Travel Safety for Unaccompanied Minors

by Francine Brokaw

Sending a child alone on an airplane can be stressful for many parents, however sometimes it's often the only way a child can visit with grandparents or a parent who lives in another city. Warner Bros. new film, "Unaccompanied Minors," focuses on this in a comical vane, but in order to make sure your child is safe when you say good-bye to him or her at the airport, there are some things you should know. Every airline has its own set of rules when it comes to transporting children without a parent or guardian, and most require a special form to be filled out prior to the child boarding the plane. This can be obtained when checking in at the airport. And with the exception of Southwest, most airlines charge an additional fee for transporting Unaccompanied Minors - aka UMs.

Southwest will accept children (ages 5-11) traveling alone only on nonstop flights or direct flights not requiring a change of plane or flight number. Parents can obtain an "escort pass" which will allow them through the security zone at the airport. Once the plane is ready to board, your child will be preboarded and seated comfortably for the flight.

American Airlines accepts reservations only on the phone for UMs (ages 5-14). At the airport you will be required to remain with your child until he/he is escorted onto the flight.

United Airlines accepts Ums, age 5-7, on nonstop or direct flights not requiring a change of planes. Ages 8-11 may fly on connecting flights to other airlines. Children 5-7 can only fly on nonstop or direct flights on Delta Airlines, and children 8-14 can fly on connecting flights. The airline allows one parent or guardian to accompany the child to the gate. You may make the reservation online, however you must also call the airlines to inform them it is for an unaccompanied minor.

The new film "Unaccompanied Minors" is a parent's nightmare. When an airport is shut down due to a blizzard, five unaccompanied minors decide to make the most of the big airport with all its nooks and crannies and fun things to do. Granted this is fiction, so remember that most of the time children travel from one point to another without anything unexpected happening. American Airlines alone carries about 200,000 UMs annually and in the first 6 months of 2006 Southwest transported over 150,000 UMs.

Sending a child alone on a plane can be a source of anxiety for a parent and a little intimidating for the child. Make sure you identify your child as an unaccompanied minor when making the reservation and check with the carrier to find out what specific rules they have for children traveling alone. Even though many airlines don't consider young adults as UMs, some will accept young teens under the rules of UMs if the parent guardian requests this. Knowing what is expected of you before you get to the airport can make this a little less daunting for you and more fun for your child.

Every airline has special requirements for different ages and even different flights. Remembering the rules for all the different airlines is frustrating, to say the least, so don't even try. You can find out exactly what each of these airlines requires at the following websites:

Southwest www.southwest.com/travel_center/childtip.html

American

www.aa.com/content/travelInformation/specialAssistance/childrenTraveling.jhtml

United

www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1052,00.html

Delta

www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/services_for_children_traveling_alone index.jsp

Continental

www.continental.com/web/en-/US/content/travel/specialneeds/minors/default.aspx

Northwest

www.nwa.com/services/onboard/minor