Wing Tips For Kids Flying Solo
Not knowing a child’s
whereabouts is a parent’s worst nightmare. But can you imagine when
an airline cannot tell you where your “special cargo” is? That’s
what happened—twice in one week (and once more a few days later)—to
children flying on America West Airlines. In one incident, a child
was sent on the wrong aircraft to the wrong city. In another, the
airline lost track of a child due to a misspelling of the child’s
name. Incidents like these create a need to remind parents of what’s
involved when they send their little ones flying
solo.
According to the Department of Transportation, over
nine million children traveled solo on commercial airlines last
year. With so many children flying alone, it’s important to inform
parents of the airline’s rules for unaccompanied children, and of
how to prepare their child for a safer and less stressful flying
experience.
Unaccompanied Minors and
Airlines
Typically, children between the ages of five and
eleven, who travel without a parent or guardian, are considered
unaccompanied minors. These children are accepted as passengers with
certain restrictions and require extra service fees. Some airlines
allow younger, unaccompanied minors to take only nonstop or direct
flights. On most carriers, the minimum age for nonstop flights is
five.
Although some airlines offer discounts for children,
unaccompanied minors are usually charged the full adult ticket
price. On top of paying the full price, you should also expect to
pay a fee between $25 and $60 each way, depending on the airline. If
you have more than one child flying on the same itinerary, most
carriers only charge one fee to cover all family members.
To
save money, be sure to compare fees among carriers. Below are the
fees, services, and other things you should know from the major
airlines:
Alaska
- Fees for Nonstop Flights : $30 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $30 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
Special
notes: Children ages five to 14 traveling alone will not be
allowed on flights departing between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
AirTran
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $25 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $25 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
America
West
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: N/A
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: N/A
Special
notes: After the two aforementioned incidents, the airline
changed its chaperone procedures to allow unaccompanied minors to
travel only on nonstop or direct flights. Unaccompanied minors can
no longer fly on connecting flights after September 10,
2001.
American
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way.
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $60 each way.
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
Special
notes: Only one service fee is required when two or more minors
in the same family are traveling together on the same reservation.
Children cannot travel alone on American Eagle flights that do not
require a flight attendant. American will not accept reservations or
provide transportation for unaccompanied children for any itinerary
that includes the last connecting flight on a given day through
Chicago or Miami to a destination. If schedule irregularities occur
at any city, American may refuse to provide connecting air
transportation services to an unaccompanied child holding
reservations if there is a reasonable likelihood that the child will
not make a flight connection.
Continental
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way for domestic flights;
$60 each way for international flights*
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $60 each way for domestic
flights, $90 each way for international flights
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
Special
notes: Continental will not allow travel on a flight departing
between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless travel is on international
flights, flights operating out of Honolulu, or domestic flights of
two hours or less. Unaccompanied minors will not be accepted for
travel on the last connecting flight of the day to their final
destination, or if there is any possibility of a missed connection.
Continental’s Young Traveler Clubs located in Cleveland,
Houston, and Newark airport provide a secure area where
unaccompanied children can wait for a connecting flight or be picked
up by the party meeting them. These clubs are supervised by
Continental employees and provide entertainment (such as
televisions, books, games, and toys) and snacks for waiting
kids.
*Fees for international flights apply to travel to/from
the U.S. (all 50 States), Canada, and/or Mexico to any other
international destination (including the U.S. Territories of Puerto
Rico, Virgin Islands, and Guam).
Delta
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $40 each way for domestic flights;
no fees for Delta Shuttle flights; $60 each way for international
flights
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $75 each way for domestic
flights; $90 each way for international flights
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
JetBlue
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: None
- Fees for Connecting Flights: N/A
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: N/A
Midway
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: None
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $35
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
Midwest
Express
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: None
- Fees for Connecting Flights: None
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
Special
needs: Midwest Express reserves the right to refuse transport if
there is a significant chance that the flight on which the child
holds a reservation will terminate at an airport other than the
child’s destination airport.
National
Airlines
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $25 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $50 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
Special
notes: Unaccompanied minors will not be allowed to travel on the
last connecting or through flight (where the child doesn’t have to
get off the plane) of the day. Nonstop flights will be permitted.
The only exceptions are U.S. cities that have only one flight a day,
in or out, of their airport.
Northwest
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $40 each way for domestic flights;
$60 each way for international flights
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $75 each way for domestic
flights; $90 each way for international flights
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
Special
notes: Children ages five through 17 may fly on nonstop, direct,
or connecting flights,
but will not be accepted on the last
connecting flight of the day, or red-eye flights (flights that
depart between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.). In addition, unaccompanied minors
will not be accepted for international travel if their itinerary
includes a connection outside North America with an off-line
carrier.
Southwest
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: None
- Fees for Connecting Flights: N/A
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: N/A
Special
notes: Children between five and 11 will be accepted for travel
provided the child does not require a change of aircraft or flight
number.
