A man in California claims that United Airlines not only lost his wheelchair, but that the airline denies he ever checked one on the plane, all while sending him a replacement wheelchair belonging to a different United passenger.

The man, who flew United for a trip to Mexico in March, says he was on his wheelchair up to the airplane gate, at which point it was checked, only to vanish into the ether.

“I faxed a property request,” he tells KTLA. “I sent the tag that was on my luggage that was for my wheelchair, because my wheelchair was taken from the gate up to the plane.”

In spite of having the tag showing the wheelchair was checked, an airline rep tells KTLA that United has no record of the passenger checking a wheelchair on the flight.

And yet, the man did end up receiving a wheelchair from United. Alas, it belongs to someone in Hawaii who says it went missing on a United flight last year, and who would very much like to get their wheelchair back.

United explains to KTLA that the California passenger’s claim “is pending as we wait for him to provide any documentation — such as a purchase receipt, information about the wheelchair’s purchase, or a photograph of himself with his wheelchair — to enable us to verify the claim is not fraudulent.”

Fontana Man Says United Airlines Lost His Wheelchair [KTLA.com]

Thanks to Harper for the tip!

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