100-Year-Old Woman Mistakenly Identified as Unaccompanied Minor on Flights Due to Glitch with Birth Year, 1923

At 100 years old, Mildred Kirschenbaum still enjoys traveling but has encountered an unusual experience while flying since celebrating her milestone birthday last August.

Due to a glitch in airlines’ computer systems, Mildred, a former travel agency owner and still a registered agent, inadvertently shows up as an “unescorted minor” during check-in. She explains in a video shared on her daughter Gayle's Instagram account, “The code is two digits for the month, day, and year. I was born in 1923. So I put in 23. Soon as I check in, I’m an unescorted minor.”

Despite the inconvenience, Mildred maintains her sense of humor, quipping, “I’m going through my second childhood.” She acknowledges the need for extra time at the airport to sort out the birth year error but refrains from getting overly stressed about it.

The Florida resident shared the video before a trip to New York, where Gayle lives. However, Mildred has flown multiple times since turning 100, including a trip to London in September and a recent visit to New York for an appearance on Sherri, hosted by Sherri Shepherd.

The recurring issue isn’t specific to one airline and wasn’t caused by a booking error. Delta explained that their systems, like others in the industry, only accommodate two-digit birth years, necessitating assistance from a Delta agent during check-in.

Gayle believes the video she posted has raised awareness in the aviation industry, prompting efforts to address the issue. She has received feedback from aviation IT professionals and other relatives of centenarians who’ve encountered similar experiences.

Despite the occasional hiccups, both Mildred and Gayle cherish their love for travel and the adventures it brings. Gayle notes, “When you don't have this fear, you get to enjoy a lot of things in life and have a lot of adventures.”