Anyone else finding travel harder the older you get?

[menopausalminnie1]

Just back from a long haul trip. Had a wonderful time, but really struggled with some aspects of the trip. For context, I'm 55, menopausal, and I ache A LOT.

We had to go from Heathrow, which is HUGE. I found the sheer amount of walking required to be quite difficult, as my back kills me, and I was lugging a heavy suitcase and a backpack. Don't get me wrong, I did manage it, but it felt exhausting.

We also struggled a bit with the self check in pods and trying to figure out where on earth to drop our bags after that. Nothing seemed to be well signposted or obvious.

On a day to day basis, I feel quite young, but on this trip I felt a bit concerned about whether we were going to manage long haul travel 10 years from now, which is a worry, as we plan to travel a lot in retirement.

Anyone else?

@Lisanoonan

For info one of the things several things checking/electronicaly scanning cards at the jetty head (the gate) does is allow the ground staff to ensure you are “in the system”, electronically, in terms of load control and manifest…so AFAIK that’ll continue for the foreseeable future.

The visual checking of Passport/ID and Boarding card that sometimes gets done by the crew at the door is indeed in some ways redundant, it’s something that has been dropped at many airlines but not all of them.

It's probably to give people who work in the airport, something to do

Ah..the employers are even getting round that.

At some airports and some terminals now there are self service gates…(swipe ID/passport to go down the jetty) … so just maybe just one gate supervisor with a watching role….even fewer jobs at the airport even though the checks continue.

That sounds very difficult for you.

@Lisanoonan
I'm not sure whether you had a particularly bad experience there. Perhaps I've been lucky with my UK airport experiences, and I guess being able to travel outside of school holidays helps. Was Alicante affected by the recent flooding?

I think it's true in that certain things are a lot easier now than eg 10, 15 years ago when all check-ins were done at the desk which didn't open until 2 hours before your flight, so there was always a long queue when you arrived. The main problems at security always seem to be around people who haven't bothered checking what the latest advice is.

I find that a printed boarding pass inside my passport, in my inside pocket, body bag or just holding it, makes it unproblematic to have at hand for presenting.

@ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea

I'm not sure whether you had a particularly bad experience there. Perhaps I've been lucky with my UK airport experiences,

Sounds like it, it’s certainly possible there might be an airport specific element to this…I know Manchester has had a pretty average reputation for quite some time when it comes to the customer experience, especially security..

I don’t know what goes on at Alicante but it’s usually smooth sailing through my usual regional airport in Europe..

As far as Heathrow goes last time I went through there outbound a week or two back, I needed my boarding pass just twice, once at conformance (just prior to security) and then again at the gate along with my passport for the standard check …that was it.

Hi.

No, Alicante wasn't affected by flooding.

Personally I love airports- it's just the thoughts of going away !! But as I said earlier I'm strict on times of flights , fast track security , extra legroom seats and ideally lounges - we just chuck cash at it

I have degenerative disc disease that ten years ago (when I was 50) I really struggled with and walking any further than half a mile was very painful. I’ve had various treatments which have helped enormously and just over 2 years ago, I was able to start walking on a daily basis, upping my distance from half a mile to now up to and sometimes just over five miles a day.
When I was having problems with walking, I hated travelling and airports as it was so painful and difficult but now I find it much easier, would something like starting gentle walking help OP?
There’s been lots of other suggestions, some of which I already do and I find they really help, pre-planning wherever possible is also key and if affordable, finding other options to help with things like luggage weight and what you physically carry as your cabin luggage.

You can pay more for fast track security, but they'll still treat you the same as everyone else when you go through you security. So it doesn't speed you up that much.

I paid for fast track security last time. I put my carry on suitcase on the belt.

It could pulled aside for inspection. He took about twenty minutes to come over to my case. Then he told me that three 50p coins i my case had set the machine off.

Then instead of him saying "OK it's just money you can go on. "

He said " we need to take the money out if the case and put them in a tray, and also put your suitcase though again."

He carried my suitcase back to the start ot the line, and put it through again. There wee loads of baggage ahead of my suitcase at that time, so waiting for it took another 25 minutes.

Altogether, it delayed me about one hour!

Interestingly I had excellent experiences at Paris CDG and Alicante. The two worst airports I personally experienced were Luton and Geneva!

On departure I've only had to show my passport once, at the departure gate to the airline staff. I do need to scan my boarding card to get airside. But that's it. I suppose if you don't check in online you'd need it then also, but I always do anyway and use bag and tag if checking in luggage.

On arrival in Europe (I have EU passport, not sure if it's much different for others), I present my passport at the control, that's either face to face or electronically.

