Praise for Southwest

[SueM in MN]

Which may be why we haven't seen the scooters being boarded before wheelchairs, as our home Airport is Long Beach CA and for that there is an outdoor ramp to the plane, so DH just takes his scooter to the ramp and can walk up the ramp, so they don't have to take it back around to an elevator. And Houston airport had an elevator on the jetway, they literally just brought it out the door they take strollers and manual chairs and took it down the elevator.

So, it may well depend on the airport as well as needs.

Yes, it can be various factors.
it can depend on the airport and the exact gate your flight is assigned. Some gates may be next to/near an elevator. Others might be farther away and need extra time to get to where the elevator is.