Old People Travelling To Thailand

[Neeranam]

For my Grandmother's 97th birthday, I want to buy her a ticket to see my/her family in Thailand.

Has anyone experienced people of this age flying?

[Birdman]

For my Grandmother's 97th birthday, I want to buy her a ticket to see my/her family in Thailand.

Has anyone experienced people of this age flying?

will she come alone? to BKK or somewhere else with connecting flights?

Anyway let the airline(s?) organise a wheel chair at all airports for her. The airline staff will take care of her.

If she is healthy, there should be no problems on board and afterwards in Thailand, but better avoid the hot season, if possible.

[bkkjames]

Neer, not sure where she is flying in from but I don't think I would put her in Economy Class if at all.

Couldn't imagine putting my mother on 16 hour flight to Thailand at her age.

[john b good]

For my Grandmother's 97th birthday, I want to buy her a ticket to see my/her family in Thailand.

Has anyone experienced people of this age flying?

I would suggest that you seriously think about the wisdom of your GM flying anywhere at this age.

A better option might be to take your "my/her" family to see her.

[LeungKen]

Peggy Alpine went paragliding for her 100th birthday.

But perhaps your mother would appreciate business class.......

Cheers, and I hope she has pleasant flight.

[Scott]

She should be fine to fly with a little assistance from the airlines. My mother has come over to see me and she's never encountered a problem and she's 90. Get the most direct flight possible. Don't worry too much about the class--unless she's a large lady. My mother is quite petite and thought the food was great and plenty of room. Most older people are quite adaptable to the heat.

Be sure and meet her at the airport, make sure she drinks plenty of water (she may be a little dehydrated from the flight) and a small amount of exercise (walking) to make sure everything is working OK. Carrying bags or pushing carts can be difficult for older folks, so that should be avoided.

Also, make sure she wants to come! It's best not to have her fly if she doesn't really want to.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[ExoticMatter]

For my Grandmother's 97th birthday, I want to buy her a ticket to see my/her family in Thailand.

Has anyone experienced people of this age flying?

will she come alone? to BKK or somewhere else with connecting flights?

Anyway let the airline(s?) organise a wheel chair at all airports for her. The airline staff will take care of her.

If she is healthy, there should be no problems on board and afterwards in Thailand, but better avoid the hot season, if possible.

make sure she stands up and walks about during the flight to help the circulation. I've met old people who like to break the journey (with a cup of tea I'm sure) in the middle for a couple of hours instead of doing the direct long haul thing, also closer to an airport if there was a problem.

[Neeranam]

Thanks for the replies - she'd be coming from Aberdeen then I could pick her up and drive her to Khon Kaen.

We got her a flying lesson on her 80th birthday - a very lively and strong lady(wel not so strong now). The one concern is that she is taking Warfarin, a blood thinner.

Maybe it would kill her. I suppose it better us go to her but a lot more expensive (4 of us).

[davyboy]

Thanks for the replies - she'd be coming from Aberdeen then I could pick her up and drive her to Khon Kaen.

We got her a flying lesson on her 80th birthday - a very lively and strong lady(wel not so strong now). The one concern is that she is taking Warfarin, a blood thinner.

Maybe it would kill her. I suppose it better us go to her but a lot more expensive (4 of us).

I think it would be great for her to visit you, and if you are worried about her health at all, get a family member to visit her doctor for you and ask his/her advice!!

[bkkjames]

Thanks for the replies - she'd be coming from Aberdeen then I could pick her up and drive her to Khon Kaen.

We got her a flying lesson on her 80th birthday - a very lively and strong lady(wel not so strong now). The one concern is that she is taking Warfarin, a blood thinner.

Maybe it would kill her. I suppose it better us go to her but a lot more expensive (4 of us).

I think it would be great for her to visit you, and if you are worried about her health at all, get a family member to visit her doctor for you and ask his/her advice!!

ok, couple of things to consider - at her age, healthcare is a very real concern - do you feel comfortable with this in Khon Kaen? Money comes and goes, you only have one grandmother - I hate long-haul flights, couldnt imagine taking one at her age.

[rideswings]

I am in a similar situation. I am getting married in March in Udon and my mom asked if she could come. She will be 84 next week.

I am concerned about any recommended vaccinations a person might need to have. My friend checked with the Center For Disease Control in Atlanta and came up with a few shots that I never even got before my numerous visits to the LOS.

Here is some good info on being prepared to visit LOS at any age:

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WinterTravel/

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationThailand.aspx

[Youbloodybeauty]

Hi,

Took my Mum when she was near 80. She had gone twice with us many years before this trip.

First up insurance can be more difficult. From memory I think she had to have a report from her doctor listing medical conditions and higher cost.

She recovered from a stroke a few years prior and circulation on a long haul flight is important especially for older people. She wore compression stockings and took asprin and tried to walk around as much as she could. I think these (stocking/asprin/walking) on a long haul flight would be good for any older person.

One other point was she had great difficulty walking over the crappy thai footpaths. Good shoes are important plus a helping hand. She got sick in Bangkok with the flu which knocked for around for a few days too.

Mum had another stroke about 6 months after that trip and a relo said it was probably because we took her to Thailand. A stupid thing to say.

Edit: ooops I see she is taking Warfarin - forget the asprin for her!

I'd suggest first thing is speaking to her doctor about making the trip but if anything happens to her your relo's may blame you.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Youbloodybeauty

[annacleg]

Hey, good luck with this - I'm in the same boat.

I will be bringing two moms here in April. Both ladies over 84, and the one on Warfarin like your grandma. I had the doctor check her out, and they are currently on a strict program to increase her resistance (she'll be coming into the Thailand summer directly from the very cold SA winter).

