They should’ve loaned him a manual chair. An airport once sent my chair to the wrong city. After a bit of discussion, we managed to wrangle a loaner from them. After they retrieved my chair the next day, they brought it to me and took theirs back. Btw, I never fly with a powerchair. Don’t trust the airline people to keep track of it.
Also, every scooter and powerchair I’ve ever used has levers on the drive wheels to put them in freewheeling mode. Then your wife or traveling companion can push you. A hassle, but better than crawling on the floor.
Airports and hotels are usually pretty good about accommodating wheelchair users. They’ve provided people to push my wife and I through airports when we needed help, helped us with our luggage, and into taxis, etc, and the hotel people would help us to our rooms (when we needed them). We usually travel with one or two companions.
Thank you Jim