I have fallen for "the old wheel chair trick".

Checking in for UA at FCO, the guy infront (who has walked to the counter dragging his wheelie bags) asks me if I "can do him a favour" and lift his bags onto the scales. I say "sorry, but I have a bad back" (I don't). His wife quite capably lifts them on the scales for him. They check in then easily walk away.

2 hrs later at the gate lounge, the same guy with wife are arguing with the lounge staff about a wheel chair. He eventually is plonked into one and put on the plane first.

At IAD, we are facing a 75 minute queue to get to Immigration (and the poor buggers who endured the back of the plane looked like getting about double that time in line ). No sooner that we have settled into our 75 min ordeal in the queue, but "Mr wheel chair" is wheeled to the front of the line, processed then pushed through to freedom. I'm sure I saw him get out of the chair as soon as he was clear of the immigration desks.

I just wonder how often he played that game. If he had a genuine need for the chair, it was not obvious to me or everyone else. It looked like a classic con trick (but I might be wrong).