Senior Traveling Alone

Although he might not use a wheelchair on a routine basis, the airline will provide a wheelchair transfer to and from the flight gate, if you request it at least a few days in advance. For instance, see Delta's policy. My Dad had not used this for his flight to Europe, but we added it to the online booking for his return flight, since the trip had tired him.

How well does your father see, hear, walk and process information? Will he be on his own when it comes to getting from the airport to the meet-up location for his tour? I would suggest that you and/or he have an honest conversation with airline personnel about what services would be provided before you book anything. Consider having a family member accompany him on his flights. Airline employees are not home health aides. I am sorry to be such a downer, but this could be as ill-advised as sending an unaccompanied child on a flight to Europe. There is no such thing as a hassle-free airport experience in the US or France - Sorry.

One option is to pay for wheelchair assistance. Arrange this with your airline. This provides assistance at the airports at both ends. Even if he is ambulatory, a wheelchair transfer can help make sure that he gets to the gate as well as to the baggage claim at his destination. My daughter uses this strategy for her non-English speaking father in law when sending him off on flights in the US. It takes a great deal of the pressure and worry off.

A more costly option is to hire a courier who would be willing to travel with your father for the price of an airline ticket to France.

One other (and wildly expensive) option is to have him fly first class on Air France. Part of their service for first class is to have someone accompany the passenger throughout the airport upon request. Even business class would help provide a little more attention and assistance.

I would also suggest emailing the airline's PR team (usually their media relations contact) to let them know about the back-story and reason for the trip, asking if there are any special assistance programs he might take advantage of. I suspect strongly given the human interest here, the airline will go above and beyond to assist him however he might need!

sb,

As someone else mentioned, there's no such thing as a "hassle free" experience when using airports. If he's not used to flying, it could be a daunting experience for him. It would help to know if he has any mobility issues, and how well he generally functions on his own normally.

If the Veterans group is going to meet him at the airport, that will help. However if he has to make his way into central Paris in order to join the group, that may be problematic. Has he travelled by air in the last few years?

In order to provide more specific suggestions, more information on your dad's trip would help.

My 90 year old dad is very fit, strong, and sharp. We went to London last summer together. My dad is hard of hearing even with hearing aids, but generally does ok. I think it was much harder on my dad being out of his normal element. He forgot to keep his liquids separate ( even after I told him not to forget), so he had to remove them, and had to have his luggage searched. I basically "interpreted" for him along the way as airport security needed him to do different things, and everything is rushed, so it made things more confusing. He also got confused after finding the bathroom and was lost for a little bit, but found his way back ( I secretly searched for him and when I saw him coming I pretended to be looking at a store!) I think it was overwhelming for him and I don't think he would have handled it very well if he didn't have me there to help him. He would never admit it though! Once on the plane, he was fine. My dad drives, went skydiving on his 90th birthday, lives alone, and is active. But, out of his element it was very difficult for him, from my perspective, maybe not his!

I hope his flight is nonstop. If you arrange for a wheelchair service in the airport (in Paris), they are very good about being prompt picking him up at the airplane door, getting him through security, and getting him to his luggage. From our experience (only once) that is where the wheelchair service ended, but that could have been because we didn't need the attendant any longer. Maybe he could be wheeled all the way out where he could look for the veterans group?

I don't know if he can get wheelchair service going into the airport and through security in the US. The attendant who will transport him in Paris may not speak any English, so that could be an issue.

It would sure be better if he someone to go with. My dad, also a WWII vet would probably love a trip like that! If your dad lived near us then maybe they could go together and help each other out.

I am a bit of a senior myself, and so is my wife. She really does need a wheel chair,, and almost every US airport has a FREE service, but it's nice to tip , as those workers walk their rear ends off every day, and they are particularly kind and considerate.. Now that's the USA, I can't speak for the other end. I am sure however that most airlines will do the same at the other end, it's easy to check w a phone call.
Also it depends on the airports, etc for example Denver is huge, but John Wayne is manageable.
The basic beauty of the Wheelchair, is you get whisked thru TSA security in a breeze and taken directly , no lines etc. Over 70 , and you can keep your shoes on as well. I think a little planning will go a long way. Finally, i would think there's some assistance at the other end, you just have to find out who it will be.

Oh, i should add, the Wheel chair service is really provided by third parties, based on my experience in the USA. The airline merely uses them to provide the chair and do the pushing.

BTW, what airport is he leaving from, and what airline are you using and last thought , a non stop , of course would be the best.

Susan/Monti - the mental confusion you described in you 90 year old father, who is otherwise fine on his own, is very typical of an elderly person who is out of their normal routine, atmosphere. So, sberryroma, I would really worry about your father making this trip my himself. It would be mentally challenging for me and I am 35 years his junior and have travelled alone many times. As an earlier poster said, I hate sounding so negative, but is there anyway someone can travel with him?

another advantage of the wheelchair, is that he would get pre boarding rights.. so he would avoid the hassle of the carry on wars, etc. Finally, i would discuss it with the airline, i am sure they have a reasonable solution, as well, I am sure they have had this situation before.

