Posted On: May 2nd, 2017 Author: Renee Ciaramella
Is it safe for older adults to fly? What happens if there’s a medical emergency during the flight? Can you take a wheelchair on a plane? These are all essential questions to ask yourself if you plan to travel with an older parent. But before you start second-guessing your decision, check out our air travel tips for flying with senior parents.
Conducting research ahead of the trip will help you prepare in advance to minimize issues. A little research on the Logan International Airport or the airport you’re flying out of and the specific flight you’re taking will help you ensure a smooth process. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) requires airlines to disclose information about the flight in advance to travelers with mental or physical disabilities.
Knowing an aircraft’s limitations and capabilities in advance is particularly important if your parent uses a wheelchair or has a different type of disability.
Here are some helpful pieces of information the airline must provide upon request:
Call the airline to get this information and any other details you need to make travel decisions for your parent. For example, the details the carrier provides can help you choose a seat with a movable armrest near the accessible restroom.
Your preparation process should also include airport assistance, understanding how to fly with a wheelchair and security arrangements. Let’s look at each of these points.
The ACAA requires airlines to offer assistance for boarding and deplaning. Once on the plane, the air carrier must continue offering assistance, but that doesn’t include extensive personal services.
If it’s your first time at a particular airport, get a map to help you and your parent navigate the building. Identify the amenities you or your companion may need while waiting for the flight. Also, arrive early to make the trip smooth.
Flying with a wheelchair is much easier when you know what to expect and how to navigate the logistics. Your parent can travel with a personal wheelchair or use a free one at the airport. The airport wheelchair option is ideal for older adults who can walk but have some mobility issues. If your parent is in a wheelchair all the time, you’ll likely bring one from home to have for the duration of the trip.
If you borrow a wheelchair, check with your airline to see if you can reserve one in advance to save you time. Book wheelchairs for the departure airport, any layover airports and the destination airport going both directions.
The law requires airlines to allow all wheelchairs on the plane, including battery-powered ones. The carrier will provide hazardous materials packaging for the battery. If your parent uses a collapsible wheelchair or other assistive devices and you’ll store those items in the cabin, the carrier should give you priority in storage compartments. The equipment also takes priority in the baggage compartment. In other words, you shouldn’t have a problem bringing your travel companion’s wheelchair on board the plane.
The ACAA also addresses accessibility to the plane itself. Planes with 19 or more seats must have mechanical lifts or ramps available if they don’t provide level-entry boarding. This accessibility rule applies at airports with more than 10,000 enplanements each year. You should check ahead of time to determine the accessibility options the carrier offers.
When traveling with a personal wheelchair, ask to gate check it so your parent can stay in the wheelchair at the gate. If the plane doesn’t have room for the equipment in the cabin, it goes into the cargo area.
Follow these best practices when flying with a wheelchair:
All passengers must go through screening at the security checkpoint, but you can get some modifications for your older parent. To make your life easier, research Transport Security Administration (TSA) rules, especially for older adults and those with disabilities.
Inform a TSA officer of any health or medical conditions that may interfere with the regular screening process by filling out a notification card or providing medical documents. Wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes and other mobility aids all must go through screening. If your parent can’t walk through the regular screening devices, an officer of the same gender will pat them down. Pat-downs require removing light jackets, shoes and belts.
You can expedite the security screening process with the TSA PreCheck program. The program requires completing an online application and visiting an enrollment location for fingerprinting and photo capture. With TSA PreCheck, your loved one will move through the security checkpoint much faster. The wait is usually 10 minutes or less.
Your parent will not have to remove their shoes, light jackets, laptops, liquids or belts.
If your parent doesn’t have a disability, you can use TSA’s screening process for passengers who are 75 or older. It entails going through a risk-based, intelligence-driven security system. If the alarm goes off during screening, the TSA officer will ask them to remove their shoes for additional screening and undergo a pat-down.
