Southwest checks my dad in curbside, get him a wheelchair and escort, get him through security without waiting and to the gate. They do not need "48 hours notice". Problems occur when he get to his destination and no one is at the gate to help him to baggage claim. etc.

Right...I use a wheelchair and I fly a lot.

NEVER tip the person pushing the wheelchair until you have been checked in at your gate and someone is on hand to get you into the plane or you may well end up abandoned in the middle of the airport with no one to board you. The flight attendants will not push your chair on. This is especially true of Houston, TX.

Flight attendants have a hard time understanding that people in wheelchairs can't reach the overhead bins or under the seats in front of them. We need someone to reach our bag for us, especially if we need medication. I frequently have attendants ask me if I can move to a middle seat. Seriously? How would I manage that?

I would love to see airlines figure out how people in wheelchairs can use the bathrooms on their own. You are plopped in a seat and have no way to get up until someone comes and gets you at the other end. LAX to IAD is a long flight.