When your parents fly into Mumbai and you are on another continent: someone who meets them by name, pushes the trolley, and tells you when they are home.
I
Met at the gate, not the kerb
For parents flying in alone, the sarathi waits inside arrivals with a board in their name and walks them to the car — the trolley pushed for them, the bags lifted for them.
II
A wheelchair, arranged with the airline
Say so on the reservation and the house asks you to request the airline’s wheelchair to the exit; the sarathi meets the wheelchair at the gate, not a crowd at the railing.
III
You, kept informed wherever you are
From London, Toronto or Dubai: a message when the flight lands, when your parents are met, when they are in the car, and when they are inside their door — with the sarathi’s name and the car’s number.
IV
A gentle car and a gentle hour
A car with a low step and room for a stick or a walker, the cabin warm or cool as they like, water and a stop whenever they wish. Nobody hurried.
What to tell the house
The flightThe number is enough; the house follows it, early or late.
Who is travellingTheir names, how they like to be addressed, a language they are easiest in.
What would helpA wheelchair at the gate, help with steps, a slower walk, a medicine kept cool.
Who to tellYour number, abroad or in India, and anyone else who should know they are home.
Can you pick up my elderly parents from Mumbai airport?
Yes. The sarathi meets them inside arrivals with a board in their name, takes the trolley and the bags, and drives them home in a car with a low step and room for a stick or a walker.
Will I be informed if I am abroad?
Yes. Give your number on the reservation and you receive a message when the flight lands, when they are met, when they are in the car and when they are home.
Can you arrange a wheelchair?
Request the airline’s wheelchair to the exit when you book the flight; tell the house, and the sarathi meets the wheelchair at the gate.