But our GP recons that she will be fine. I have been trying to get them some travel insurance but no luck so far. If anybody knows about a company who will provide travel insurance for 2 months, (not covering existing medical conditions) please let me know!

[lioness]

Warfarin is not a problem when flying, actually it helps prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis ( economy class syndrome ). However, if she is taking warfarin because she has had bouts of DVT it is advisable to check with her doctor, he may recommend a clexane injection prior to the flight to further help prevent clotting.

It's quite a long trip and economy is not comfortable by anyones standard, at that age she deserves some looking after so a minimum of Business class would make the trip a lot more comfortable for her.

My mother flew from UK to Australia, 19 hours when she was 93 with no problems at all. She asked for and got a wheelchair although she was perfectly capable of managing without, it did ease things for her.

Hope she has a great holiday

[denboy]

Warfarin is not a problem when flying, actually it helps prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis ( economy class syndrome ). However, if she is taking warfarin because she has had bouts of DVT it is advisable to check with her doctor, he may recommend a clexane injection prior to the flight to further help prevent clotting.

It's quite a long trip and economy is not comfortable by anyones standard, at that age she deserves some looking after so a minimum of Business class would make the trip a lot more comfortable for her.

My mother flew from UK to Australia, 19 hours when she was 93 with no problems at all. She asked for and got a wheelchair although she was perfectly capable of managing without, it did ease things for her.

Hope she has a great holiday

If you are concerned about the flying time. Emitates fly to Bangkok from Newcastle via Dubia.

it is only a short road trip to Newcastle from Aberdeen. It's about 8 hours to Dubia then you have a 2 or 3 hour break before the next leg to Bangkok, you can even arrange an overnight stopover to break the journey.

I'm nowhere near as old as your grandmother but I'm creeping up and thinking that may be my future wy to travel on the occaisional UK trip.

I have had reports that it is a comfortable journey.

Good luck and hope it pans out for you and all meet up safely.

[noahvail]

If you are concerned about the flying time. Emitates fly to Bangkok from Newcastle via Dubia.

it is only a short road trip to Newcastle from Aberdeen. It's about 8 hours to Dubia then you have a 2 or 3 hour break before the next leg to Bangkok, you can even arrange an overnight stopover to break the journey.

I'm nowhere near as old as your grandmother but I'm creeping up and thinking that may be my future wy to travel on the occaisional UK trip.

I have had reports that it is a comfortable journey.

Good luck and hope it pans out for you and all meet up safely.

Oh, duh! Until this post, I thought she meant Aberdeen, KANSAS!

In any case, something that hasn't been mentioned (I think): how about another family member flying out with her? Other than instant companionship, a catch-up with some family, and a person to do the walkies around the aircraft with, another family member can trolley her bags at a stop-over airport, assist with any kind of confusion, find the airport toilet in a hurry, and so on... While I've found most airline's personnel to be very caring of their older guests, there's nothing quite like family to make the trip go faster and smoother.

[tasasc]

If you are concerned about the flying time. Emitates fly to Bangkok from Newcastle via Dubia.

it is only a short road trip to Newcastle from Aberdeen. It's about 8 hours to Dubia then you have a 2 or 3 hour break before the next leg to Bangkok, you can even arrange an overnight stopover to break the journey.

I'm nowhere near as old as your grandmother but I'm creeping up and thinking that may be my future wy to travel on the occaisional UK trip.

I have had reports that it is a comfortable journey.

Good luck and hope it pans out for you and all meet up safely.

It's even easier from Glasgow. The stop at Dubai breaks the trip up nicely. I would check on the stopover time for the return journey, though - it might be a bit rushed for an elderly person.

Hope she has a lot of fun!

[Youbloodybeauty]

Good idea to break the trip with a stopover for a night.

[BillyBobThai]

Maybe a trip on a freighter would be more her speed. I think that many ships that go from England to Thailand, also carry a few passengers.

[473geo]

On her own, I think a stop over would just be more things to worry about....the idea of a friend or relative will ease any tension and fretting that can occur in elderly people travelling alone. You may be surprised that one of her friends/relatives might like to accompany her if invited...if possible a really good idea.

[geriatrickid]

If the old girl is up for it, why not? People have a tendancy to think old folks are frail but alot of these people are robust and a trip does them alot of good. All depends on granny's physical health. She'll probably need a medical certificate to fly anyway, so that's your excuse to get her to see the doctor and get certified for travel. (Airlines have the right to refuse transit to anyone deemed to be in poor health.)

If she's excited about a trip, then she's got something to plan and live for, plus when she gets back, she'll probably be the happiest gal in the world, and no doubt the envy of her friends. I think its fantastic that you'd bring her over.

If you are worried, pay the fee and the airline will provide an escort to and from the flights and during connections. It's done for unaccompanied minors and can be done for special needs PAX. The benefit is that if there is a flight delay, she'll get immediate help.

[Birdman]

If the old girl is up for it, why not? People have a tendancy to think old folks are frail but alot of these people are robust and a trip does them alot of good. All depends on granny's physical health. She'll probably need a medical certificate to fly anyway, so that's your excuse to get her to see the doctor and get certified for travel. (Airlines have the right to refuse transit to anyone deemed to be in poor health.)

If she's excited about a trip, then she's got something to plan and live for, plus when she gets back, she'll probably be the happiest gal in the world, and no doubt the envy of her friends. I think its fantastic that you'd bring her over.

If you are worried, pay the fee and the airline will provide an escort to and from the flights and during connections. It's done for unaccompanied minors and can be done for special needs PAX. The benefit is that if there is a flight delay, she'll get immediate help.

don't need medical certificate

no fee for escort service

and btw: no stop over, take the quickest route, it's long enough

just inform the airline about her age and order that wheelchair at both airports

beware of the huge temperature difference that could stress her