Airport Rides for Seniors: How to Make Travel Easy for Your Parents

Airport rides for seniors should be simple. But when Mom or Dad is flying out of O'Hare, there is a lot to think about. Who drives them? Who carries the bags? How do they get from the curb to the gate? This guide walks through every step, from the front door to the plane and back, so your parents can travel with less stress and you can worry less.

It covers the ride to and from the airport, wheelchair help, security, walking your parent to the gate, and a simple checklist for booking.

Why O'Hare can be hard for older travelers

O'Hare is one of the busiest airports in the country. For an older traveler, a few things can make the trip tiring:

• Long walks. Gates can be a long way from check-in and baggage claim.
• Standing in lines. Check-in and security can mean a lot of time on your feet.
• Busy curbs. The arrivals and departures roads get crowded, and finding the right car can be confusing.
• Heavy bags. Lifting suitcases in and out of a trunk or off a belt is hard for many people.
• Changes. A gate change or a delay is easy to miss for someone who does not fly often.

The good news is that almost every one of these problems has a fix. Most of them just need to be set up before the trip.

How our airport rides for seniors work

Here is what your parents get when you book with us:

• Door-to-door service. The chauffeur picks them up at home and drops them at their terminal. No parking, no shuttle, no train.
• Help with bags. Our chauffeurs handle the luggage and hold the doors.
• Meet and greet on arrival. For a small added fee, the chauffeur waits at the terminal door with a name sign, takes the bags and walks your parents to the car. At Terminal 5, the chauffeur waits at the terminal door after customs. See our meet and greet service.
• Flight tracking. If the flight is early or late, the chauffeur is timed to the real landing. No one is stuck waiting at the curb.
• Extra time when needed. A wheelchair assist or a slow walk to baggage claim takes longer. Tell us when you book and we will plan for it.
• A flat rate. The price is set when you book, with tolls included. It does not change for traffic, weather or holidays.
• 24/7 service. Early-morning flights and late-night landings are routine for us.

You can book the ride for your parents and be the contact person. Some families keep a household account with us for monthly billing and a 24/7 line they can call directly.

Book wheelchair help with the airline

This is the most important step, and many families miss it. At O'Hare, wheelchair help comes from the airline, not the airport. Each airline sets up its own wheelchair service. The airport's accessibility page says to contact your airline before you travel and add it to the reservation.

Here is what federal rules say, based on the US Department of Transportation's accessible travel guide:

• It is free. Airlines must help passengers with disabilities board, get off the plane and make connections at no charge.
• Advance notice is usually not required, but it helps. Calling ahead gives the airline time to have a wheelchair and staff ready.
• Your parent can board first. Airlines must offer early boarding to passengers who say at the gate that they need more time.
• There is someone to call if it goes wrong. Airlines must have a Complaint Resolution Official available. Ask for one if the help does not show up.

Getting through TSA security

Security is where many older travelers feel rushed. A few TSA programs make it easier.

Call TSA Cares before the trip

TSA Cares is a free helpline for travelers with disabilities, medical conditions or other special needs. Call 855-787-2227 about 72 hours before the flight. They can answer questions and, when needed, set up help at the checkpoint. At the airport, your parent can also ask any TSA officer for a Passenger Support Specialist.

Easier screening at 75 and older

The TSA's rules for travelers 75 and older say they can keep their shoes on. A light jacket still needs to come off for the body scanner. If they need a pat-down, they can ask to sit. If they cannot stand for screening, TSA will use other methods.

Medicine

Pack all medicine in the carry-on bag, never in a checked bag. Pills have no size limit. Liquid medicine over 3.4 ounces is allowed in reasonable amounts, but your parent must tell the officer about it at the start of screening. Labels are not required, but they make screening faster.

ID

Your parent needs a REAL ID or another accepted ID, like a passport. Older driver's licenses and state IDs may not be REAL ID. Check the card for the star in the corner well before the trip.

Can you walk your parent to the gate?

Often, yes. Many airlines give out a gate pass to a family member who is helping an older or disabled traveler. Here is how it usually works:

• Ask at the airline's check-in counter, not at security.
• Bring your own government-issued photo ID.
• You go through security just like a passenger.
• Rules are different at each airline, so ask ahead of time.
• Gate passes are generally not given for meeting arriving international flights, because of customs rules.

If you are driving with your parent to the airport, book the ride for both of you. The chauffeur can drop you together at departures.

Extra help inside O'Hare

• Elevators everywhere. Every passenger level of the airport can be reached by elevator.
• Sunflower lanyards. O'Hare takes part in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program. A traveler can wear a sunflower lanyard to quietly show staff they may need more time or help. This can help someone with memory loss or someone who cannot stand for long. The lanyards are free at the Airport Information Desks.
• Help for low vision. O'Hare offers free access to Aira, an on-demand visual help service for people who are blind or have low vision.
• Help for hearing loss. Airport Information Desks can connect Deaf and hard of hearing travelers with a live sign language interpreter by video.

Picking up your parents at O'Hare

Arrivals are often harder than departures. Your parents are tired, the bags take time, and the curb is busy. Here is how pickup works with us:

1. We track the flight. The chauffeur is timed to the real landing.
2. The chauffeur waits nearby for free. We include a grace window for getting off the plane and collecting bags.
3. With meet and greet, the chauffeur is at the terminal door with a name sign. If your parent is coming off the plane with wheelchair help from the airline, the chauffeur meets them there.
4. The chauffeur takes the bags and walks your parents to the car.

Bags often take longer than the flight itself. We explain why in How Long From Gate to Baggage Claim at O'Hare?. Our terminal pickup guide shows where pickups happen at each terminal.

Tips for adult children planning the trip

• Make a one-page trip sheet. Flight numbers, times, our phone number, and who is picking them up. Print it and put a copy in their bag.
• Avoid tight connections. Wheelchair help between gates takes time. Pick flights with more time between them.
• Choose an aisle seat near the front if walking is hard.
• Dress for comfort. Easy shoes, a light jacket and few metal items make security faster.
• Charge the phone. And make sure your parent knows how to answer a call from the chauffeur.
• Fly at quieter times when you can. Our O'Hare holiday travel guide lists the busiest and lightest days this season.

The takeaway

Good airport rides for seniors come down to planning. Book wheelchair help with the airline. Call TSA Cares if your parent needs help at security. Then book a ride with meet and greet, so someone is there to carry the bags and walk them to the car. That covers the hardest parts of the trip.

Related reading: O'Hare meet and greet, O'Hare airport pickup, O'Hare drop-off timing, luxury SUVs, and what to do when bad weather hits.

A travel guide from O'Hare Limo Service, the flat-rate ORD car and limo service covering Chicago and the suburbs.