My elderly parents and I are traveling overseas soon. Does anyone know if I can go through the TSA "fast track line" with them? Also, I am worried that when we arrive in the other country, they will have to stand in the long customs line. Can I get assistance for them overseas?
Thank you JoAnn.
As an aside, I once was flying back to Baltimore from my mother's home near Manchester, NH when I suddenly became ill at the Manchester airport. I immediately spoke up to the agent and was able to board ahead of time and was attended to by flight attendants as a medical emergency.
She got a lot of special treatment at airports, cruises, hotels, limos, etc. just for traveling at 97 years old. She did not have TSA pre check or global entry…just ordinary documents.
elderly (age profile) are often slotted for tsa pre over regular line even without paying for official tsa.
another piece of advice: deep breaths and know you are not in control of everything that happens. Bring a change of clothes, depends as if traveling with a youngster.
good luck.
If you plan to travel often with them, check with their credit card company. Many will reimburse most or all of the cost of Global Entry, which includes TSA Pre-check for domestic air travel. Good luck and be safe.
https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/advice-for-travellers-with-special-needs-to-and-from-the-usa
I expect every airline has protocols. So might be worth a call to the airline. Maybe they have assistance to facilitate customs lines.
Btw, the elders might want to travel with compression socks.
While Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck benefits, TSA PreCheck does not include Global Entry, so anyone that travels internationally regularly will need to apply for Global Entry separately. There is also no option to simply upgrade a TSA PreCheck membership to include Global Entry — you must pay the full application fee if you want to switch.
Is getting Global Entry worth it?
Global Entry can definitely be worth it as it saves you a lot of time and hassle when returning from an international trip. The cost is just $22 more than TSA PreCheck and it includes all PreCheck benefits as well. Plus, there are many travel credit cards that offer Global Entry application fee credits."
tsa.gov
Seems the TSA precheck is only for traveling in the US. If ur going oversees then you and your parents will need a Global. If like the US only certain Airlines and Airports except the TSA precheck. The cost of a regular TSA precheck is $78 for 5 years. The Global is $22 more. You apply on-line, get an appt at a center, get finger printed, photo taken and show proof of citizenship or residency which would be a passport or drivers license.
Since ur going overseas, from what I read a regular TSA precheck is not what you will need.
As for international travel, contact the airport where you will land - also those you may make stops at - to inquire about assistance.
Request wheelchair assistance for both of them.
They will be brought to the gate getting through any lines much faster.
AND since they will be in a wheelchair, sometimes a cart like a golf cart is used there will be less risk of a fall pushing through crowds.
Sea-Tac airport, for example, offers a variety of accessibility options. When I took my 89-year-old mom to her flight from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale back in April, I did two things:
- I made a TSA appointment -- basically, you say when you want to go through security and book a time in advance (depending on availability). As a result you can move pretty quickly through the standard line.
- I booked a "Visitor Pass" through the airport itself. I don't know how common these are. But Sea-Tac offers a few dozen passes a day, in advance. You still clear security and everything, but there's no cramped flight on the other side. Just overpriced food. :)
I also looked into getting her a wheelchair by arranging directly with the airline, but with the visitor pass and the TSA appointment (and plenty of time to get to our gate) in the end I didn't need one.
I'd check with your airline, and your airports, and the TSA for their accessibility / assistance options. I was pleasantly surprised. Best of luck to all of you and bon voyage!
Where are you going overseas?
How long will you be there?
What kind of assistance do you need specifically?
Are you or your parents native to that destination? Do any of you speak the language?
There is no short-cut lines for customs that I'm aware of.
If either of your parents have cognitive or incontinence issues, air travel on long flights can be very very challenging.
I tried to do the Delta Clear pass for my 94-yr old Mom... her fingerprints were so work out that they wouldn't scan. Her posture is so stooped and her eyes so cloudy that the retina reader didn't work on her. Every time we have to go through this only to be walked to the front of the line. This program isn't in every airport and if you're TSA approved, is barely better. I think with Clear you don't have to take off your shoes. I'm TSA approved and my Mom not. We go through the TSA line anyway and she still has to go through the scanner -- even if we pull up with a wheelchair! Even her wheelchair pusher has to go through the scanner! And sometimes they even pull her aside to search her.
Getting parents pre-TSA approved is probably the best strategy and value.
As to what things are in other countries that's anyone's guess I would think, but best the guess of someone who actually resides in the country you will be going to.