Advocating for elderly air travelers

Great blog post. I agree with everything she said. Although, even though I am in my late 70s I try to keep up with technology, including kiosks rather than people. I have found most airlines, probably due to my white hair & occasional use of a cane, let me preboard in spite of my boarding number. Maybe I've just been lucky to run into kind gate agents &/or ones whose mothers taught them well.

I agree, it was a good read. I think airport ambassadors is a great idea. Right now, people that need a bit more time to board can board early, but I don't see many people using that.

I am younger than many here, in my mid 50's, yet after two knee replacements this winter I experienced what it was like to need help. I remember one specific flight. I was 5 weeks post op, technically not allowed to fly, but I had to as my mom died a few days before. I was flying back home and my suitcase had important personal belongings of hers. I sat by the gate with my cane and was trying to hold it together. One of the agents saw my cane and my bag and asked if I would like it gate checked. I panicked, because of what was inside, and explained. Immediately, 3 agents gave me hugs, and got me on the plane first. One even took my bag all the way down and then put it up above my seat for me. This little gesture was huge for me. When we arrived at SEA, another lady on the flight saw my cane and took my bag for me, which was nice as we were not right at a gate, but had to manauver a ramp to get down and then into the terminal. Again, a gesture that made things so much easier for me. So needless to say, I am all for any bit of help and compassion for those that are needing it.

Right now, people that need a bit more time to board can board early, but I don't see many people using that

In recent overseas flights, we have seen a lot of people who are as able as we are take advantage of this to get ahead of their boarding sequence. British Air in London is very good at stopping people who try to slip through even though they are not in need of assistance. Here in Portland, boarding a BA flight the gate crew (contractors) pay no attention and dozens of people rush the gate when pre-boarding is announced. Silver hair doesn’t mean entitlement in my book.

There should be the possibility of getting a special pre-boarding pass if you need it due to mobility, children in tow, or even military status instead of the free-for-all of self-selection. It would help the gate agents who do not want to be confrontational.

It seems clear that airlines have prioritized profit over the old promise of "friendly skies." With airline industry net profits projected at $30.5 billion in 2024, the drive for financial gain has overtaken the commitment to making air travel accessible and inclusive.

It's not just the airlines. And it's not just the elderly. Almost every travel related business seems to place profits above customer service. Many appear to have adopted the new law of supply and demand -- control the supply and demand what we want.

You don’t see many people using the pre-boarding? I’m not sure where you’re flying, but I’ve noticed that everyone over the age of 50 when I fly seems to think that they’re entitled to pre-boarding. And just for the record I’ll be 64 soon and I do not pre-board. I don’t need it right now and there’s no need to Push my luck.

Laurel--I agree, those passes would be very helpful.

Carol--Yes, really. I fly out of SEA and most of the time people are quite polite here. I have been on so many flights where they keep asking for people that need more time etc and people who look like they may, stay seated and wait. Sure there are some people skirt the rules, but I don't see a lot of that here.

Almost every travel related business seems to place profits above
customer service. Many appear to have adopted the new law of supply
and demand -- control the supply and demand what we want.

We as customers need to take some of the blame. We demand deals and then complain when it comes with consequences such as customer service. Corporations are going to protect their margins.

And just for the record I’ll be 64 soon and I do not pre-board.

I want to be my Mom when I grow up. In 2017 when she was 86 we brought her to Disney World with us. When I tried to get her to take advantage of preboarding she stared daggers at me and said that was for old people.

I head to Norway tomorrow. I will definitely take a look around at the gate as I wait to board.

Not to get off-track, but
LOTS of things have gone self-service.

My HR dept.

My IT dept.

The Neighborhood Wal-Mart.

The Big Wal-Mart.

There are a bajillion check-outs, but only 2 are manned.

Same with Target.

My Mom, in her 80s at the time, was in the TSA line. They wanted her cane through the scanner and asked if she could manage walking through the X-ray without it. Fine. I was behind her, but they didn't want me touching her. They also didn't like that she put her hands on the outside frame of the X-ray to walk through. I think they finally let me hold her hand going in while the agent held her hand coming out.

The local airport I use most frequently has 2 or 3 wooden canes at the TSA line for those who need them. GOOD IDEA!

