Top Travel Tips for Seniors: Arrival early, seek help, use technology
For seniors looking to travel, there are a few tips to fly with ease and confidence.
- Plan ahead by booking direct flights, booking appropriate seating and researching airport facilities.
- Avoid overweight baggage charges and strategically pack them to ensure easy access to essential medicines.
- Please use the accessible services available and do not hesitate to request assistance when necessary.
Cruising Altitude is a weekly column on air travel. Do you have any suggestions on future topics? Please fill out the form or email the address at the bottom of this page.
There’s this strange thing that happens as people get older, where the world begins to treat them with children’s gloves. I may not be at that stage in my life, but I can certainly see it happening to others I love. Of course, many people start to experience a decline in mobility as they age, but this does not affect everyone equally or at the same time.
Many people continue to operate, travelling well over the 80s or 90s, and experts agree that “the moving body is moving.” Therefore, the older you get, the less likely you are to become a couch potato.
That said, there are some considerations for advanced travelers, especially when it comes to navigating airports and flights that younger sets may not need to consider.
Generally, it’s all practical travel advice for all ages, but perhaps a little more important for people in the golden age.
1. I’ll get there early
One of the biggest things for travelers of all ages is the stressfulness of an airport when it needs to run, and if you’re slowing down (or even an active senior), it’s better to have plenty of time to go to the airport before your flight.
“I’m off to the airport early,” Debbie, wife of the senior nomad blog, and co-author Michael Campbell, told me. “Why do you add stress by trying to understand how close you can cut when you arrive at the airport?”
Campbell concluded his ongoing trip for about 12 years and settled in Seattle. Michael, 80, said he and his wife (69) learned a lot about how to fly comfortably without stress after more than a decade on the road.
“Check out the bag. The push-and-showb of the overhead bin is getting more and more frustrating, so I’m happy to check my luggage,” he said. “We try to load as little as possible with as little as possible.”
Amy Goyer, a family and care professional at Aarp, agreed that leaving time at the airport is key to getting off to the right start, especially for seniors with mobility and other health issues.
“The main thing is to plan enough time as travel can be complicated in the best situation. If you have mobility issues, low energy, or concerns, if you’re in a hurry, it’s much more stressful and stress makes everything else difficult,” she said. “If you have a flight and have a layover, make sure you have enough time. Don’t schedule your flight with a close layover.
For some seniors who are not yet experienced travelers, we recommend starting with a short trip at a nearby home destination to feel the comfort of you.
2. Plan ahead
This is truly one of the universal advice. Traveling is easy for seniors and others if you have plans. At the airport, this means checking which terminals you depart, arriving in advance, and double checking which facilities are available.
“I think it’s a good idea to do your research at the airport and find out where the toilets are,” Goyer said.
You can also make sure you book direct flights wherever possible to minimize the risk of complicated delays.
Campbell prioritizes bookings with airlines, as it is often easier to get addressed issues without resorting to third parties.
“I just buy directly, not from an aggregator,” he said. “Now the airlines really made it. If you buy this ticket through Kiss and Fly (third-party platforms), don’t call.”
For many seniors, getting the right airline seat also requires planning.
“One of the things I really suggest is getting the right seat. It’s easy to get in and out. For some people, getting a little more legroom to make it easier to get in and out of seats is worth a lot more to pay,” says Goyer.
If you are familiar with the layout of a particular plane, you can also make sure your seat is as comfortable as possible. Also, websites like Aerolopa that I wrote about previously would be a great place to start.
“What do you need on a plane? Think about what’s ahead. If moms sit for too long, your back starts to hurt, your neck hurts, your knee hurts, etc,” Goyer said. What do I need to do to address these issues during my flight?
3. Pack smartly
Campbell said it’s important to strategize packaging in advance so you don’t have to pay overweight bag fees.
“I feel sorry for those at the check-in counter where I always have my suitcases open,” he said.
Goyer added that senior travelers with specific medical needs should also ensure that medications are easily accessible while traveling.
“You have to do all the medicines, you don’t know when your package will be lost,” she said. “I recommend that people travel with a printed drug list because if you unexpectedly run away, lose something or need something, you have all that information there.”
4. Don’t be afraid to seek assistance
Airports usually have readily available accessibility services, and for advanced travelers, there should be no shame in using them.
“Just because someone doesn’t need a wheelchair every day… I recommend requesting it in advance, especially at a large airport,” Goyer says.
5. Accept electronic devices
We are always involved in all devices and travelers of all ages should be comfortable using the self-service option for customer service if something is unhappy with their travel plans.
Many airlines can call the airport help desk or go to the airport help desk if you need customer service, but low-cost airlines like Frontier now offer customer service per text. If you’re not used to relying on technology, we recommend flying on a full-service airline.
“The internet is your friend. You always need it. You need to use it comfortably to do all sorts of things. That’s more today than we started 12 years ago,” Campbell said.
6. Curious
Above all, travelers of all ages should travel as an incredible opportunity to learn more about the world around us and experience new things.
“People are the same all over the world, people are different all over the world. What is it about seeing how others live, and traveling is just a blessing,” Campbell said.
Zach Wichter is a travel journalist and writes the USA Today Cruising Advanced Column. He is based in New York and can be contacted at zwichter@usatoday.com.
