I'd like to have my 80+ year old mildly physically disabled aunt fly from Tampa to NY on her own (mentally she's totally alert and very independent). She lives all alone and there's no family or friend there who could help her with arrangements and transport. I'll do anything I can to help from my end, but for me to fly back and forth to help her fly back and forth for a week is too costly. Does anyone have experience making such arrangements? She can walk, but not long distances and can't do stairs, she's not computer-savvy or comfortable, and I'm afraid she'd be overwhelmed if she was alone and had to deal with large crowds and long-lines. I know it might sound crazy, but if we could do it, it would be great for her to be with her family and in NY again even if only for a few days.

Given her physical condition and age, I'd be very leary of her traveling alone on the plane, much less getting to the airport and going through the check-in and security process by herself. Is she able to help with the expenses? If so maybe with that, you could go or find someone willing to accompany her.

Best of luck with coming up with a solution!

Margy

Jo - I am not sure if it works for the elderly but I paid for unaccompanied minor for my son - when he had to change planes in Dallas - I would call hte airline and see if you can do something similar with an elderly person.

My elderly mother (age 85) flew on Delta up to NY by herself when she was moving in with me, before she passed away, and she was very disabled, in a wheelchair. I talked to Delta and they took GREAT care of her. When she arrived at the terminal (Tampa) someone greeted her at the door and escorted her all the way to the plane. They also took care of her on the NY side and I met her just past security. I can't recommend Delta or speak more highly of the way they took GREAT care of Mother.

Hope this helps.

Does she have any home care services in Tampa? Even if she doesn't, home care agencies accompany people all the time to things like MD appointments (for a fee, of course). I see no reason why you could not arrange for a home care person to accompany her to airport in a cab (they usually are not allowed to drive someone), get her checked in, and then make sure the airline guy with the wheelchair shows up after that. They will take her thru security and to the gate.

Make sure she is on a non-stop flight and then pray that there are no significant flight delays.

Do not stop at transportation logistics. Since it has likely been a while since she has flown, make sure she clearly understands all the new flight rules (liquids, food, etc.). Make sure she knows they will not feed her on the plane, will have to take off her shoes, maybe even be scanned or searched. Advise her not to bring nice little wrapped gifts for the family. Anything else you can think of.

some q's -

is there someone to meet her on the arrival end? that seems crucial..

the Unaccomp minor idea is a good one but whatever oyu do PLEASE PLEASE don't just get her on the plane without alerting the airline and paying whatever fee they charge to "oversee' her - what if the plane is delayed? What if it's cancelled? She definitely needs some degree of oversight to get there and back safely.

Personally if she is physically and mentally disabled (and I'm assuming doesn't fly much) I think its cruel to send her there and back without accompaniment.

I would call the tampa senior center or senior services. I am sure they could help!

Thanks for the helpful advice. I'm going to check out all the leads. I know this would be difficult to pull off, but I'd love to make it work for her sake if there's a safe and sensible way to get it done.

mztery- had you read my posting carefully, you would have seen that she's fully mentallly alert and independent. The family would be at the airport in NY. I'm specifically looking for ideas about how to arrange for assistance and accompaniment out of and back home in Tampa (where she's all alone) and during the trip if needed. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. If I was a cruel or thoughtless person, I wouldn't even be trying to do this or asking for ideas and assistance to try to make it happen.

My 79 year old mom recently flew on Delta from SLC to Alaska to visit with my brother. She is on oxygen full time and needs a wheelchair to get around. She could not say enough nice things about the care she received on Delta.

She had to pre-arrange for the oxygen on the plane and someone to bring the oxygen to the gate for her (my brother and I were able to get passes to get through security and meet her at the gate). They also had wheelchairs and an assitant waiting at the gates to escort her to get her luggage and then to her transportation.

If you can arrange for help getting her to the airport, I think your plan is definitely doable.

I think the first option is to call the airline and see what they offer. Definitely any of the majors will provide wheel chair service on both ends - even if for a fee.

