Patricia, a former nurse who was born in 1922, has been booking flights through her daughter for the past three years due to challenges with walking and seeing as she ages. Despite her daughter inputting her correct year of birth, the airline’s computers consistently interpret it as 2022, resulting in Patricia being registered as a two-year-old toddler in the flight records. This error has led to some inconvenient situations, such as airport staff expecting a child instead of an elderly passenger.
On a recent flight between Chicago and Michigan, the mix-up occurred again, causing confusion for both Patricia and her daughter Kris. In previous flights, Patricia has had to wait for a wheelchair and experienced delays due to the incorrect birth year in the system. Despite these issues, the American Airlines crew has always been courteous and accommodating, although the company has not responded to inquiries about the matter.
The ongoing glitch with Patricia’s age in the airline’s system is caused by the computer’s struggle to process a birth year so far in the past. Despite this discrepancy, Patricia remains determined to continue traveling and exploring new places annually to visit her family and escape the cold winters of Chicago. Regardless of the age misinterpretation in the system, she appreciates the professionalism of the flight crew and continues to fly with American Airlines.