My partner was flying direct from LAX to EWR on 24 May in United Polaris First Class as a Premier customer, with wheelchair assistance arranged in advance and clearly noted on the reservation and boarding pass.
My partner is a double partial amputee and uses a cane, and cannot walk long distances. When preboarding was announced, they approached the gate as instructed, but the agent refused to allow boarding and told them to wait, despite the disability accommodation being prearranged. They were only carrying a small backpack.
This was upsetting and embarrassing, especially given that there was no clear reason for the delay. Eventually, my partner proceeded to board independently.
The issue is not about final boarding order, but about being questioned and delayed while attempting to use an already confirmed accessibility service.
We were later told to request a CRO in the future, but that does not address the fact that basic accommodation and respectful treatment should not require escalation at the gate.
Accessibility should not depend on travel class or additional intervention when the request has already been properly documented.
Edit: The disability is not always visibly obvious. My partner uses a cane and briefly stood to walk down the jet bridge so the wheelchair assistance could move on to assist other passengers.
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