If you're not comfortable her getting to the airport - and there is no neighbor or friend who could accompany her (with you/she paying expenses) to the airport - agree to have a look at the home care option.

Also agree that you need to review with her the new rules on packing etc. Also check with her the size of her luggage. I would even put them in writing and send to her - along with the quart size bag for liquids, with a few little bottles and info on what goes in it.

Yes is it definately doable, I've done it too, with my Mother from the same airport to NY.

There are car services in the Tampa area that you can arrange to come and pick up your Mother, and then the driver goes to Delta to tell them your Mother has arrived and Delta will take it from there all the way to getting her seated on the plane.

In her computer records will be her "special needs", and Delta will have a rep in the airport in NY to take her off the plane and escort her to security where you can pick her up.

I'm sure airlines handle this kind of request on a regular basis, especially in Florida.

The aunt is physically disabled, not mentally. So all that needs to be done is call the airline and ask for the special assistance that is provided, which I found very good before my knee surgeries.

On check-in there will be a wheelchair and attendant available (sometimes the attendant is a TSA agent) to wheel your aunt up to and through security, then to the gate. When it's time to board an agent will get your aunt onto the plane, and at her destination whe will be helped off. If necessary, there is a special narrow wheelchair that can be brought on board to assist.

An attendant with wheelchair will be waiting at the destination gate to take your aunt to get her luggage, and then you can meet her.

It's actually a pretty simple and effective process.

If you can reliably get her TO the airplane/airline they will take her to the plane and off.

You could contact a reputible van/limo service and see what kind of help they would provide. And contact the airport, then the airline to see what help they would provide. My mom used to fly to me all the time from BWI. It was best to request wheelchair assistance (wheelchairs are available at all airports) and let all parties involved know she is able to walk but not long distances.

But just to let you know she will probably be left alone in the gate area until it is time to board.

As a suggestion, walk through this scenario with your mom once where you would assist her and be there to see how everything works. It would put both of you at ease.

If you're unable to get non-stop flights, be sure to allow lots of time between flights. If she's receiving assistance, she'll be the last one off the plane, so tight connections would be troublesome.

I arrange flights for my mom to visit me and others, but she has people on her end to get her to the airport and checked in. She can walk, but for distances like the airport, we always get a wheelchair as soon as we get into the terminal.

I agree with the home care option. Basically, you just need someone to take her, get her a wheelchair in the terminal, and get her in line to check in. From there, the airline can take over. My mom usually flies USAir, and there's an option for wheelchair passengers as to whether they can navigate steps to the plane.

The airport personnel do a good job making sure she's taken care of between flights (at no charge other than tips to the porters pushing her chair).

One last thing - when I take the airport to go home, I always get a gate ticket so I can go past security with her and wait until the plane boards. Maybe it's just us or my airport, but we always have to go through the extra security when I accompany her on a gate pass.

Senior travel is scary at best. My mother's last visit here was difficult and I was with her the first half. I flew to her home North of Tampa (from Chicago) spent a few days with her and flew with her to Chgo. She is unsteady and uses a walker. United placed us is the first row next to a woman with her seeing eye dog and a cat. The plane was full and the dog took all the foot room. My mother sat on the isle so she could put her feet somewhere and was constantly bumped. My feet were in between the dogs paws. On her solo trip home-she spent 2 hours on the tarmack...

She is 86 and a good sport about life but she told me that may have been her last trip home to Chicago. I think that the airlines do their best but air travel is difficult.

Good luck!

Lucci

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and cautions. Airline travel is becoming more and more miserable for all of us. It's esp hard when aging relatives retire far from their families at a relatively young and healthy age, and over time find themselves afraid or unable to travel for a variety of reasons.

For the physical part and within airports, the airlines can be VERY helpful with the use of wheelchairs and assistance. I was amazed when I traveled recently (knee surgery) how accomodating they were.

BUT if there are fears & emotions involved about traveling by herself, that is a more difficult problem to solve, obviously.