It is amusing (amazing??) how some people who needed wheelchairs to board are suddenly cured when they are on the plane and are fine to walk off!
When I broke my pelvis I was on a walker but from the outside you couldn’t tell anything was wrong. Then again, we were leaving Vail/eagle airport and they expect injuries!
Please see my post above, I’m one you’d think was suddenly cured…
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I thought you walked to the plane but had a chair when you got off?? Oh that was Lizardly.
But the # of people who use the chair only for boarding is frequently a lot on SW. I am sorry you have piriformis issues. I do too. Have had a great massage therapist though, luckily.
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There was an old joke decades ago that the New York-Miami flight was called the Miracle Flight because so many people needed wheelchairs to board but were able to walk off.
I flew with my mom when we went together for her last cruise and she needed a wheelchair for any distance. She had a speed demon pushing her; I could hardly keep up. The fun part was boarding the ship - she was a 4 star Mariner so between that status and the wheelchair, we were literally the first passengers on the ship. She just wanted to collapse in her cabin so after settling her, I took off around the ship for photo ops with no one else around in most venues.
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I’m positive there are those with hidden disabilities
I wonder if there are also those who are trying to get an advantage to boarding.
Either way, can we move on….
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I traveled with my mom at age 96. She liked to walk, but was slow and easily fatigued. We got wheelchairs, but sometimes she was happier walking beside the chair for a bit, and didn’t do well in confusing situations, in which case I was happier with her in a chair being pushed by someone who knew which was to go and how to follow directions.
With her, I did get on a direct flight to PHX on SW from Milwaukee and was astounded at the number of lined up wheelchairs.
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If they start requiring MD notes and/or charging for wheelchairs, I predict #s using them would greatly decline.
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I want to be one of those passengers on delta (they must have serious status) who, when they have a tight connection, get greeted by a person who drives them to their gate in a Porsche.
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H is.
Retired General Wesley Clark gets the treatment on American. I saw him whisked away!
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Has anyone ever flown Norse airlines?
I don’t get the VIP treatment on Delta where I never have high status, but sometimes get picked up and ferried to the gate on OneWorld because of my status on BA. Once a car in when I got off the plane to drive me to the next plane. However, I can’t count on it so the possibility does not alleviate my anxiety on a tight connection. Also, somewhat inexplicably and somewhat randomly, AA will call my name and board me first.
My wife enjoys the car transfers. They walk her down the stairs to a waiting suv.
I like traveling with her 
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I had no idea that there was a car service
Today I saw a TikTok from Tony Finau, a golfer. He showed his car service to the plane and it all made sense.
I just want to get to my gate in time.
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TBH I never even look at those hand held signs as I assume they aren’t for me.
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That is pretty unusual. Does the pilot greet you as you board when that happens?
I only ever see Concierge Key get boarded first, but they’re called by status not by name. I know a former AA pilot and he said he was required to personally greet CK members.
There’s probably additional ways to get the car service, but I believe with some airlines it comes with international first class (true first class, when there’s 3 classes including business and coach). Major airlines also have an invitation-only top status tier where they’ll do that for tight connections (I think they’ll also actually hold flights in some circumstances so it behooves the airline to get them there as quickly as possible).
And also at a couple airports you can get it as part of a private ultra lounge package.
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United has a program called “signature service” that will take people to and from for every flight. I believe there is an annual amount of flight miles required to be eligible to buy into the program.
Back in the day airline execs were sometimes given car service as well. I remember being boarded that way a couple of times when I was a kid traveling with my parents and my dad was dealing with a crisis and we wouldn’t have made the flight otherwise. Not sure if that’s still a thing.
Flew to LAX this weekend. TSA Precheck was wonderful. I used flyaway to union station on return but not arrival, as D said it is confusing for even her. She lives there and flew often.
I can’t imagine not having Precheck anymore!
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