Southwest Airlines is under scrutiny for its boarding policies after reports of passengers allegedly faking mobility issues to secure better seats.
Southwest Airlines operates on a first-come, first-served basis for seating. Passengers are assigned a boarding group letter (A, B, or C) and a number (1 through 60). They line up in numerical order within their group and choose from available seats upon entering the aircraft.
However, an exception is made for passengers who use wheelchairs, granting them priority boarding.
Recently, this policy has come under fire due to instances where passengers reportedly exploit the system by using wheelchairs to board first, only to walk normally after disembarking. This phenomenon, referred to as “miracle flights,” has raised concerns about the integrity of the boarding process.
On May 14, a passenger named Stephanie voiced her frustration on X alleging that a group of young women and their parents had misused the pre-boarding privilege on her Sunday flight. She tweeted: “Hey @SouthwestAir These 4 young girls and their parents were able to pre-board on my flight Sunday! They did not need assistance or extra time for seating! Do better with your gate agents stopping this! I paid extra for business class to get better seating!”
Southwest Airlines offers a service called “Upgraded Boarding,” which allows passengers to improve their boarding position to A1-A15 for a fee, provided there is availability. This option becomes available 24 hours before the flight.
In another alleged case of “miracle flight,” a user said on X: “Another flight on @SouthwestAir, and I’m happy to report being witness to more miracles. These poor souls came seeking a flight, and instead were healed. Always grateful for witnessing the miraculous healing power of flight.”
The user said there were seven people in wheelchairs during boarding but only one request for a wheelchair once the plane got to its destination.
• Staff can be reached at 202-636-3000.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.