Originally Posted by
Stranger
Agreed there should not. It's just that on our last flight, admittedly a short one, although my wife came on board on a wheelchair, availability was not mentioned, and they let her hop on one leg+crutches to her seat. Admittedly 2A is not that far from the door either.
Next trip, we are looking at YYC to Europe via Eastern Canada. Might be more important to her.
Something to keep in mind is that from the crew's perspective deploying the onboard whelchair almost certainly adds considerably to the boarding time while they get it out, move the passenger to the wheelchair, move them to the seat and finally put away the chair so others can board. Thus if a person can "hop" to their seat without significant discomfort they'll be inclined to let them.
If you need the on-board chair, it would be best to discuss in advance with the gate agent who can arrange for "soft" boarding before any public announcements. That way the crew can do it without a cattle line down the bridge.