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

Social media users are blasting so-called "Jetway Jesus" and "miracle flight" occurrences, accusing more and more airline passengers of scamming the travel system by using wheelchairs to dodge lines and board planes early - then walking off their planes unassisted once they land at their destinations.

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.

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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."

One user openly admitted, "I have my grandma wheeled around when I take her to the airport, so she doesn't get lost on the way to the gate. No mobility issues whatsoever."

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."

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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."

Airlines have recorded a 30% yearly increase in wheelchair assistance requests at bigger airports, according to the International Air Transport Agency (AITA), a trade group representing airlines around the world, with executive offices in Geneva, Switzerland. 

"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."

It noted that "the requests are more prevalent in specific geographies (e.g. flights to and from India, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Europe)." 

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It also said that "many assistance requests may come from passengers who do not have physical disabilities but do not feel confident navigating through a busy airport, or people who need directional assistance for whatever reason, including age."

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital that "boarding early [may] get you access to a better seat on board," depending on the airline. 

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."

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Major airlines such as Jetblue, Delta and American allow passengers to request wheelchairs while booking flights.

Fox News Digital reached out to several airlines about whether documentation is required when requesting a wheelchair. A spokesperson for United Airlines responded, "No, we do not require a doctor's note or any other proof of disability."

The Wall Street Journal, in a piece this week about the issue, quoted a passenger who said his recent flight was delayed when 25 wheelchair passengers held up the boarding process.

The passenger, Carlos Gomez, said he sees "more wheelchair fraud each time he travels," according to the article. "It makes an already hectic experience of flying even slower."

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.