Help with a non-stop flight problem

Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
atlanta, etc).

But she can't do the connections on her own, such as finding the terminal,
walking to it, etc especially if she misses a flight and has to deal with
logistics of hotel and all - all related to age and health issues.

I could always take her myself but that's very difficult and impractical to
do always.
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

Thanks!
-Avien

"Avian" wrote in message
t...
Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
atlanta, etc).

But she can't do the connections on her own, such as finding the terminal,
walking to it, etc especially if she misses a flight and has to deal with
logistics of hotel and all - all related to age and health issues.

I could always take her myself but that's very difficult and impractical
to
do always.
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

Thanks!
-Avien



Sorry Avien, I can't even find a direct flight from any NY area airport to
Mobile. At least that way she could stay on the same airplane, but I can't
find one.

Dave




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Avian wrote:

Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
atlanta, etc).

But she can't do the connections on her own, such as finding the terminal,
walking to it, etc especially if she misses a flight and has to deal with
logistics of hotel and all - all related to age and health issues.

I could always take her myself but that's very difficult and impractical to
do always.
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

http://timetables.oag.com/mob/
I checked March 31, since you didn't mention dates
Looks like DL has a onestop from EWR.


I also found a return on April 2 with a one stop.

So, it looks like on some days, Delta has direct flights with one stop.

Just make sure she doesn't get off at the stop

"Avian" wrote in message
t...
Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
atlanta, etc).

But she can't do the connections on her own, such as finding the terminal,
walking to it, etc especially if she misses a flight and has to deal with
logistics of hotel and all - all related to age and health issues.

I could always take her myself but that's very difficult and impractical
to
do always.
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

If you have to use a hub, I would use one of the smaller, easier hubs.
Memphis would be a good choice if you're looking for a smaller hub airport.
Atlanta, OTOH, is extremely large (ok, busiest airport in the world based on
passenger's I believe).

You could request assistance from the airline, but to be honest with you, I
don't know how reliable the assistance will be. Your best bet would be to
accompany her yourself or have another family member accompany her. Even
if a "direct" flight existed (i.e. one stop, no change of planes) as another
poster suggested, I wouldn't count on it being direct -- all too often I see
"direct" flights which involve an unpublished change of aircraft. As an
example, Northwest likes to swap their DC-9's around and a direct flight
from SDF-IAD via DTW may continue onto IAD on some days, while other days it
involves a gate change/aircraft change. NWA is infamous for this.

My last NWA domestic trip was to LAS. My first flight from SDF-MEM actually
continued onto MKE, but an announcement was made upon landing if continuing
onto MKE there was an equipment change. I personally was changing flights
to pick up a plane to MSP. Ironically that flight, a 757-200 equipment, was
scheduled to goto MKE as well after arrival at MSP. Instead, an
announcement was made if going onto MKE a gate change was necessary.
Myself, I was connecting onto LAS once at MSP. Ironically, the aircraft I
had just gotten off of was the one going onto LAS with a new flight #.

Moral of the story, even if you did find a "direct" flight with 1 stop but
no change of aircraft, there is no guarantee the same aircraft will continue
the entire way. I flew United last week and encountered similar equipment
swaps on flights labeled to be "direct" .. as such, it doesn't seem to
matter what carrier one is one.

As far as hubs for that routing, the easiest/smallest would be MEM. I'm not
sure if CO operates to Mobile via CLE, but CLE is on the small side as well.

One last thought, does US Airways operate a non-stop from PHL by chance? An
option to explore, but I'm not sure if they do that route or not..

Best,

Steve

P.S. Have you thought of flying half the journey with her? Perhaps get a
ticket to fly EWR-MEM-Mobile .. fly the EWR-MEM segment with her; see her
off on the flight to Mobile, make sure it takes off and someone is meeting
her, and then get back on a plane to EWR... (just using MEM as an example,
but use whatever hub is cheapest/easiest for you).

But she can't do the connections on her own...

Ask for, and if necessary pay for, a wheelchair assist. She may not
have problems with her legs, but she still may "need" a wheelchair assist to
get her from one airplane to the other. If you convince HER that she will
need to wait for the wheelchair to get from one place to another, and you
arrange with the AIRLINE to arrange a wheelchair assist, then things might
work out.

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 01:26:03 GMT, "Avian"
wrote:

Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

Thanks!
-Avien


Can someone get her in New Orleans? It's about 2 hours from Mobile by
car...

In article
,
Hilary wrote:


Book wheelchair assistance for her. I've done this for many passengers
(whether it's due to age, arthritis or other problems) and it's always
been there for them. Make sure the request has come back confirmed from
the airline.

Almost too many horror stories about this.

mtravelkay wrote:


http://timetables.oag.com/mob/
I checked March 31, since you didn't mention dates
Looks like DL has a onestop from EWR.


I also found a return on April 2 with a one stop.

So, it looks like on some days, Delta has direct flights with one stop.

Just make sure she doesn't get off at the stop

Airlines have been known to have equipment changes that involve
different gates even when it's supposed to be direct.

Many many thanks for ideas that I didn't even know were possible!

It sounds like going with her (at least to the connecting airport) is the
most reliable way or to do the wheelchair option (which she herself may veto
down!).

I'm sure others have had this situation - esp flying to a smaller town like
Mobile. I believe there is an initiative underway to make flying to smaller
towns directly an easier and more common task (by taking advantage of small,
local airports like Teterboro).

-Avien


"Avian" wrote in message
t...
Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
Problem is every flight that I've found connects somewhere (memphis,
atlanta, etc).

But she can't do the connections on her own, such as finding the terminal,
walking to it, etc especially if she misses a flight and has to deal with
logistics of hotel and all - all related to age and health issues.

I could always take her myself but that's very difficult and impractical
to
do always.
Does anyone know of any other airports or ways of dealing with this,
preferably to get a non-stop flight to anywhere around Mobile?

Thanks!
-Avien

"Avian" wrote in message et...
Hi folks,

My mom needs to travel from the NYC area (EWR is best) to Mobile, Alabama.
. . .
But she can't do the connections on her own, such as . . . all related
to age and health issues.

the logistics of helping her on the journey are emense. you'd have to
arrange to take her all of the way to the gate and someone meeting her
would have to arrange to meet the flight at the gate. this would have
to be cleared with the airlines and TSA in advance. maybe even have
to get doctor's statements.

even if the trip was non-stop there could be problems if it was
diverted due to weather or mechanical difficulties. wheelchair
assists may or may not work. the attendents might not show up and
might just drop her at the gate. she might possibly wander away after
being deposited at the gate.

and, consider that there have been several cases lately when airlines
have lost elderly passengers they were supposed to be looking after.
one woman was found downtown wandering around at her destination city.
nobody was injured fortunately, but you do not want this to happen.

sorry, but the only safe option seems to be to go with her.