Woman says Southwest FA blocked her wheelchair from boarding. But a sign says otherwise: ‘Absolutely nobody is keeping these airlines in check’

Taking a flight can be a frustrating, stressful experience.

For wheelchair users, that experience is often significantly worse. Often, they must deal with inexperienced staff, poor treatment, and many people attempting to handle their chair without proper training.

Now, one user on TikTok has shared her story of air travel gone awry—and one airline appearing to be caught in a lie about how they could help.

What Did This Wheelchair User Deal With On This Southwest Flight?

In a video with over 320,000 views, TikToker Karlee Rose (@karleexrosee) voices her frustration about a common issue for wheelchair users during air travel.

“Every time I fly as a girl with a disability, there’s always one flight attendant that makes it difficult for me to get my wheelchair on the plane,” the TikToker explains. She is sitting on a Southwest Airlines flight.

According to Rose, she had asked a flight attendant if she could bring her chair onto the airplane. The flight attendant affirmed that she could. However, soon after, another flight attendant declared that she could not and that the chair had to be put under the plane.

“Literally, tell me why I’m sitting next to this, and it says this,” Rose continues. 

She then shows a sticker with an accessible logo. The sticker says, “Priority storage for wheelchair or assistive devices.”

“So frustrating,” she writes in the caption. While she does not name the airline, the seats carry the insignia of Southwest Airlines.

What Problems Do Wheelchair Users Face On Airplanes?

Rose’s hesitation to allow the airline to put her wheelchair in storage is understandable.

This is because airlines have a poor track record when it comes to wheelchairs. According to the Department of Transportation, 1 in every 100 mobility devices is damaged during air travel.

Sometimes, they become so damaged that they are rendered inoperable. This is obviously a problem for wheelchair users; not only are some wheelchairs incredibly expensive, but a wheelchair may be adapted to one’s specific disability.

If the wheelchair is broken to the point where it can no longer be used, this means that the user is unable to move by themselves until they can get a new chair made. Depending on the chair, resolving this issue could take weeks or months.

@karleexrosee

So frusturating

♬ original sound – Karlee Rose

Why Is Air Travel So Bad For Wheelchair Users?

There are a variety of theories regarding why airlines seem to take such little care when it comes to wheelchairs. 

No matter why it happens, the federal government under President Biden took steps to resolve it. First, some airlines were fined for damaging wheelchairs. Second, new rules were put into place that required additional training for airport workers who handled wheelchairs. This included speeding up the replacement and repair process if one of those chairs was damaged.

However, the Trump administration has waived some of the fines issued to airlines. Additionally, the administration has announced that it is reconsidering certain provisions in the rule. Until then, it has delayed the enforcement of some parts of the rule.

Specifically, issues like airline liability for damaged or lost wheelchairs, how frequently staff must receive disability-related training, requirements to inform passengers of their rights and how to file complaints, and whether airlines must reimburse travelers who pay higher fares because their mobility device only fits on certain flights, are all being reconsidered.

Can Wheelchair Users Store Their Chairs On Board?

It depends.

Airlines are required to have priority space in the cabin to store wheelchairs. This applies to all aircraft with 100 or more passenger seats.

“Priority space” means that the storage of a wheelchair onboard gets priority over any other item that could feasibly go in that space. However, as the wheelchair storage is often not used, many flight attendants store their luggage in this space.

Consequently, many wheelchair users report difficulties actually getting to use this space for its intended purpose. This leads to awkward situations in which wheelchair users must argue for their right to use this space. Still, wheelchair users advise informing the airline ahead of time if space will be needed for one’s wheelchair in the cabin. 

Commenters Have Theories About What Happened with Southwest

In the comments section, Rose theorized that “The flight attendant just didn’t want to take the time to put my chair on the plane.”

Others had their own explanations.

“As a FA, honestly the onboard wheelchair storage doesn’t fit almost any size wheelchair that people commonly bring on board. But, instead of saying no, I always let people try to fit it in there, so they know if it fits or not,” shared a user. “I don’t know the size of your wheel chair, but unless it’s one of the very small compact ones, it won’t fit in there. I’m sorry that happened but, the on board wheelchair compartment is annoying because it fits very few sizes of wheelchairs.”

“Because that cabinet is where they put their luggage. They don’t want to be inconvenienced,” stated another.

“Always start with the agent before boarding begins and make sure they know you wish to stow it on board,” wrote a third. “Board first. If boarding is in process, it becomes impossible for them to shift luggage around, especially if the bins are filling up. Pre boarding and communication with the gate agent is key.”

The Mary Sue reached out to Southwest Airlines and Rose via email.

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