TAKING FLIGHT – INSIDE OF A PLANE?

Are there family members you wish you could visit, or places you want to see that you thought were beyond reach? The facts are that in this day and age there are accommodations for most seniors to travel by air. Age is not as important as mental and physical health. People in their 80’s and 90’s without active cardiac disease should be able to fly safely. Check with your doctor to get the OK. Just bring along your germfighting gear: a snug fitting mask, and hand sanitizer to be used every hour or after touching objects. And thanks to the Federal Air Carrier Access Act, airlines must offer requested assistance for seniors. That includes assistance with boarding, departing and making connections. The number to call with questions, between 8 AM and 11 PM, is 855-787-2227 at TSA (Transportation Security Administration) Cares Assistance. In addition, if passengers want wheelchair assistance to access boarding, or other specific needs, call the airline of your flight. Flyers can also request an escort pass to allow a family member, friend or assistant to accompany flyers to their boarding area. (The average walk to the boarding gate is approximately six to seven minutes. But sometimes boarding gates can be some distance from check-in.) Another tool to help those who are hearing, vision impaired or have other disabilities is a Sunflower Lanyard. This can be worn around the neck to alert airport staff if assistance is needed. This can be requested at most airports today. (See photo below.) For visually impaired flyers, there is even an app available for use at LaGuardia Airport which can be found online that can be downloaded from a computer to the phone which can help one to know what is near and what is far, working with a camera on the traveler’s phone! A customer experience specialist at LaGuardia Airport can be reached at 718-533-4000.