Patricia, a 99-year-old woman, has been flying with her daughter for three years now due to her age-related walking and seeing problems. Each time her daughter books a flight for her, the airline’s computers mistakenly interpret her birth year as 2022 instead of 1922. This results in Patricia being registered as a two-year-old toddler in the flight records.
On one occasion, airport staff even expected a baby to be carried in their hands instead of providing the necessary assistance for Patricia. Despite this ongoing issue, Patricia continues to fly every year to visit her family and escape the winter in Chicago.
The most recent incident was reported by the BBC news network when Patricia was flying between Chicago and Michigan with her daughter. Despite her daughter entering the correct birth year of 1922, the airport’s computer system still recorded it as 2022. This has led to confusion and inconvenience for Patricia and her daughter during their travels. The ground crew once failed to arrange a wheelchair for Patricia, causing her daughter to carry all their luggage over a long distance.
Despite these mishaps, Patricia remains determined to continue flying and visiting her loved ones with the help of her daughter. She praised the American Airlines flight crew for their courteous and helpful attitude, despite the ongoing confusion caused by the computer system glitch. The airline company itself did not provide a response to the BBC about the situation.
In conclusion, Patricia’s experience highlights the challenges faced by elderly passengers when technology fails to accommodate their needs. Despite these errors, she remains determined to continue flying and visiting her loved ones with the help of her daughter.
