Airline passengers on 'Jetway Jesus' and 'miracle flights' accused of faking disabilities for better boarding

In the "r/todayilearned" forum on Reddit, one user detailed the way "miracle flights" appear to be working lately.

"People fake mobility issues, arrive at the boarding gate in wheelchairs, [then] secure better treatment and better seats," the user noted.

The person added, "Once the flight is over, [these travelers] leave the plane unassisted and [don't] need wheelchairs - in effect, [the] flights miraculously cure these people."

Another person said, "This is just corporate propaganda against the Americans With Disabilities Act."

A different person claimed, "The airline told me that when connecting at O'Hare [in Chicago] - when you have to travel a long distance in a short amount of time - you should ask for a wheelchair."

And yet another user commented, "Obviously, some people are committing fraud… Some people probably can walk, but only with a cane or with significant issues."

"The considerable increase in wheelchair assistance requests is a key issue for the aviation industry," the organization noted in a recent memo. "To understand the scale of the problem, IATA is looking at the issue through surveys and studies."

He added, "There are only so many contract workers assisting with wheelchairs at each airport, so frivolous requests hurt those with a real need."

Leff said that "those passengers find themselves waiting longer to deplane, or waiting on the jet bridge for a wheelchair to show up."

Many travelers are "bemoan[ing the] rise of able-bodied passengers who game the system to skip the lines," the article noted about the "Jetway Jesus" phenomenon.

When passengers walk off the plane at their destination, requiring no assistance at all after they were wheeled on board - "that's some good healing right there!" the publication said.