Health issues complicate the travel process, but preparing for medical issues increases the chances of a safe flight. Check with your parent’s doctor before booking the trip. Find out if any medical conditions may make it unsafe to fly. Ask for tips and precautions that can help during the flight. It’s also useful to have a medical certificate or document describing any medical conditions in case a medical issue arises after takeoff. Keep this document with you or in your parent’s travel bag during travel.
Consider the mobility aids, medications and other medical equipment your parent will need during the trip.
Here’s how to travel with medication the right way:
Schedule or book any special services you’ll need ahead of time. By securing your reservation, you ensure your loved one gets the necessary support with minimal delays.
When reserving the ticket, request a seat with extra legroom. Early boarding is another possible service that can help your parent settle down comfortably before other passengers get on the plane. For longer flights with meals, check if the carrier offers specialty meals to meet your loved one’s dietary restrictions.
Hiring a flight nurse to accompany you and your parent provides peace of mind because they’ll book the flight, manage medication, request special services, call in advance to make security arrangements and offer medical care. A flight nurse offers their services from the moment you and your parent leave home until you both arrive at your destination.
Explore the flight options for your parent before you book the trip. Consider the time of day they’re most energetic when booking. Taking this factor into consideration will ensure you both have a pleasant trip. Also, book a direct flight, particularly if mobility is an issue. Layovers require you and your loved one to get off and on a plane multiple times with all of the medical equipment in tow. So, a direct flight will make the trip less exhausting and less difficult for everyone.
Another vital consideration is seating. Take time to choose the best seat possible for your parent, especially if they are using a wheelchair.
Check to see if the carrier offers a senior discount on airfare to reduce the overall costs for the trip. If available, book directly through the airline rather than a third-party website. The discount will help you reduce travel expenses, especially if you’re incurring additional costs for a flight nurse.
It’s also critical to compare the discounted cost against the charges for a regular adult ticket to confirm it counts.
Before you can begin thinking about navigating the airport, you have to deal with parking. Airport parking is often a hassle, not to mention expensive. Add in an older traveler with mobility issues who needs to get from the car to the airport, and you have a major hurdle to address.
Off-site Logan Airport parking with Park Shuttle & Fly is a parking solution when traveling with an elderly parent. You can secure a spot online for the duration of the trip by prepaying for your parking when you make the reservation or choosing the regular method to pay when exiting the lot.
When you choose Park Shuttle & Fly, you get the peace of mind of parking your car in a fenced, secure lot with video cameras. Our no-move policy means your car stays where you park it for the duration of your trip.
We offer shuttle services to the airport, dropping you at the terminal and picking you up when you return. The shuttle eliminates walking and drawbridge delays while permitting you to travel to the terminal quickly.
If you’re traveling for vacation, plan a relaxed itinerary when you reach your destination. Light activities like visiting a botanical garden or local winery will minimize fatigue for both you and your parent. Also, use ramps and elevators whenever possible to reduce excessive walking.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, call all the necessary airport officials to confirm that they’ll take care of all your requests. For instance, check that they’ve made meal arrangements, booked a wheelchair for your parent if they need one and scheduled your loved one for early onboarding.
Pack a light suitcase and carry-on bag with only the essential items to make traveling easy. Store medications and documents in the carry-on for easy access. Also, stick a clear label on your luggage to prevent someone else from accidentally taking it from the baggage claim.
Make flying with older adults from the Boston Logan Airport easy by reserving a parking spot with Park Shuttle & Fly, Inc. Our parking is the closest off-site lot to the airport, allowing you to arrive in five to 10 minutes. We’ll assist you with your luggage, provide valet parking and drive you to the airport in a wheelchair-friendly shuttle. If you prefer on-site parking, we provide that as well.
We also offer a rewards program that gives you a point for every dollar you spend on parking. When the points add up to 300, you’ll earn a free day of parking.
Book a spot online to receive a quote. You can secure a parking space without placing a deposit.
Traffic Notice:
The Sumner Tunnel closures from 11pm Fridays – 5am Mondays has caused an increase in traffic from Logan Airport to our parking facility during the afternoons and evenings on Saturdays & Sundays. Please give yourself extra time if traveling to and from Logan during Sumner Tunnel closure weekends.