How to Send Your Child on a Flight Alone

Sometimes children need to fly alone to visit a parent or other relative. These days, airlines are prepared for this necessity and have policies in place to facilitate such travel. Parents need not worry, and children need not fear. Here are some things you should know when sending your child alone on a flight.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. First, before even booking a flight, make sure that the airline offers unaccompanied minor service. This means that for a fee, the airline will ensure that your child is boarded on the aircraft, offer chaperoned service during the flight, and escorted from the flight and into the hands of the appropriate parent or guardian prearranged with the airline upon reaching the destination. This person must show proper identification before the UM can be released to him or her.
2. Find out what the rules are pertaining to the handling of unaccompanied minors (UM) on the airline you choose. Airlines are mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration for everything, including passenger handling. It is mandatory that a child between the ages of 5 and 11 be handled as a UM. In most cases, it is optional when the child is between 12 and 17.
3. Rules regarding whether or not your child can connect to a different flight are usually based on your child's age and vary between airlines.
   In cases where this is allowed and the child has to transfer to a different airplane to continue the trip, he or she is escorted from one plane to the next.
   
   There are also rules governing which flights your child can take alone depending on his or her age.
4. There is usually a fee of around $100 added to the cost of the ticket when you send a child unaccompanied on an airline.

Tips & Warnings

• Give your children a calling card they can use on the air phone from the airplane so they can reach you if they desire. Airlines do not supply these.
• Messages can be sent from airline personnel on the ground to the flight crew if necessary.
• Please know that airlines do not employ babysitters. Customer Service Agents, Gate Agents and Flight Crews will all come in contact with your child, however, none of them will tend only to your child's needs. They have jobs to do and will normally provide a safe escort service from personnel to personnel to ensure your child get where he or she needs to be. Your child will have alone time during the flight so pack activities to occupy him or her in anticipation or this.
• Check the flight schedule to ensure there are no unexpected stop-overs or delays due to weather. Call the airline if there are. Messages can be sent from the ground to the flight crew if need be.