Children Flying Alone????

[xyz1]

Okay...I said I was never going to do this but the kids are getting VERY tired of driving 12 hours one way to visit with me...with that said...

Anyone whose children fly alone could you please walk me through the whole thing and let me know what I need to do...PLEASE? And how they take care of the kids...are they good...I am so nervous!!!

My children are 12 and 13...

[wendl]

My son is 13 and flys alone he started last year when he was 12.

You buy the tickets, let them know they are flying alone.  When you get to the airport you check in, They ask you for picture ID,they write the info down on the flight, where they are going WHOM is picking them up and emergency phone numbers.  Then you walk them to the boarding area, they usually walk the kids on, then when they arrive, they walk the kids out to where they meet the parents or whomever is picking them up, they ID the person picking up the kids and make you sign the form that you received the child.

I had to pay $30 at the ticker counter when I checked my son in and when he returns the person taking him to the airport pays the $40 on their side.

We have had no problems, I usually don't have his grandparents pay the $40 in Seattle as we live in a small town and airport is really small so I can see him walking off the plane.  But I feel safer when he travels to Seattle paying the extra money as that is a much bigger airport.

Hope this helps.

PS I ALWAYS have my son carry is ID with him though.
 
**These are my opinions, they are not legal advice**

[cowboy crazy]

My step daughters have been flying alone since they were 10 & 5, most airlines will only let you put them on a direct flight until they are 14 then they can have connecting flights but that is up to the parents.  On Continental they charge $100 for the "unaccomanpied minor" fee's - when you get to the airport you fill out all of the information as to who is dropping them off and then for who is picking them up.  They look at your ID and then you go down to the boarding gate with them.  They usually load them first, the stewardess gets all of their paperwork, walks them on, and gets them seated.  They usually check on them through out the flight.  Then once they arrive they are the last ones off, the stewardess walks them off, finds the receiving parent or person, checks their ID, they sign off and then they release the child.  We have never had any problems with this and the kids do really well with it, they prefer it over driving!  The wear wrist bands or necklaces that show they are "unacompanied minors" and they are watched on and off the plane and checked on through out the flight.  

[MixedBag]

Picture how certified mail is handled.....never out of sight or under lock and key from the beginning to the end....

Your kids are on the edge of being unaccompanied minors.

Depends on the airline's policies and that's different for each one.

One thing I want to add -- until the youngest is 18, the airline will issue a gate pass for one adult on both ends (sending and receiving) so that you can walk to the gate to put them ON the plane and the parent can pick them up at the gate on the other end.  You don't have to be a passenger when there's a minor flying even if they're not identifed as an unaccompanied minor.

If you have a non-stop flight available and the airline allows, I wouldn't pay the fee anyways (which you always can do until 18).  

IF you have a connection they need/must make, I'd pay the fee for ONE round trip, just because they're new, and then let them do it.

6 kids -- all long distance, been doing it for 17 years now, and the latest was sending my 17-year old from AL to Hawaii....

[xyz1]

I want to thank you all...I made the reservations today and will be going to pay for their first tickets on the first of Feb. We ended up going with Southwest because that was the only one I could find with a direct flight between our states MA and NC...

Once again thank you to all

[wendl]

I am glad we could help.

Horizon is only $30 for unaccompanied (sp) minor.

Let us know how it goes, I know my son was excited the 1st time he went on the plane alone.

**These are my opinions, they are not legal advice**

[Ref]

My SD has been an unaccompanied minor since she was 7. She is now 15 and feels like she could fly the plane herself. She has flown with connections almost the whole time because there are no direct flights out of the town. We have used US Air and Delta mostly.

The only problems we have had were that you have to pay the UM fee prior to the child boarding. The one time BM refused to pay on her end so SD was not allowed to board the plane. From then on, DH has paid for the UM fee when he buys the tickets. Also, SD is not allowed on the last flight of the night. This makes sense because they don't want the child stranded (if there is a layover).

Best wishes!

Ref

[MixedBag]

we book on-line, and then had to go to our local airport to pay that fee ahead of time.

usually surfing gets you the best deals -- so that's how you combine the two.