Does anyone know if I can go through the TSA "fast track line" with my elderly parents?

No, only if they go through the Pre-TSA program (and it costs $85 for 5 years, I think), in the US.

I tried to do the Delta Clear pass for my 94-yr old Mom... her fingerprints were so work out that they wouldn't scan. Her posture is so stooped and her eyes so cloudy that the retina reader didn't work on her. Every time we have to go through this only to be walked to the front of the line. This program isn't in every airport and if you're TSA approved, is barely better. I think with Clear you don't have to take off your shoes. I'm TSA approved and my Mom not. We go through the TSA line anyway and she still has to go through the scanner -- even if we pull up with a wheelchair! Even her wheelchair pusher has to go through the scanner! And sometimes they even pull her aside to search her.

Getting parents pre-TSA approved is probably the best strategy and value.

Check my husband who has vascular dementia to Florida to visit our son. It went OK because we boarded early. The only thing that happened was when we went through the security check. My husband grabbed someone else’s luggage and started walking away with it. Since he has dementia they let him go through a different area. I will say I will never take them again..very stressful. Sorry to say, but it’s like taking a four-year-old on a plane.

By elderly how old do you mean? Your profile says a person u care for is 61. Why are you taking 2 elderly people overseas? I traveled thru Canada last year and to get back into the states I had to go thru security and thru customs. It was 4th of July weekend and planes were being canceled and some people had to stay over. Seems that not that many of us were going to the US, most were headed overseas. It will be a long time before I fly again. And I am 74.

I am not sure it is a good idea to let elderlies travel such long distances. Several years ago we were on a flight from Germany to the U.S. We traveled first class. Halfway across the ocean, an elderly man across the aisle from us died. The passengers in front of him had to give up their seats so the seats could be reclined in order to hold the body. Drapes were then hung.

You also asked, "Can I get assistance for them overseas?"

Where are you going overseas?

How long will you be there?

What kind of assistance do you need specifically?

Are you or your parents native to that destination? Do any of you speak the language?

There is no short-cut lines for customs that I'm aware of.

If either of your parents have cognitive or incontinence issues, air travel on long flights can be very very challenging.

As others have said, without knowing more details the answer is "it depends" -- largely on whether or not all of you already have a precheck/CLEAR set up. But some airports offer other, really useful programs that can make things go smoothly.

Sea-Tac airport, for example, offers a variety of accessibility options. When I took my 89-year-old mom to her flight from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale back in April, I did two things:
- I made a TSA appointment -- basically, you say when you want to go through security and book a time in advance (depending on availability). As a result you can move pretty quickly through the standard line.
- I booked a "Visitor Pass" through the airport itself. I don't know how common these are. But Sea-Tac offers a few dozen passes a day, in advance. You still clear security and everything, but there's no cramped flight on the other side. Just overpriced food. :)
I also looked into getting her a wheelchair by arranging directly with the airline, but with the visitor pass and the TSA appointment (and plenty of time to get to our gate) in the end I didn't need one.

I'd check with your airline, and your airports, and the TSA for their accessibility / assistance options. I was pleasantly surprised. Best of luck to all of you and bon voyage!

The TSA fast-track lane is only for travelers that have completed the application and have their TSA pre-check on their boarding pass. They will not let you bring others with you.

I found airport concierge service very helpful for taking my parents with me overseas to Italy for the summer. My mom is totally mobile and fine but my dad had stage 4 gastric cancer and walking was too much. Airport concierge just took everyone straight through a special queue with no waiting and in a wheelchair without having to get out. And it’s just a one time thing per airport so you don’t have to pay for tsa. It’s a bit pricier but it made life SO much easier. I paid for it at Newark Intl and then again in Rome.

I don't know what country you are talking about, but most modern airports have assistance of some sort for elderly and disabled, even if it's just borrowing or renting a wheelchair. Seems like that could be a solution, if waiting in line is your only concern.

I recommend you coordinate wheelchair assistance for both of them stateside and then thru the airlines overseas. If they are in wheelchairs, you will be directed to a separate screening line with TSA.

If you plan to travel often with them, check with their credit card company. Many will reimburse most or all of the cost of Global Entry, which includes TSA Pre-check for domestic air travel. Good luck and be safe.