jfrenaye

Most airlines are beginning to pull back on that for the reasons stated above. Always best to check. But we always advise that UMs fly non-stop and if not, an adult ought to be with them!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

baglady

We were watching 2 UMs at the gate before we boarded a flight at IAH - one wandered off and the GA had no clue where he went (he was, I would guess, around 13 so not a huge risk) - he'd gone to the restroom and then the snackbar, but his brother stayed put. I know the GAs have a lot going on before a flight starts, but it made me realize I would never want to put my kids on a flight except for a non stop where we're at the gate until they get on and someone is on the other side to pick them up.

We have a 10 year old that is not ready to fly UM - she doesn't have the maturity level and says maybe when she's 13. In the mean time, my husband flies to get her; bring her here (she lives with her mom) and then the same on the return or for the shorter visits; we fly there to spend the weekend. Not ideal; but there is no way she could handle a flight UM right now.

I don't blame the airlines if they stop doing anything but non stop flights - too risky.

GalleyWench

They will still accept kids on nonstop flights, as you said they have only stopped allowing connections. I think one of the main reasons is that in the event the child didn't make a connection due to weather or other delay there aren't enough ground personnel to "babysit" the kids until the next available flight. They also won't book a child on the last flight of the night.
The person (parent or other designated) accompanying the child at the departure point can not leave the airport until the flight is actually airborne, and the person meeting the child must be at the arrival gate with photo I.D. when the flight arrives. Sadly, people frequently try to drop and leave or they arrive late to pick up the kids. It is the airline's responsibility to keep the kids in their custody until someone picks them up and signs for them, and if the people meeting them are very late it can become a real issue as ground agents are spread way too thin these days.
My kids have been travelling unaccompanied for several years and have never had a problem. This year my oldest is 16 and they are no longer required to have unaccompanied status, but you can still request it and get it even when they are older. For those of you sending your kids as unaccompanied, please abide by the rules and age requirements. I've seen the system horribly abused with parents putting a child as young as 4 on a transcon after lying about the child's age. That poor child was terrified and cried nonstop for almost 5 hours. Please also talk to your kids before they board a flight and tell them the rules. The f/a will always tell them to wait until everyone has deplaned so they can be escorted inside, and they will stress how important this is. Older kids love to try and make a quick getaway once the flight has landed, I have seen many try to sneak off the airplane without assistance and it's not an easy task trying to keep track of them. Try working a flight to Orlando with tons of kids on it, and your unaccompanied has put on their jacket and pulled the hood over their head and face trying to disguise themselves deplaning with a family. Then the parents are outraged that we have let them off the airplane alone. 99% of the time we catch them, but I'm sure one slips through the cracks every once in a while. I guess it's not "cool" to be labeled as a UM.

gmichael225

I know general policy on this is that a minor can travel unaccompanied, but what if there is no adult at either end?

At what age is it legal for someone to travel independently? Or in a group of similarly aged individuals (without an adult) ?

If anyone knows anything about this (particularly with regard to Australian and European legislation), please let me know

Thanks, Michael (14 at time of traveling)

themicah

Welcome to flyertalk.

Policies vary by airline.

For example, see policies on NW and UA.

Note that NW requires that minors use their unaccompanied minor program through age 14, and it's optional for 15-17yos, while UA only requires it through age 11, and makes it optional for 12-17yos.

Note, however, that many hotels won't take kids under 21 and most won't take kids under 18, so if you get stuck en route, that can be an issue.

Also, if you're traveling internationally by yourself, you'll need to research what kind of paperwork would be needed to get through immigration in any countries you'll be visiting or transiting.

themicah

I did a search in this forum for the word "immigration" and came up with the following relevant threads. None of them directly addresses what would be required for a kid traveling alone (or with friends) without someone to meet him (or them) at the other end, but from these threads, you should be able to get a decent idea of what the issues are so you can maybe focus your searches around the internet a bit better:

• how do unaccompanied minors clear immigration/customs?
• Traveling with teenage niece
• The Travel With Children - Single Parent Travelling With Child(ren) Thread [Merged]

erik123

In the EU it isn't an issue. There are actually 14 year olds that vacation without parents.

lei123

Yeah, I'd be interested in knowing the answer to this question too. I will be 16, almost 17 at the end of my senior year and I'm looking at an unaccompanied trip with some friends (most of whom will be 18) in the EU, Russia, Mongolia, and China.
Any idea as to this situation?

climbermom

Once my son was 14, no airline questioned him about flying alone to or from the US or within the EU.

lei123

I understand that I could fly with just some friends, and not a guardian, but if I want to stay in a hotel or a hostel, don't you usually have to be 18? What if temporary guardianship is given over to one of my friends who is over 18? Would that be Ok?

jonesing

Welcome to FT gmichael225 and lei123.

