Air travel can be exhausting even for a fit adult and whether you believe it or not, after the heroic incident of 9/11, the airport securities, limitations in services and special requirements and expensive airfares have worsen the situation. Luckily, there are certain things that still keeping the traveling for senior travelers an easy and hassle-free task. However, to use them all, one must know about some of the best travel tips for senior travelers or people who are frequent on arranging traveling for their parents and elders in the family. So, here we are, escorting you through to the best tips to keep in mind before planning a travel for senior citizens in any part of the world:
- Know your rights
To ensure a hassle-free and healthy transit during and before the flight, senior citizens especially above the age of 75 are entitled with some special rights. Senior passengers can ask for assistance at the airport to escort their luggage and wheelchair if have difficulty to walk. Also, the security checking by the TSA have been eased for senior citizens with some variations that helps the elders to go clean easily whilst keeping the flow of safety at its best. Senior citizens that are implanted with medical devices have different screening process to keep the process safe as well as keeping the security clearance easy for elders. Also, many airlines are now giving priority boarding to the senior citizens only after a simple request to avoid hassle during the regular boarding of flight.
- Search for non-stop flights
A long flight with various hauls and changes of planes/airport is sufficient to make a regular healthy adult to become cranky and out of comfort. And when we speak of a senior traveler who has difficulties to sit down properly, walking a little extra or require assistance to even walk or climb the stairs shall travel in non-stop flights. Transit through non-stop flights eases the pressure on the body and mind of a senior citizen and gives them the ease to avoid any extra effort during their travel. Using the non-stop flights will also help to avoid regional jets. Maneuvering through the airport and security checks can be a difficult thing for senior travelers. So, it is highly advised to use non-stop flights as much as possible.
- Look for senior travel discount offers
To encourage senior citizens to enjoy their lives more and explore the global destinations, both the airlines and travel agencies have begun to offer some hefty discounts on senior travel. Finding these discounts may seem to be a difficult task, but once you wrap your head around the concept, you can not only enjoy some great savings, but also can understand the special perks comes along with these kind of bookings. Signing-up for special offers from airlines as well as travel agencies will give you an edge to understand the best deals and destinations suitable as per your preference, travel trends and season conditions.
- Arrange for every assistance required
Airports and airlines these days have become more careful to pamper the senior citizens and have sketched a wide range of extra perks for senior travelers. If you are a senior citizen yourself or a senior citizen from your family member who is planning on an air travel, make sure you make anything potentially required on the trip and promptly inform the airline to arrange those requirements. Most of the assistance like wheelchair, oxygen tanks, escorting guide, priority check-in and others are majorly available without any extra cost and all you need is to make your request during the booking or some days prior to the departure (based on the policies of the airline) to get the required assistance on time.
- Carry essential things in carry-on luggage
Both the TSA and the airline have been giving the liberty to the senior citizens to carry their medicines and other supplies in their carry-in luggage as long as they are prescribed by an authorized doctor and are safe to keep in such delicate conditions while flying. If you have your elders flying to some destination and you get scare of baggage loss at the airport or have a hunch of first-aid requirement during the flight, always pack their necessary medicines, undergarments, tooth-brush, travel documents and more in the carry-on luggage to keep them safe and secured even after facing some serious baggage issues and promptly inform the airline about the situation.
Though, in the recent time, airlines as well as airport authorities have been keeping a tab on making the journey of a regular passenger much more delightful and bringing new reforms to keep the voyaging affordable as well as convenient, but if you have or you are a senior passenger, the requirement of those perks are even more important. Hence, it is really an important factor to know the best tips in order to make your voyage or a senior passenger’s voyage as happening, healthy and convenience as possible. So, next time when you escort your elders for a vacation or a simple trip to some other part of the world/country/state, then make sure they know all the tips to voyage through their entire journey seamlessly.