Originally Posted by
Flyer420
Do not take this post to be a blanket 'smear' on travelers from the subcontinent, it is not so intended.
That said, I have observed in recent years on EWR-BOM flights, an exponential growth of pax "requiring" wheel chairs. In the past, this
seemed to allow them early boarding, but on my last two flights, the GAs waited until the regular boarding was completed to do the wheel chair loads. Was this just a fluke? I don't know. Are some GAs at EWR a trifle cynical? Is the pope a Catholic?
The interesting thing (and maybe karma does come into this??) was that on arriving Mumbai, several of the pax who had required wheel chairs at EWR were now able to walk briskly down the long passageways to immigration and customs. Maybe there is a healing property afforded by travelling in a UA 777 for 15 hours...
Flyer 420
in the fog in Seattle
I know people who requested wheelchair service for their elderly parents and grandparents on their return journey from US to the Asian subcontinent because they are traveling alone and/or cannot read/speak proper English which makes it a little troublesome navigating the airport and understanding boarding instructions from GAs. Once they get off the plane at their final destination, they are more familiar with the language and probably the airport also.