Note that minors flying alone (ie no parent or airline employee escort) will need to have their own ID for the TSA checkpoint. Yeah yeah, you don't have to have ID to fly but if you want to avoid the SSSS treatment then the minor needs his/her own ID. For a 14 year old I'm guessing that would be a passport, military dependent ID or state ID card assuming your state issues (nondriver) IDs to minors.

Indeed the hotel issue is something to be concerned about. I once stayed at a crappy mote that had a sign saying guests 18-20 were required to use a credit card in their own name to secure a room AND the room would be checked for damages upon checkout. You might be able to get away with mom or dad faxing a 3rd party credit card authorization to the hotel in advance of your arrival. Book the room in their names, they contact the hotel for the form (even toss in that their plane was diverted and you're coming from a school trip) then they fax the completed form to the hotel. Some hotels will want a copy of the credit card and/or their ID. Anyway, with this form on file, you'll be able to get the room and it gets billed to their card or you can pay cash when you checkout.

lei yes, if your parents were to present your over 18 friend with temporary guardianship papers then there would be no issue. Well, y'all might get hassled a little so it would be helpful if the guardianship papers were notarized AND your parents draft a letter stating you may travel with XYZ even though the guardianship papers should cover all that.

took

Recently, mostly on the basis of price, I bought my 13 y.o. a ticket from ORD-FRA via AI. Since one cannot book AI online except via a travel agent, I purchased from Travelocity at the recommendation of several others who had done so.

Now, I'm getting nervous. Here's the drill: Spouse and I will be in Germany next May. Daughter will be in school, staying with grandparents but will join us in FRA after school is out. Daughter is mature and has flown many times, including unaccompanied. She has flown overseas although not unacommpanied. Grandparents will take her to the airport in ORD.

AI agent tells me that 13 y.o.'s are NOT considered unaccompanied minors and I can not get them to "accompany" her. That's okay in theory--she really doesn't need help under normal conditions. I'm worried about the abnormal possibilities.

What problems could I anticipate (reasonably)? Grandparents have little flying experience and I want to think ahead on how to prepare them.

Assuming my daughter has a passport, will she need other documentation (a letter from us, perhaps?) to allow her to fly? Any experiences with teens travelling solo on AI?

BTW, this is a direct flight.
__________________
Took
Programs: SPG Gold, NWA Silver, HHonors Gold

B747-437B

I flew almost a million miles on AI in my teens, primarily solo. Granted, as I was nonrevving and most of the crew knew me (or at least recognised my name and linked it to my dad), I may not be a typical case, but never once did I have the slightest problem

The AI crew will virtually adopt your teen and ensure that they are fully looked after during the flight. Of that, I have not even the slightest doubt.

Mountain Man

I've searched google as well as this forum for information and cannot find anything that addresses this question:

Does anyone know if there are any special immigration requirements for unaccompanied minors (non-US citizens) entering the US? For example, a letter authorizing them to travel alone, a letter detailing with whom they will be staying in the US, etc...

We're planning to send two of our children to the US this summer to stay with friends a week before the rest of the family arrives. They are aged 14 and 12 and so will be traveling as unaccompanied minors on a direct flight to the US from Heathrow. They are UK citizens and so will be using the (now electronic) Visa Waiver Program.

Any advice from someone who's done this before would be much appreciated.

GalleyWench

My best guess would be to search on individual airline's websites for information as they all have different UM policies and procedures. I know some will only allow UM's to fly on non-stops with no connections, and if they do allow connections they don't allow them to be scheduled on the last flight of the day, etc. Once you know what carrier you're leaning towards, if their policy isn't on the website you can call and ask someone in reservations. The f/a's should be able to ensure they have all of the proper forms and even assist them in filling them out and then making sure they have a proper escort through customs and immigration and then on to a connecting flight if applicable.
Maybe others that have flown UMs from UK to US will be able to provide better information.