Last week’s stories about Continental Airlines putting two unaccompanied minors on the wrong flights brought back memories of my first solo airplane trip as a tween.
It was long before cell phones and helicopter parents. It was definitely before airlines had strict rules — and hefty fees — for making sure unaccompanied minors (UMs) go from here to there. It was even before the word “tween” became common.
Even though I was just 11 or 12 years old when I missed a connecting flight, I ended up wandering around the Denver airport, unsupervised, for hours.
It was great! I’d just spent a week hiking and camping with a friend’s family in Idaho, so negotiating an airport didn’t seem daunting. In fact, after calling my parents (collect) to report the delay, what I remember most about being stuck alone at that airport was being reunited with flush toilets and spending my emergency money on candy.
I came home from my trip full of self-assurance and stories. Hopefully, the two misrouted young travelers feel the same way about their unscheduled adventures. After all, while their parents have every right to be livid at the airline for failing to follow procedures, the young girls were probably never alone or unsupervised and may have caught the travel bug by taking the long way around.
Luckily, this most recent snafu ended safely. But now, parents everywhere are worried. Especially now that it’s summer, and thousands of kids are scheduled to fly alone between home and camp, grandma’s house or divorced parents — a perfect time for a refresher course on how to make sure your well-mannered, unaccompanied minor flies safely.
How many unaccompanied minors fly? And what are the rules?
The Department of Transportation publishes a pamphlet with tips for children flying alone, but it does not impose formal regulations for unaccompanied minors; nor do they tally the number of children flying alone. So I tried to find out by asking the airlines directly.
Here’s what I found out: In 2008, Southwest Airlines transported 436,738 unaccompanied minors. Each year, American Airlines carries more than 200,000 UMs, while US Airways averages more than 100,000 and Alaska Airlines more than 30,000. A Continental spokesperson said the airline carries “thousands” of UM’s each year, while Delta/Northwest, Allegiant Air and several other airlines declined to share numbers.
The number of unaccompanied minors some airlines carry may be top secret, but the price to book a seat for a UM isn’t. Every airline’s Web site has a section outlining prices and policies for unaccompanied minors and several lay it out in chart form. It’s worthwhile to read those sections thoroughly since pricing, age requirements, and routing choices are not uniform.
For example, while Southwest Airlines recently began charging $25 to send children ages 5 to 11 years old on non-stop on direct flights, most other airlines levy fees between $50 and $100. There are also rule wrinkles that might work in your favor. On Alaska and United, for example, one unaccompanied minor fee covers up to three siblings traveling together. On American Airlines, some checked bag fees are waived when an unaccompanied minor fee is paid.
Five tips for sending your kids alone on a plane
Wondering if you should send your kid on an airplane alone? Here’s some advice from travel experts, parents, flight attendants, and kids:
Evaluate: Is your child ready to travel alone?
Wendy Gordon, whose daughter Charlotte flew alone with a friend for the first time last summer, urges parents to honestly assess their child’s life skills: “There are some nine-year- olds that are really savvy and some 12-year-olds without a clue.”
Flight attendant Sara Keagle, who writes the Flyingpinto.com blog, agrees. She says parents must keep in mind that “flight attendants have their regular duties to perform and we don't watch unaccompanied minors 100 percent of the time. If a child is shy and isn't comfortable speaking up for themselves” then they probably shouldn’t be traveling alone.
Prepare: Equip your child for the journey
If a child is ready to travel alone, they’ll need the right tools: snacks, spending money, extra layers of clothing, entertainment, and a cell phone or calling card with a list of contact and emergency numbers. Jennifer Miner, a TravelingMamas.com contributor and the mother of a 10-year-old, recommends a pre-flight talk. “Talk with your child about how she can request a seat change if she feels uncomfortable with her row mate and remind your child not to tell strangers any personal information.”
Make sure your child knows what to expect on the plane — from the dings and the announcements to the fact that they’ll be expected to turn off games and other electronic devices during take-off and landing.
American Airlines’ Andrea Huguely says it might also help to “tell your child that on the airplane, it’s like school: you must listen to the flight crew the same way you listen to your teacher.” Huguely’s nine-year-old daughter, Carinna has flown as an unaccompanied minor since she was 6, and adds that it’s also a good idea to “be on your best behavior ... Don’t be afraid to ask for help ... and take stuff to keep you busy.” She packs a Nintendo game with headphones, books to read, and books filled with activities and, “a snack in case I get hungry.”
Provide back-up
Parents or guardians are allowed to escort a child flying alone through security and out to their gate, but you’ll need to make sure you arrive at the airport early enough to fill out the paperwork and make your way through the security checkpoint together.
Don’t rush off once your child boards the plane — stay in the gate area until that flight leaves the ground and is well on its way. If the plane returns to the gate for a mechanical problem or weather delay, you’ll want to be there to reassure your child. The same advice applies at the other end: make sure the person picking up your child knows what’s expected of them and is at the airport well ahead of the airplane’s scheduled arrival.
Simplify
“If possible,” says Anne Banas, of SmarterTravel.com, “never book your child on the last flight of the day, even the airline allows it. If that flight gets delayed, your child could be stranded at the airport.” She also suggests trying to book children only on direct and non-stop flights “even if those tickets cost more and even if that means driving a few hours to a different airport” to catch a direct flight.
Don’t confuse the airline with a babysitter
Scheline Horton, the unaccompanied minor coordinator for Alaska Airlines, has discovered that many parents neglect to feed their kids before putting them on an airplane and assume the airline will take care of that — (don’t count on it.) She’s also had parents who’ve tried to book an eight-hour layover for a child so that the person picking them up can swing by after work. “Parents do some interesting things,” says Horton, “We even had one parent who wanted to know if we could handcuff her child to the seat so she wouldn’t run away. Our answer was no.”
And then there’s this advice from 14-year-old Charlotte Lewis. She traveled with a friend as an unaccompanied minor for the first time last summer and is looking forward to repeating the trip from California to Missouri to visit her godparents in a few weeks. “On my first flight, I was terrified to ask for glass of water. But you just really need to learn to enjoy the flight and not be afraid to ask for things. Its good experience and it builds up your flying confidence for when you go traveling to other places — like Europe.”
Harriet Baskas writes msnbc.com's popular weekly column, The Well-Mannered Traveler. She is the author of the , a contributor to National Public Radio and a columnist for USATODAY.com.