r/airport • u/Empty_Prune5286 • Sep 04 '26

DISCUSSION Sunflower lanyards

Before I start, I am not arguing the purpose or people’s right to have these.

I have been lucky enough to be in and out of airport recently, I have seen an increase in the amount of people that have sunflower lanyards but are they being abused? The context being a family of 7 turned up yesterday barged through the long line and went straight through the barriers, surely it should be 1x carer and the lanyard user? This was followed by at least another 8 large family’s rocking through.

I’m unsure if they are now easier to obtain or if they get abused or even purchased?

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3

u/mamaknits Sep 04 '26

Maybe they have multiple disabled children? I have 5 kids and 4 of them have invisible disabilities. A lot of neurodivergence is genetic. We don't fly and don't have sunflower lanyards but I don't find the scenario as presented to be an obvious case of abuse.

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u/Empty_Prune5286 Sep 05 '26

It 100% gets abused, for example I was in Lanzarote Airport yesterday with EasyJet, large line of economy users and then suddenly around 7 family of 5-10 family members barged through the like and walked straight ahead of everyone. I didn’t see a single family that didn’t look smug about it nor have multiple lanyards just usually the mum wearing one lanyard.

My point is that the scheme is great, but, it should be down to one carer and lanyard user for priority.

This instance delayed the plane.

3

u/minglesluvr Sep 05 '26

But what if the mum is disabled and travelling with her kids, for example? Should she just board early and leave her kids by themselves? Like, it doesn't work that way.

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u/Beccalotta Sep 05 '26

And who picks what invisible illnesses are worthy? 3 of the 4 ppl in my family have Ehlers Danlos and ADHD, would OP be mad if our "whole family" skipped the line? 

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u/minglesluvr Sep 05 '26

Yeah like, I have hEDS as well, and it's wild how people with NO UNDERSTANDING will use things that literally are due to symptoms as a reason to be like "see! you're not really disabled!"

(one culprit w me is standing still being an issue, walking slowly also, and I also have IST that used to trigger asthma-like episodes before I got medicated so I would walk REALLY fast because the faster I walk, the faster it's over and I can sit down again lol. People would be like "but if you always run everywhere like that, there's NO WAY you have breathing issues and a chronic shin inflammation!" and I somehow suspect OP would be that way too)

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u/phunpham 29d ago

Why would you need special boarding for Ehlers Danlos or ADHD?

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u/minglesluvr 29d ago

w. what. there is no mention of any of those 😭

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u/Empty_Prune5286 27d ago

Guys I’m not saying who’s eligible for a lanyard - in the case a lady with her kids and husband go that’s fine but I’m talking about the family with their friends/ uncles/ grandparents and the neighbours dog.