A centenarian, aged 101, found herself in a rather amusing predicament when a glitch in American Airlines’ booking system mistakenly identified her as a baby. Ms. Patricia, who opts not to disclose her surname, was born in 1922. However, the airline’s system erroneously recorded her birth year as 2022, leading to a humorous mix-up during a recent flight between Chicago and Marquette, Michigan.
Reflecting on the incident, Ms. Patricia humorously remarked to the BBC, “It was funny that they thought I was only a little child and I’m an old lady.” The glitch resulted in some inconvenience, such as airport staff anticipating a baby to be accompanied and the unavailability of transport for Ms. Patricia within the terminal.
Ms. Patricia’s daughter had made the reservation online for her ticket, but a glitch in the airport’s computer system caused her birth year to be misinterpreted as 2022 instead of 1922. This resulted in Ms. Patricia being mistaken for a child during the check-in process, echoing a similar incident from the previous year. Despite booking an adult ticket, the airport’s computer defaulted to a birth year a century later due to its inability to process dates so far back.
Despite the mix-up, Ms. Patricia and the cabin crew shared a lighthearted moment over the misunderstanding. However, she expressed her hope that the airline resolves the issue promptly. Traveling with her daughter, Kris, Ms. Patricia looks forward to smoother journeys in the future. “I would like them to fix the computer as my poor daughter had to carry all our luggage and apparel almost a mile from one gate to the other,” she remarked.
This incident was not the first time Ms. Patricia encountered challenges during her travels. On a separate occasion, she found herself waiting inside the plane after everyone else had disembarked because the flight crew was unaware of her need for a wheelchair. A retired nurse, Ms. Patricia flies annually to visit family and escape harsh winters, as reported by the BBC.
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