Southwest Airlines operates on a first-come, first-served basis for seating. Passengers are assigned a boarding group letter (A, B, or C) and a number (1-60). They line up in numerical order within their group and choose from available seats upon entering the aircraft. However, an exception is made for passengers who use wheelchairs, granting them priority boarding. Southwest Airlines once came under scrutiny for its boarding policies after reports of the company granting “miracle flights” — when people fake mobility issues, arrive at the boarding gate in wheelchairs, secure better seats and better treatment, but leave the plane unassisted. Jokes have been made about Southwest being a miracle worker because a flight on one of their planes seems to cure immobile people — hence, "miracle flights."
