Her son quickly checked with the budget airline and Changi Airport to arrange for a wheel chair so she does not need to walk too much. He also checked and made sure there is a wheelchair ready at Suvarnabhumi Airport when they arrive.
The same arrangement was made for the return flight.
On the day of departure, they queued and checked in their luggage at the counter.
When he asked about the wheelchair, he was told to approach another counter on the opposite side. He did as instructed and was told by a staff that he needs to come back one hour later to get the wheelchair.
As they planned to have their breakfast inside the transit area, they decided not to wait for the wheelchair.
While clearing the custom, his mom had some problem with her finger print and was made to walk by herself to a corner counter even though it's obvious she had difficulty walking. Luckily her sister was with her.
Inside the transit area, the son remembered that the airport also provides free wheelchair as he checked earlier.
He went to the counter and told the staff.
The staff pointed to a row of wheelchairs and told him to get it himself. She then turned back and continued talking to her colleague. So off he went to get the wheelchair and helped his mom get on it.
When they reached the gate and passed through the security check at the waiting area, a staff suddenly appeared with a wheelchair. The staff asked the elderly lady to sit on the wheelchair and then pushed her into the plane.
The son wondered why they did not give him a wheelchair at the check in counter as the distance from the check in counter to the gate is way farther than from the gate to the plane. Imagine how far his mom had to walk if the airport does not have free wheelchair.
Upon arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, there was another passenger, apart from his mom, who required wheelchair assistance. There were two wheelchairs at the gate but somehow his mom was made to wait for another wheelchair, which fortunately arrived shortly.
The staff pushed the elderly lady all the way to clear custom through an express lane. He then pushed her all the way out of the arrival hall and to the taxi stand three levels down.
On the return flight, they queued and checked in their luggages at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
When the staff saw wheelchair assistance on the flight itinerary, they quickly brought a wheelchair to her.
Instead of having to go up the escalator for security check and then down again for custom clearance, the staff pushed her through a door directly to clear custom, then pushed her all the way to the waiting area at the gate.
Changi Airport may have won many awards as Best Airport in the world.
But where is the human touch?