is better pre-planning. Geraghty said:

“If we could isolate out the folks who truly needed help, I think we could do a far, far, far better job with it.”

That makes sense in theory and that is primarily achieved by encouraging passengers to request assistance in advance. Under U.S. law, the airline still has to accommodate last-minute needs. A passenger can be injured, ill, elderly, or overwhelmed without planning weeks ahead.

Maybe the most realistic solution is not trying to “catch” every abuser, but reducing the incentive to abuse the system. Assigned seating helped Southwest by removing one obvious benefit of preboarding. So could silky making clear that wheelchair assistance is not a fast-track service but an accessibility service, and that abuse delays help for people who genuinely need it (though I think the people who “cheat” are probably not concerned about others).

Maybe put wheelchair passengers in the rear rows (with the added advantage that they are close to lavatories and an emergency exit)?

CONCLUSION

Joanna Geraghty is right to call out wheelchair abuse. It happens, it is unfair, and it drains resources from passengers who actually need assistance.

But since every disability is visible, any crackdown must be handled very carefully. Passengers should not be humiliated or interrogated because they ask for help.

As long as wheelchair assistance can be used as a shortcut through security, boarding, and airport lines, some passengers will abuse it. And the people who suffer most will be the disabled travelers the system was designed to protect. No, I don’t see a way to stop it.