Frontier Airlines says it faces ‘widespread abuse’ of wheelchair service

Frontier Airlines said Friday that a growing number of people are abusing the carrier’s wheelchair system in order to get priority boarding.

“There is widespread abuse among passengers using wheelchair services to get past security lines and obtain priority boarding on flights,” the carrier told FOX Business, adding that “TSA and airlines find themselves in a difficult position when it comes to dealing with the problem.”

The statement follows comments from Frontier CEO Barry Biffle on the issue at a Wings Club luncheon in New York on Thursday, according to CNBC.

Frontier’s website says it is “happy to provide services to our passengers who require a wheelchair or mobility assistance” when boarding and disembarking its aircraft.

However, the problem is that “some people using wheelchair assistance don’t need it at all,” Biffle said.

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He has personally witnessed flights in which 20 people requested wheelchairs for departure, but only three used them upon landing.

“There is massive and widespread abuse of the special services,” he said.

The airline told FOX Business that “a wheelchair check-in or verification system is needed, as well as legislation to address the problem and impose penalties on those who abuse the system.”

This isn’t the first time someone has raised concerns about what some call “pre-boarding scam.”

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In June 2023, a Southwest Airlines passenger posted online that several travelers may have found a way to take advantage of the carrier’s wheelchair policy in order to be the first to board a plane.

He claimed there was a “pre-boarding scam” after seeing 20 passengers request wheelchair assistance for his flight.

“Pre-boarding scam at @SouthwestAir, 20 passengers boarding in wheelchairs and probably only three need them to disembark,” he posted on X alongside an image of several people sitting in wheelchairs in a terminal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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On another flight, the passenger posted again on social media that 14 people on that trip had requested wheelchairs, but only six used them to disembark.

Southwest told Passenger that its pre-boarding policy complies with Air Carrier Access Act (ACCA) requirements and that it strives to “provide appropriate accommodations” to all who travel with them .

According to the DOT, ACCA is “a law that prohibits airlines from discriminating against passengers based on their disability.”