Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Following on from Gibbos thread on med insurance for the elderly, does anyone know if the airlines offer extra help for the elderly? My mum and dad are in their70's and have only flown once before. Neither are in the best of health and are nervous fliers, and they could do with having someone take them from security to the plane, and then meet them and help them from landing through customs etc. I think BA used to do something but I can't seem to find it on their website and a call drew a blank. Happy to pay to make sure they are looked after.

Any suggestions welcome.
Many thanks.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

My MIL generally flies with Zoom from M'chester to Vancouver, and they've been helpful arranging a golf cart or wheelchair to get her between the international and domestic terminals for her onward flight to Kamloops.

She was reluctant to have anything arranged for her, but she's in her 70's and struggles to make quick progress (especially after a 10hr flight and with all her luggage to cope with). Often the transfer times between flights are a little tight, so it seemed the best thing to arrange for her. The service cost nothing, and just needed a phone call to Zoom, and a request at the check-in desk when she was leaving Kamloops.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Just say when booking and paying for tickets that they need assistance. Like that they should be met directly from aircraft and transported (hopefully) where they want to go. Only joking. It usually works well. They will be transported in wheelchairs and or those big electric carts that take about four people. I feel that airlines favour wheelchairs to make passengers ashamed and less likely to ask for assistance. Just a theory. I used assistance when recuperating from surgery and it worked very well. One little snag is that you usually have to wait when landed for all the passengers to descend and then they take those needing assistance. This should be borne in mind if there are connecting flights to take with little time to take them.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Forgot to say that when assisted you are taken through security, customs, immigration, luggage pick-up etc.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Fantastic, that sounds just what they need. My dad has Alzheimer's and my mum is a nervous flier with arthritis and osteoporosis etc - I think they'd feel much better if they knew that they would be moved around the airport.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

There shouldn"t be any problem whatsoever. Airlines take a request for assistance in their stride in my experience. All the best to them and I hope they have a wonderful holiday.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Thanks, very much. Neither of them are in the best of health, and I want to get them over here for a month so they can spend time with my daughter and see where we've landed up. Might be the only chance we have of getting them both over before one of them declines too much.
I plan to book everything for them, so it's as stressfree as possible for them. I'm sure they'll love BC, and it'll be a tonic just being here.

Many thanks.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

You are very welcome. The assistance I was talking about, by the way, is free.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

My mom has regularly asked for assistance when flying - she does have to wait to disembark but she is usually whisked through Customs and someone helps with the luggage as well.

I don't usually have much good to say about Air Canada but I can't fault that extra kindness they have always shown her.

I hope your parents have a lovely visit.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

you book it through the airlines but the help is courtesy of the airport. My mum found Heathrow terrible. They made her walk and carry her small case. The left her various places to wait for another moron to move her along. On the planes all was good and all v v good at Toronto. Next friday she is travelling from Gatwick so will see if they are any better

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Thanks - would be interested to hear her experience.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

I don't know if this is a regular occurrence, but the last time I was at Heathrow waiting for my plane to be announced, there was a lady sitting in a wheelchair getting worried because her plane had been announced for ages and nobody had come to take her to the gate.

I also don't know if it was Air Canada's fault or the people at Heathrow's.

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

My folks came over on BA flying Heathrow to Pearson last April. My father has Parkinson's; one of the symptoms (or possibly side-effects of the drug regime, there's a fairly blurred boundary) is that he gets disorientated easily and doesn't cope well with changes in routing or last minute alterations to plans. He also finds walking for any length of time extremely tiring.

Their journey started OK. They had booked assistance through Heathrow, which all worked well - whisked through the special aisle at security, on to the departure lounge, boarded the aircraft... Then a fault was discovered on the aircraft that meant (after sitting there for 3 hours) they all got off and were taken by bus to a hotel for a few hours, before coming back early the following morning to try again. BA and BAA staff worked really well to reassure both of them about what was going on and why, and what was happening next. My mother told me later that although he got a bit agitated the flow of information kept him "below boiling point" - once she'd explained the importance of his being kept informed.

They eventually landed at Pearson and were met off the plane by a GTAA electric cart that took them to the immigration hall, then a wheelchair through immigration (bypassing the queues) and into the baggage hall. They were full of praises for the ground staff at both ends and for the BA flight crew. Requests for "mobility assistance" were made through the travel agent at the time of buying tickets, and again at check-in.

Hope that helps to reassure your folks, and that they have a wonderful journey and visit!

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

MK's

I brought my elderley aunt with us about 4 years ago and with Transat
(which I presume will now include Canadian Affair) I just had to ring a couple of days before the flight to book her wheelchair assistance so that we could get her through on the plane as quick as possible.

Gaynor

Re: Escorted travel for the elderly
 

Thanks folks. My father in law has Parkinsons and my dad has some shared symptoms. He needs routine, and he gets uncomfortable with anything out of the norm. His GP has given him some tablets to calm him down when he travels in the UK and my mum seems to think they help. So they'll be taking a bucketful before they set off for Heathrow.
I'm determined to get them over here because it might be the one and only time they make it, and I think it will do them both good. Apparently arthritis is eased by the BC air!

Thanks again for all the contributions, will get cracking with dates etc!