Where are you all getting the numerous times you have to "show your papers" ? 😊

@Lisanoonan I know some security operatives can appear to be extra thorough and it would drive you mad sometimes. But I feel for them, it's a boring frustrating job. Also, we must remember that there are Aviation Authority Security audits at the security belt every so often, and the airport authority can get in big trouble if they let people through with items that "ping". So that's probably why they are so particular. Big Brother is watching them!

And I'd rather have a grumpy security official who is thorough, than a breezy one who lets dangerous items onboard.

@Lisanoonan that's how it works- it's irritating I know but personally I'm more bothered about tight security than officials being thorough - I fly 5 or 6 times a year and I just accept it's a process.

Personally I don't care if I have to show my boarding card/ passport 10 times before boarding- it's not like they are asking you to clean the loos or stopping you doing something else - and of course us Brits are now disadvantaged at the other end due to Brexit - although the process is more labour some at some airports - whereas others it's quite straight forward. The new thing due in January will make it more of a pain though the first time - please remember it's not just there to piss off Brits- it's for anyone not in EU/EEA - it will be a similar process to going to the states

It's not the showing of the passport that i mind

. It's the endless queue, each time you have to show your passport.

so I have to show my passport at security, i get through the very long queue for that.

Then at the airplane gate there is another passport control stop, and again we have to queue for ages for that. I don't like it.

I really can't bear airports anymore. I'm in Spain now. I've decided to get the train to france, spend a few days there , then get the train back to the UK.

I'm not doing airports anymore

Re HRT, the advice I've been given is that it's better to avoid it if you can, due to increased cancer risks. I don't know if I'm being fobbed off? My sister and SIL are both on it, and say they couldn't be without it.

I am about 2 stone overweight - that might be a part of the back pain problem. I started taking collagen for joint pain, which seemed to work for a while, but not so much lately (maybe my body got used to it).

As a PP said, it's the number of people at the airport as well, and for some reason almost everyone is marching, not just walking. I think DH gets caught up in the rush, and I have to say let's just slow down a bit!

I love travel, and I won't let this stop me, but I am admitting that I found this trip physically hard. The return journey was a 9 hour flight, with only 20 minutes to change to a different plane (had to run), and then a 14.5 hour flight, then change to another plane at Heathrow for a 3rd flight back to our regional airport, then a bus to the park and ride, then a short drive home after that. I was knackered. Will I do it again - absolutely. Did I find it tiring - absolutely.

@Havalona

And I'd rather have a grumpy security official who is thorough, than a breezy one who lets dangerous items onboard.

How about a thorough official who isn't on a grumpy power crazed trip??

It doesn't have to be one or the other. They is ALWAYS a middle ground of actually acting like a human being rather than a grumpy ape AND being thorough!

Definitely being fobbed off. The cancer risk was based on a dodgy study. There is a slightly increased risk of some cancers, but it’s tiny - less than obesity, or drinking alcohol, both of which my HrT has improved by allowing me to be more active and less pissed off. On t(e other hand, it’s protective against osteoporosis and it looks like against dementia too according to recent studies.
Menopause is a hormone deficiency condition. We treat all the others with hormones to reduce/remove the deficiency.

The reality is that air travel has been made "too cheap" so the masses can afford it. That's why there are more seats/rows in planes that have reduced leg room. Why there are always queues at every stage within the airport. Even queues for shops and refreshments. It's just become a "pile em high and sell it cheap" commodity. Completely ruined the experience. It's why I've completely lost interest. Holidays and travel were our life back in the 80s - but now we really can't be bothered anymore. Maybe it's because our "local" airport is that hell-hole called Manchester which is one of the worst we've suffered. Even in really low amenity airports like Gambia, at least the staff are friendly and helpful even if they have no luxury facilities.

It may not be the menopause. It may be the weight that is causing aches and pains. I know I sound v holier than thou but I have been there. I developed back aches in the pandemic due to being a bit overweight. Gone now after I lost a stone and walk everywhere.

All my 50 something friends who are achy are also overweight, but they think it's the menopause. I think it's the weight.

There's also a difference between actually walking and standing in a queue. I can literally walk for miles, and often do. I can do a 10 mile country walk with just a couple of short sit down refreshment breaks and not feel it at all.

Yet, stood in queue slow shuffles, I get all kinds of neck, back and leg aches and pains and general discomfort.

Unfortunately, in an airport, you're a captive audience so are just stuck in one queue after another, so I think that's more of the problem than the distances walked.

Yes, I agree queues are harder than walking.

Yup hate queues!

Nothing worse than ryanair - when after standing in three queues already. You scan your boarding pass at the gate, and ryanair make you stand in another queue on the stairs.

They leave people packed tightly on the stairs.

Are there many queues at the eurostar train?

I haven't taken it yet.

@menopausalminnie1 You need to plan your flights more efficiently and effectively. 20 mins between flights is silly. Just impossible really. We always allow 2-3 hours for possible delays.

There certainly seem to be large queues at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras.