Most passengers who request wheelchair assistance at the airport or when boarding a plane have a legitimate reason. That said, the phenomenon of so-called “miracle” flights is a real thing — and it’s been a growing problem for more than a decade. A miracle flight, not to be confused with an angel flight or any other altruistic endeavor created to assist people in need, is a tongue-in-cheek reference to flights that seem to grant the miracle of ambulation to passengers who required wheelchair assistance at their departure gate, but not at their destination. In some cases, the number of passengers boarding via wheelchair versus the number who require assistance at their destination is so dramatic that fellow passengers can’t help but notice.
A recent social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter) @BocaHudson drew renewed interest in the topic when a passenger traveling on a Southwest Airlines flight counted 30 fellow passengers who required wheelchair assistance to board the flight. Yes, the occurrence was so notable that the person actually counted. And then, he counted again at the end of the flight only to realize all but two of the wheelchair-bound passengers who boarded the flight early at the departure gate had miraculously walked off the plane unassisted upon arrival. That’s 28 people who strolled right past the wheelchairs lined up and waiting for them at the arrival gate. Praise be! Sarcastic observations aside, so-called miracle flights are a bonafide annoyance for passengers — including those who have a legitimate reason for requesting wheelchair assistance — waiting their turn to board a flight. The phenomenon is also a problem for airport aides who provide the service, let alone a waste of resources when aides are left standing on the jetway waiting for a passenger who already walked off the plane. Why does it happen? Most likely because it’s an easy grift.
Miracle flights: A scam that wastes limited resources
