US Airline Mistakenly Registers 101-Year-Old as Baby Passenger

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A whimsical yet inconvenient mishap occurred during a recent flight from Chicago to Marquette, Michigan, when a 101-year-old woman, Ms. Patricia, found herself mistakenly identified as a baby in American Airlines' booking system. Born in 1922, Ms. Patricia's birth year was erroneously recorded as 2022, triggering a series of amusing misunderstandings throughout her journey.

Recalling the incident with amusement, Ms. Patricia remarked to BBC, "It was funny that they thought I was only a little child and I'm an old lady." However, the error proved to be more than just a source of laughter as it caused practical inconveniences, such as airport staff expecting a baby to be carried and failing to arrange transportation for Ms. Patricia inside the terminal.

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The mix-up stemmed from a glitch in the airline's computer system, which misinterpreted Ms. Patricia's birth year when her daughter, Kris, made the online reservation for her ticket. Despite booking an adult ticket, the system defaulted to a birth year a century later due to its inability to process dates so far back.

This incident echoed a similar occurrence from the previous year, highlighting an ongoing issue with the airline's booking system. Although Ms. Patricia and the cabin crew shared a chuckle over the misunderstanding, she expressed hope for a prompt resolution to the recurring glitch. Traveling with her daughter, Kris, Ms. Patricia voiced her desire for smoother journeys in the future, particularly to alleviate the burden on her daughter, who had to lug their luggage across a considerable distance between airport gates.

This isn't the first time Ms. Patricia has encountered difficulties while traveling. On a previous trip, she found herself stranded inside the plane after everyone else had disembarked because the flight crew was unaware of her need for a wheelchair. Despite these challenges, Ms. Patricia, a retired nurse, remains determined to continue her annual trips to visit family and escape harsh winters, underscoring her resilience and indomitable spirit.