On another trip Mom ended up with a bruise from her elbow to wrist when some helpful airline attendant in the connecting terminal decided she needed help, even though she was keeping up with her over 6-ft tall grandson just fine. The attendant took a firm hold to the back of her elbow to guide her to the gate. It wasn't until she took off her long-sleeve shirt at my house that night before bed that she realized how badly she had been bruised.

I threatened to pin a note on her that said, "Fragile!! Don't touch the Old Lady" on her trip home.

Sorry if this is too off-topic.

As someone who has needed airport assistance looooong before my hair was allowed to go grey, I'd like to know what airlines the author flies, and what airports she flies out of. I've never encountered a boarding situation where those who needed extra time (frail elderly, accessibility challenged, or families with young children) did not receive pre boarding, with seating assistance if required. Nor have I flown on an airline that didn't at the very least have an agent at the start of a check in line or kiosk area who could answer questions or direct a passenger to someone who could. The author seems to want the airlines and airport authorities to meet every possible need in every possible situation. How is that realistic when they may have thousands or hundreds of thousands of passengers daily? And just how happy would the travelling public be if their flight costs jumped in order for these services to be universal? Puhleeese.

While I would be the last person to say that flying today is a bed if roses, wanting to go back to the good old days of "fly the friendly skies" is a pipe dream. Those days didn't have to board 300 pax in half an hour, per plane, with most of them trying to cram their oversize "carry ons" into the overhead. And repeat this over and over all day , every day at every single gate. They didn't have airports with multiple terminals and subterminals, required to handle the (sometimes) tens if millions of passengers yearly. The logistics are mind boggling. They didn't have to implement security measures at airports to prevent hijackings and crazy people trying to blow up the planes. And since when is a store requiring credit card payment the problem of the airport authority?

I was willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt when I started. But it wasn't more than a paragraph or 2 before I had changed to wondering if the OP had even the most remote idea of how an airport operates, and under what conditions. The idea of reasonable accommodation and reasonable expectations seems to be a foreign concept to the author. Airports and airlines are far from perfect. And often aggravating. But if the flying public wants to fly on the cheap, then they can't expect butler service. Heck, I doubt if the average passenger has even gone to their airports website to see what services ARE available. Like transport assistance or booking a specific time for security, which is available at some airports.

ETA: Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a long winded rant.

The truth is these articles are written for Clickbait and we have people on here who post them constantly but that’s all they are

objective reporting is long gone for most of these places. It’s just will it get attention

CJean you are absolutely right. The author wants the low cost, full service experience which is not a reasonable expectation. On a recent SWA flight I witnessed the “Southwest miracle” when 20 passengers boarded early in wheelchairs but only 3 needed assistance to depart the plane. This will not be popular but I think those needing boarding assistance should pay for the service. This would eliminate the fraudsters and make boarding easier for everyone.

@Carol in Atlanta, I agree with you about clickbait being a growing problem,

but this group is not in that category. If you looked at the 'about' page for the group you'll see this:

"Who are we?

At Home With Growing Older, AHWGO, is a nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that brings together professionals, academics and interested individuals to re-envision and improve the experiences of later life. Our educational public forums, on a wide range of topics related to aging, are held in various locations in the Bay Area. In 2016 we launched Aging 360 ® Workshops to help older adults ‘own’ their aging experience and to (affordably) improve their homes to suit their needs as they age. In 2019 we hosted our 1st annual agein, a practical and inspirational daylong teach-in on aging. Our 2nd annual agein, “A Week of Joy,” was full of expressive creativity, community and connection; it was held in 2021 and featured a hybrid of online and in-person experiences for participants.

Our Perspective:

We are leaders in a growing movement, believing that interdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration are key to providing services, infrastructure, and homes that meet the needs and desires of an aging population
We focus on the home and its context, more than an institutional environment, to foster healthy aging
We’re inspired by good design and believe that joy and delight are integral to any solution to compensate for the sometimes not-so-fun realities of growing older"

Mom ended up with a bruise from her elbow to wrist when some helpful airline attendant in the connecting terminal decided she needed help, even though she was keeping up with her over 6-ft tall grandson just fine. The attendant took a firm hold to the back of her elbow

Anybody, whether in a service business or otherwise, needs to get permission before touching someone. I volunteer for an organization that provides activities for disabled athletes, and that’s one of the primary tenets. If somebody’s falling, or it’s another kind of emergency, that’s a tough call, but people can be fragile, more than a “helper” might realize, and the person being “helped” needs to be alerted that someone wants to “help” them, and then give an “OK.”

