Assistance for an elderly non-revenue air passenger
Should one ask for extra assistance from gate agents and other airline employees for a non-revenue passenger who is over 80 years old and hard-of-hearing?
The 80-year-old would be traveling by herself, and we were wondering whether it would be better for her to pay full fare or to save a considerable amount of money by flying standby as the parent of a back office airline employee, but on a different airline. She has flown many times, the most recent only a year ago, but never standby.
I've been unable to find anything on this topic after hours of searching, although I did find this tip of concern: "Be sure to sit close to the gate and listen for your name to be called. If you don’t approach the podium in a timely manner, the gate agent will call the next standby passenger on the list." (Source) She would likely not hear any announcements, but would need to have someone personally tap her on the shoulder.
The training material for using the standby benefit talks a lot about the employee with the benefit being the sole point of contact and having their dependents behave respectfully to airline employees, implying we should not burden them as they are busy doing their jobs for paying passengers, which I agree with, but it says nothing about how much to lean on them for the kind of assistance they would ordinarily give an elderly paying passenger.
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Who can get special assistance at airport?
Special assistance is available to passengers who may need help to travel such as the elderly, those people with a physical disability, such as wheelchair users, and those who have difficulty with social interaction and communication, such as those with autism or dementia.Do airlines offer assistance?
Special Assistance coordinators are available to help with medical or special-assistance related items during your travel. If you requested special assistance during booking, a coordinator will contact you before your flight to ensure necessary requirements or requests are complete.What is airport special assistance?
What is a special assistance? This is the assistance that the airport employee provides to the passenger. Disabled persons with reduced mobility may use this service. Depending on the needs of the passenger, the employee can help him in the check-in process and when boarding the plane.Do airlines charge for special assistance?
A CRO is the airline's expert on disability accommodation issues. Airlines are required to make one available to you, at no cost, in person at the airport or by telephone during the times they are operating.Special Assistance - Checking in
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