TWA
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $60 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: five
Special
notes: TWA does not accept reservations for unaccompanied minors
on itineraries that include the last on-line connecting flight of
the day. This change includes unaccompanied minors ages 12 to 17,
who are traveling with or without Special Passenger Handling
papers. St. Louis and New York (JFK) airports have designated
unaccompanied minor holding rooms. Each room is equipped with a TV,
refrigerator, and a wide assortment of books and games. Beverages
and snacks are also provided.
United
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $30 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
US Airways
and MetroJet
- Fees for Nonstop Flights: $30 each way
- Fees for Connecting Flights: $60 each way
- Minimum Age for Connecting Flights: eight
Special
notes: Only one service fee is required when two or more minors
in the same family are traveling together on the same reservation.
US Airways will not permit a reservation on the last connection
flight of the day. US Airways provides Children’s Rooms in
Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh for unaccompanied minors
waiting for a connection. Entertainment, including television,
movies, and games, along with snacks and beverages are
provided.
At the Airport
Parents or legal
guardians are responsible for bringing children to the departure
gate, and for arranging to have an authorized parent or guardian
pick the child up upon arrival. When you send your child as an
unaccompanied minor, you will be required to fill out a form
detailing the child's name, age, medical considerations, and other
relevant information. You will also have to agree that the airline
is not taking on any special responsibility of guardianship during
the flight. It’s important to double-check the spelling of the
child’s name with the airline—check your child’s boarding pass to
make sure.
The child will be courtesy boarded and identified
to the flight attendant as an unaccompanied child. Unaccompanied
minors will also be escorted off the plane and transferred by
airline staff. If your child has to wait any period of time during
connecting flights, they will be escorted to special waiting
lounges, where an airline staff member will be with them at all
times. Airline staff is not allowed to turn the minor over to a
waiting parent or guardian without seeing the adult's identification
and matching it with the information on the form filled out before
departure.
Preparing Your Child
To ensure a
pleasant travel experience, a little planning can go a long way.
There are certain things you can do to make sure your child is safe
and happy:
- Try to book only nonstop or direct flights. This way,
your child will not need to change aircraft. Be advised that the
majority of airlines will not ticket unaccompanied children on
flights departing late in the day, especially if they are making a
connection. A cancelled flight could place your child in another
city overnight.
- In case of bad weather. If the weather is bad on your
departure day, contact the airline to see if flights are running
on time, and if there are any delays. Most airlines will let you
reschedule your child's flights without the rebooking fee if the
weather could cause cancellations and the possibility of putting
your child in a strange city other than the final
destination.
- Paperwork & Documentation. Arrive at the gate early
to fill out the proper paperwork. When filling out the paperwork,
provide information about how flight delays or cancellations
should be handled, including emergency contacts and a means to pay
for necessities such as overnight accommodations. Always send a
little money with your child for incidentals purchases like food
in the airport, etc. For travel to international destinations, the
child must possess valid travel documents for entrance into the
country of their destination. The flight attendant will hold the
child's documents while en route. Children traveling to and from
Canada and Mexico are required to have the same passport and visa
documentation as adults. Children traveling into Mexico must also
be in possession of a notarized letter of consent signed by both
parents authorizing travel into Mexico
- Make sure the person meeting your child has proper ID.
Also make sure that the person meeting your child has accurate
flight information and will call the airline for flight updates.
Make sure they have a proper photo ID when they pick up your
child.
- Children on medication. If your child has a medical
condition, be sure to write down any vital information on the
forms. Also, keep a separate note with your child just in case,
and make another note for the gate agent to give to the flight
attendants. Airline employees are forbidden to administer
medication prescribed for your child or any other over-the-counter
medications. Contact the airline directly to find out their policy
should your child need to take medication while flying.
- Meals. If your child is going on a meal flight, be sure
to order them a special child's meal.
- Make sure your child will be entertained. Pack a goody
backpack full of treats and activities like coloring, games, toys,
etc.
- Explain things to your children. Talk to your children
about traveling alone and to always contact a uniformed airline
employee should they find themselves uncomfortable in
anyway.
- Pre-board the plane with your child. Have them meet the
flight attendants and point out important things to know like how
to call the flight attendants and where the lavatory is
located.
- In case of sickness, reschedule. If on travel day your
child is ill with a cold or flu, it is best to delay travel.
Airlines would rather you keep a sick child home. Most will waive
change fees to avoid transporting a sick child.
Things
Happen
If the weather is bad and it looks like your
child's flight(s) may not operate as scheduled, most airlines will
advise you to rebook travel for another day. Airlines want to avoid
having the possibility of your child getting stranded at another
airport. Should your child get into this type of situation, the
airline will take care of your child until they can send him or her
off again to their final destination. Should hotel accommodations
become necessary, the airline will provide a designated special
services employee assigned to your child. The airline will keep you
continuously updated on your child's situation and
whereabouts.
Don't forget, however, that these services are
provided for children through the age of 11 only. You will have to
make a special request for those 12 and older. If you have a child
that is not an unaccompanied minor and becomes stranded, please
instruct your child to seek out an airline staff member
immediately.
Flying can be both exciting and enjoyable for
the younger traveler. Plan ahead to ensure that your child's journey
is fun, safe, and memorable.
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