My Dad is 74 and has family in Australia, he visited them about 6 years ago but hasn’t been since.
The money isn’t an issue and he is retired so time is his best friend.

There is a 70th birthday party in Oz and he has had an invite but I’m sure if I mention it to him he will poopoo the idea and say
‘nah its not for me’
Rather than saying,
‘You know what I’d love to go but I’m not that confident about airports and getting the right flights and documents etc these days’

If I could get the time off I’d go with him but I can’t
Is there a kind of travel buddy scheme or some form of chaperone service offered by airlines for folks that would panic a bit easily about getting to the right departure gate on time and having the right boarding cards to hand etc?

It’s a shame really as since my mum died in 2006 he has lost confidence year on year, he is a world away from the guy who was National sales manager driving 65000 miles a year and spending 20 weeks a year away on business just 30 years ago.

yes you can get chaperoned from gate to gate by airport and airline staff. Generally they will get him off the plane either first or last – into a wheelchair and then transport him to the next gate.

How ever i would check you can get sensible travel insurance for him.

My father (74 also) does India, New Zealand and Australia/Tasmania about twice a year.
He finds that Emirates are the best help (and not as expensive as you might think) – they really do look out for him as elderly passenger, he dresses smart enough and often gets invited into various lounges in the airports and free meals etc.

I hope your father makes it – mine massively values seeing his brother, son and grandkids over there.

If money isn’t an object then business class? Far more comfortable , lounges etc.

If willing to ask plenty of assistance available at airports.

If money isn’t an object then business class? Far more comfortable , lounges etc.

If willing to ask plenty of assistance available at airports.

^^This.^^

I’d go Cathay via HKG. Excellent service, the best business class seat to Asia, too. They do help folks out a lot. Recommended.

My parents were older than that when they came to visit me in Switzerland (80s) and I arranged for them to be booked on as disabled. Only my mother needed a chair.
They were chaperoned in both Dublin and Zurich airports; driven by trolley cart.
All I did was declare it when booking.

Emirates/Qantas Business LHR to Melb or Sydney I think it’s a refuel stop so not much hassle in Dubai at all. At this end it’s really easy. Even if it’s a change it’s only one terminal even though it’s a big one. Abu Dhabi is a bit of a sprawling mess – you certainly want business class for that one for the good lounge in the same terminal as the flight. Singapore is a huge sprawling airport and every time I’ve been in and out it’s been from different ends.

Otherwise the emirates flights from regional airports are a good start which takes some of the stress out (Newcastle int has bugger all flights a day)

Where is he going to in Oz? Qantas are getting ready for direct Perth to LHR though not sure on the launch date

My elderly folks do Manchester to Sydney every year to see my brother, they go with Emirates economy going out but have silver traveller so can use Dubai lounge and come back business class just to take the edge off leaving grandkids and travelling back to cold rainy UK. Book a night in the airport hotel to have a sleep/break it up a bit. Emirates staff are great and will chaperone/meet on arrival-theres a tick box when you book IIRC

Some airports do a paid service where you get shuttled around in a golf buggy, fast-tracked through passport control and security and taken to the aircraft and the same when getting off the other side. At Dubai airport they call it the Marharba service and at Doha Airport it is the Al-Maha. Not sure if all airports off this service, i’ve not seen it before at other airports. If you’re disabled or just old and not very spritely on your feet I think most airports will shuttle you around anyway, but not sure if you get the fast track through security and immigration parts of the service.

I’d be more concerned about the possibility of him suffering a blood clot during the long flight. Might be worth him having a chat with the Dr about taking aspirin or something?

76yo mother does BA business long haul and they manage her well (has fallen asleep in lounge at Atlanta before and missed flight, that was AA though) – just request help beforehand

What globalti says, chat to Dr, take some Asprin, wear the compression socks, walk about

My grandmother is 90 and went to Oregon in September travelling alone. She’s off to gran canaria in February too but my uncle is going with her on that trip. She uses the assistance and it has always been fine.

(has fallen asleep in lounge at Atlanta before and missed flight, that was AA though)

She must have been exhausted! That lounge is as comfortable as an uncomfortable thing!

that was AA though

Yeah, those al-anon meetings can be quite exhausting 🙂

My FIL was travelling long-haul by himself up to quite recently but seems to like company these days (he’s about 85). That has worked ok for us so far but it’s interesting to hear of the alternatives. Most of his trips are for holidays where he would prefer company anyway so there’s not much point sending him by himself! But it does open up the possibility of having some time with him and then sending him home so we can have a proper holiday afterwards…

DVT is a much lower risk in the new Boeing 787’s and Airbus A350’s as they have much better cabin air quality. But sitting on your bum for 12 hours is never good whether at 40k feet or on your settee at home.

Problem old folk often have is getting travel insurance. Many standard insurances will stop at 70/75 and dedicated old folk insurance gets expensive, and more so if they (quite likely) have medical conditions.

Problem then is you can’t easily (or at all) get insurance to cover stuff like cancellations, lost luggage etc on their own as usually they have a medical element to it, or cancellation itself might have to be for medical reasons.

Though DVT, if they have medical issues like high blood pressure or have had stuff like a bypass, likely they’ll be on a cocktail of blood thinners anyway.