Originally Posted by
formeraa
It would be wise to get an unaccompanied minor a VISA gift card just in case! I would never send anyone on a trip without some reserve money/gift card.
True, but fortunately, the UM fee
includes food:
Payment of the unaccompanied minor fee and completion of unaccompanied minor paperwork entitles the child to receive a complimentary à la carte snack, snackbox or fresh food item (when available) on United Economy flights within North America. On international flights and in the United First® or United Business® cabin, the standard complimentary food items will be provided based on the flight’s path and duration.
The bigger issue would be for teenagers too old to be UMs but too young for their parents to give them debit or credit cards. Perhaps more importantly, the 28 million Americans (according to AARP) who are outside of the mainstream banking system would be out of luck. I'm sure they don't overlap much with the flying public. But I'm thinking of the holiday peak flyer who lacks plastic in their wallet but uses a family member's miles to visit home.