Poet Says Frontier Staff Called Her “Too Much of a Burden” and Left Her Without Wheelchair Help at Atlanta Airport — She Missed Her Event

An X post from the account @MAGA_X_Times shared a video from poet @k.painterpoetry, who says Frontier Airlines staff refused to help her at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, causing her to miss a flight to a Raleigh poetry slam.

The clip, originally posted to Instagram, shows her describing how an airport employee allegedly called her “too much of a burden” when she asked for assistance.

She said no manager came to speak with her, the airline offered only a later flight and she did not make it to her event.

She demanded both a refund for the missed trip and accountability for the employee involved. In her Instagram post, the poet wrote that she “was unable to make [her] flight to the Raleigh poetry slam, because an employee decided [she] didn't deserve to be helped.”

After requesting assistance at the Atlanta airport, she waited “over an hour” for a manager to arrive, only to have no one show up.

The poet said staff told her she needed to arrive two hours before boarding to be eligible for assistance — but she said Frontier's written policy specified passengers need only arrive 60 minutes before departure.

In her Instagram reel, she acknowledged that she planned to arrive more than an hour before flights in the future — but still described her treatment as "unacceptable."

According to U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines, airlines are required to give wheelchairs or guided help to passengers with disabilities as soon as they request it, and they are not allowed to leave them unattended for longer than 30 minutes when they are not able to move around independently. When necessary, airlines must assist passengers in getting from terminal entrances to gates, between flights, and to claim baggage.

Several comments on X and Instagram argued that passengers who need wheelchair or mobility support at Atlanta should plan for extra time.

One commenter wrote that the workers who assist wheelchair users often work for the airport rather than the airline — adding that passengers needing wheelchair assistance should “show up 2+ [sic] hours before if you're gonna [sic] get wheeled.”

Another comment said that “in Atlanta, everyone needs to arrive 2-3 hours before their flight and people who need assistance need to be there even earlier.”

Some reactions focused on Frontier’s reputation. One commenter wrote that “that’s what happens when u fly frontier,” claiming it is “an airline where getting to your destination is a secondary goal.”

The details above reflect the account shared by @k.painterpoetry on Instagram. Frontier Airlines had not publicly responded to the allegations as of publication.