Regarding TSA giving canes a “pass,” compared to disallowed lightweight trekking poles, wouldn’t a savvy terrorist just love to dress old and frail, then start whaling away with a heavy cane once in flight?

I think it’s easy to assume that you are a proper “judge” of who is or isn’t in need of pre-boarding. But I would hope that people will allow for the possibility that someone might have a disability that cannot be appreciated in the boarding area. I travel in spite of a health issue and no one looking at me at the Delta gate would ever know. But some days I am not up to waiting 15 or 20 minutes in a slowly-moving line to get on the plane - be it my balance issue or some vertigo.

And on those days, especially if I am traveling alone, I will tell the gate agent that, although I appear able-bodied, I have a health issue and I plan to board early.

While I do actually walk with a stick, it’s not out at the airport so you’d never know. I use my rolling travel bag to “balance” me inside the airport - my stick is attached to the outside of my luggage.

I don’t have gray hair, I’m in my 50s, and I look healthy - I add this as an additional perspective.

I don't care if 90% of the passengers preboard (who truly need it; and it’s nobody's business why someone might need extra time) the plane isn't leaving until we are all on…however, we found on our most recent international flight that there seemed to also be another agenda for others.

We flew LAX to Paris on Delta in Premium Select seats; a small separate area behind first class with wide reclining seats; foot rests and designated overhead storage. Big signs premium select luggage only inside the overhead could barely be seen because they were stuffed full already. And we paid a premium for such. We were the 2nd row behind first class. By the time we boarded our area was still most empty of people in Premium Select as they were still boarding, but everyone in economy who had preboarded (and there were many) had entirely filled our area with all of their carry on luggage. Nobody from Delta was paying attention or really cared. We were seated so far from economy but then everyone of us had to figure out how to get back there to find some random space for our carry ons and then get back to our seats while people we trying to board going the opposite way and then the same when landing. It was so chaotic, and frankly unnecessary if someone working on the plane was paying attention.

On a recent SWA flight I witnessed the “Southwest miracle” when 20 passengers boarded early in wheelchairs but only 3 needed assistance to depart the plane.

Yep, I've witnessed that, too. It was a true miracle! The outgoing flight had 15 wheelchairs, and the flight back had 22, most of whom walked off the plane quite easily. I've never seen that many on any other airline. It really made me cringe. I would imagine that will change, though, with the new Southwest policy.

But for the record, I agree with mikliz97. I have never seen pre-boarding abused in Minneapolis. Usually it's a person or two in a wheelchair, but never more than one or two.

It was so chaotic, and frankly unnecessary if someone working on the plane was paying attention.

KD, did you say anything to a flight attendant? I've never seen that happen on a Delta flight and I've flown both Premium Select and Comfort+. But if it did, I would definitely get a flight attendant's attendant and let them know about it.

Mardee and others: for a few years I have been requesting a wheelchair for my husband. Yes, he can walk from the gate down the ramp to the plane and vice versa but he cannot walk from the plane/gate to the connecting flight or to passport control then luggage pickup and taxi rank. He looks perfectly normal but would end up on the floor without a wheelchair. He doesn’t like it but it is what it is.

Yes, it’s annoying to see others get what seems like special treatment but I think you might prefer that to you being the one who needs it.

It’s too late to edit my comment but I would like to add that the wheelchairs are usually brought to the plane though they sometimes wait at the top of the ramp or at the gate regardless of the need of the individual. At the end of a long flight they really are needed at the plane.

The first complaint in the article was about no first name on boarding pass as a problem and then no agent to rectify. This is not an age problem. So why preface the article with that?
Kiosks can be confusing to anyone. Best to read the screen. Not be in a rush.
I am all in for courtesy and service for the aged, but unfortunately it is taken advantage of as per the SW wheelchair miracle. Unseen disabilities? I am sure someone has gamed that based on lactose intolerance.

