> The easiest way to immediately fix the problem is to have those requiring more time to board go last. Yes, after everyone else has boarded. This would remove the temptation for those who are faking an injury and would mean far fewer wheelchair requests.

> The problem with this is the Department of Transportation mandates that airlines board those requiring additional time first. Absent a change, this boarding backlog is only going to get worse — much worse.

The DOT fixing that would be the ideal solution to this. Failing that, wouldn't a few simple rule changes by the airlines completely eliminate the problem of people who don't need wheelchairs demanding them anyway just to get priority boarding?

1. Give everyone tags for their carryons that say what boarding group they'd be in if they weren't extra-time preboarders. If the overhead bins fill up, take out any carryons that don't have a tag from a group that's already started to board and gate-check them.

2. Don't let anyone who requested a wheelchair deplane without waiting for it.

3. On airlines without assigned seating (Southwest), instead of only requiring that extra-time preboarders not sit in the exit row, also require that they sit as far back in the plane as possible (just at first, being allowed to move forward once the boarding group they'd be in if they weren't extra-time preboarders starts to board).