My 79 year old mother and I are traveling to NY and DC. On the way back we would like a layover in Illinois to visit some relatives for just an hour or so at the airport. Do you know how we can arrange for a lay over on purpose?

Thanks

You did not mention where you are flying from but assuming that you are flying from the west coast, Chicago is a fairly common connection point for American Airlines and most major domestic carriers and therefore would work, since you needed it to be in Illinois. There probably will not be any other cities in Illinois that would be a connection city for east coast destinations.

If you are coming from east of Chicago, I don't think it is possible to connect through Illinois. Some flights out of the southern U.S. might connect through Chicago, you would need to look - search for flights with at least one layover.

Keep in mind that to visit with non-travelers during a layover, you will need to exit from the secured areas and then reenter the secured area (non-passengers cannot enter secured areas). So if you wanted to visit for an hour, you should be sure to give yourself at least 3 hours of layover time to have adequate time to get back through security.

Traveling with your 79 year old mother means that you should be sure to let the airline know that you will require assistance while at the airport. Having someone bring a cart and drive her out to the public areas will save her energy for enjoying her time with her relatives. You should also request airport assistance through every airport you travel through with her. Some terminals can be very long walks and travel is tiring enough as it is.

Thanks that seems very helpful .