Carol, I understand your frustration because you know your husband needs this. And I would imagine at least 95% of most people who utilize that really need it. I know that not everyone who needs assistance looks like they are disabled. But there is no doubt that the Southwest debacle has evolved into a big scam, and many people have bragged about it online. When I count 22 wheelchairs going on and only 3 coming off, there is something going on.

BTW, you can edit a post anytime you want; even weeks or months later as long as it hasn't been closed.

We just boarded. Only a dozen people max out see the pre boarding option on our flight. We are headed to Amsterdam, so a large plane and chuck full. People were generally very polite in waiting for their zone to board.

Douglas— it is supposed to be for active duty military usually. My husband is retired military and he has never even considered boarding in that group.

Douglas— it is supposed to be for active duty military usually.

I agree. I know every airline I've ever flown on has always narrowed it down to active duty military only. I'm a veteran and like mikliz97's husband, I would not even try.

Building on treemoss ' s comment above, this is why advocates nowadays talk about 'universal design' rather than accommodations for the elderly or the lame or whatever --
usual example is curb cuts/ramps at street intersections are handy for everyone, not just wheelchair users,
and ramp entries into buildings are great if you're carrying packages or somesuch, not just if you're on the injured reserve list.

"About Universal Design

Universal Design (UD) is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design.

If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use, everyone benefits. By considering the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates digital and built environments, services and systems that meet peoples' needs. Simply put, universal design is good design."

https://universaldesign.ie/about-universal-design

There are issues on trains as well. Most long-distance trains in Europe have quite a steep step up from the platform to the train - local trains oddly enough are better. There's an ongoing controversy in Britain about train companies' treatment of wheelchair users with what is meant to be prebooked assistance not turning up.

My own father now has some mobility issues - he can get on and off trains without problem but he has difficulty standing for very long, so we now book assistance for him whenever we travel on Eurostar, so they can rush him through the security/border control. They provide their own wheelchair. We've always had good experiences, especially once with a tight Eurostar to DB connection at Brussels, where the Eurostar worker pushed him through the station at such speed that I had trouble keeping up with them.

On the other hand there's recently been some controversy with Eurostar's treatment of full-time wheelchair users, due to staff not being allowed to push people in their own wheelchairs on dubious "health and safety" grounds. So people who didn't have powered wheelchairs and couldn't wheel themselves were in big trouble.

I can tell you that from 2017 to 2023 Delta has gotten worse across all aspects. The food is worse. The presentation of the food is worse the containers of the food are worse the lates and utensils are worse. The gate agents are less friendly and get to the gate later, the flight attendants don’t control boarding and bag storage like they used to. Delta is letting more ridiculously ver sized bags on as carry on while at the same time force gate check on more people as a result. They don’t have as nice of a boarding experience as they used to when they used to hand out whites and other stuff.

I will heartily disagree with that. I've been flying mostly Delta for over 30+ years, and I love the airline. The staff have always been friendly and polite to me, and it's always a relatively good flying experience. Obviously no flying experience is perfect, but the food is edible (let's face it, it's reheated takeaway food and you can only do so much) and if you request one of the specialty meals in advance, it gets better. And if you want better containers, fly Delta One. I've never seen gate agents get to the gate late at any airport, unless there is some hold up, which does happen. If the bags fit in the bin, they generally let them on, yes. But I've never seen a "ridiculously oversized bag" get on. For one thing, it wouldn't fit in the overhead bin.

Most airlines now are dealing with a lot. Lots more travelers, more demanding travellers, and technology and maintenance issues. Obviously that's the price of doing business, but I don't think that any of them (at least the ones I've flown) are performing badly. The only major issue that really comes to mind is the Southwest Snafu, but that was definitely a one-off.

I noticed it an paid attention because on a couple of those I had
seats with priority boarding yet I was only in the middle of boarding
because how many others were given priority. Frankly the whole thing
has turned boarding into a mess.

I don't fly any American airline much, but Delta is my favourite of the bunch. However I'd call their boarding procedures a joke. Last year when I used them there were a total of 9 boarding zones announced. That means you could be considered a Delta Premium Select Passenger and you're still only good enough to be in the 3rd zone. It sounds like a fancy club to be in, but you're not.