Originally Posted by Fizzer

Having travelled for many years with a daughter who is permanently wheelchair bound ( admittedly not with United as we were CP and then AC loyalists then) I can say it is 100% normal for the wheelchair to take you as far as the aircraft door only. Regular wheelchairs do not fit in the aircraft aisles. However, we have always, and without a single exception, also been asked if we require assistance in actually boarding and a Washington Chair or Aisle Chair which fits in the aisle has always been made available. I wonder whether this passenger declined that assistance in boarding.

http://www.rickhansen.com/Portals/0/...r-airplane.jpg