On our flight home from Austria to Denver this past December, we were seated with a very elderly lady who spoke no English. As much as I could gather, she was from Romania. She needed a lot of help on that flight. First, she couldn't buckle her seatbelt. She could not communicate her choice of meal to the flight attendant so I chose the meal for her. As she was fairly toothless, I thought pasta would be easier for her to eat than chicken. I was trying to avoid a choking incident. She couldn't get the lid off her meal so I helped her with that. Then she indicated she didn't like pasta (made a face). I got her a glass of wine and she didn't want that either. (At that point, I needed the extra wine so I drank it.) I accompanied her to the bathroom the first time and figured she could do it on her own the next time. Wrong!!! I heard a commotion going on at the bathroom and the next thing I knew the flight attendant was bringing her back to her seat. She had apparently locked herself in the bathroom accidentally. The poor thing kept holding my hand and hugging me and trying to thank me the entire flight. Needless to say this was a very long and tiring flight. I can laugh about this experience now but what would have happened to this poor old lady if I hadn't been willing to help her? Frankly, I was angry that anyone would put their elderly relative on an airplane and expect them to fend for themselves in a foreign and confusing environment. Please consider going with your father to France.

re Mary from Reno,, pls give the old chap more credit,, he does speak English, and he probably like pasta, He ain't an old lady from Rumania

The main thing I would stress is to be realistic about his capacities. If he has any level of dementia i.e. if he is forgetful and sometimes gets confused or lost or disorganized or panicky then do not send him alone. If he is mentally very alert but just physically challenged, then wheel chair service should get him through. Make sure he is escorted to the plane and through immigration and that he knows exactly what he then has to do to connect with his group.

I was on an international flight to Europe where a family put their elderly grandmother on the plane who clearly had no business flying unaccompanied. She spoke no language anyone on the plane spoke, and was agitated in the boarding area. The airline very unwisely went ahead and boarded her early to get her settled. She melted down, wouldn't take her seat and use the seatbelt etc once we were well underway and halfway across the Atlantic the flight turned back to Gander and offloaded her. This made the flight 5 hours late getting in and presumably required her family to come to Gander to fetch her. This made our connection with a landlord on arrival very difficult and for many people it meant missing onward connections. And it was a nightmare for the passenger and presumably difficult for her family.

My mother flew to Rome where we picked her up when she was 80. although she lived to 94 and never developed dementia she was also an inexperienced traveler and the stress of an overnight flight also takes its toll. She got confused on landing about managing getting her luggage and somehow ended up at the wrong carousel and wandering about and was over an hour late getting to the exit where we were waiting (after other passengers from her flight had arrived and left.) Some kind soul finally helped her find her stuff and get through customs. We were outside and couldn't help and it was a bit nerve wracking. And she had flown business class thanks to an upgrade from my brother. She would never have been able to locate a tour group in Rome without special arrangements.

So it is all about capacities of the individual. If any dementia even early and mild, he must have a companion. If prone to confusion and inexperienced, definitely arrange a wheelchair and see if there is any other assistance to get him to his group; if it is mostly physical then just make sure he has wheelchair service and very clear directions.

Being old and creaky is one thing (I am over 70 and qualify there) but if he is otherwise challenged an overnight flight, jet lag, etc are not going to make this better and he needs a companion to see him through.

My dad has no dementia and is sharp and strong. He may have been fine on his own, but just being away from home and the whole rush through security was more of the issue. If your dad will ask for help if needed and has wheelchair assistance he may be frazzled, but he'll make it through. You know him better than us. Has he traveled much before and traveled internationally recently? My dad had been to Europe with a friend ( both elderly and both ordered wheelchair - my dad didn't want one!) about 8 months prior to our trip and I guess they did fine. But it also wasn't a brand new experience. I also wasn't there, all I know is he got home!

Thank you Mary for doing your best to help somebody's elderly relative when she had no business flying alone. I had a similar, but much less traumatic experience on a flight with my father when he was in his 90's. There was an extremely elderly couple on our first flight, and I needed to help them make it to their connecting flight, plus deal with my legally blind, deaf, lame, but sharp as a tack father! The other couple probably managed just fine at home, but making connections at a large airport was way outside of their comfort zone. I felt like a border collie with a herd of really old sheep.

The well-being and safety of the elderly should be our prime concern in this conversation. I know/have known very few if any people in their 90's who could handle travel to a foreign country on their own. When you add jet lag, possible medical emergencies to the mix, I would give serious thought to allowing an elderly loved one to attempt this. I am hoping the original poster is still listening.

I agree with Mary. If the tour group cannot meet the person at the airport then someone should be accompanying this passenger.

Often the early stages of dementia are not recognized except in hindsight. We often think someone is just getting more set in their ways, or more crotchety, or more stubborn. A year or two later we realize that it was mental confusion causing odd behavior.

Is there any way to get him to travel with the group instead of just meeting them there? Any honor flight, etc.

This is really bugging me,, I checked w United Air , they said the wheel chair is an "airport service" (meaning its not in their control) and in Paris they will meet the passenger, get his luggage and get him thru customs. That's it, after that there's no further form of help/ assistance available.

So it seems to me the Group he is supposed to go with, should be doing something at this end to get all these guys together, Doing the math, he's probably the youngest of the group, so there are many in more need of assistance. He probably didn't tell you everything. They may be meeting up in Chicago for example and going together,, Keep us posted, pls.

When you book his flight call the airlines contact number for special needs while traveling and request wheelchair service. Often there is a check box for wheel chair needed when booking. They will get him to the gate and to the meeting point - his group will have someone to meet him at the airport?

And please thank him for his service for me.

Thank you everyone for your great suggestions !
I will have dad read your comments, especially those thanking him for his military service.

Last thought, on one of my trip to Paris, a French friend of mine arranged for a private car to meet me and take me to the city center. In my case, i met the driver outside, but i think he could also meet you just after Customs.( you know where the drivers stand with the names on placards) The driver in my case was personally known, highly reliable and regularly used by my friend. The fee in my case was 100 euros. if you like i can check this out for you.