Unaccompanied Minors – Keep Children Safe on Planes

Other posts by MudslideMama

Tips to Make Children Feel Safe Traveling Alone on Planes (Mary Lesh, via flickr.com)

I used to fly with my younger brother to my grandparents’ home in Florida when I was a kid, and I have pretty powerful memories of being treated like royalty by the airline staff. We were unaccompanied minors, and the flights always went off without a hitch…except the time my brother got steak instead of a burger as his in-flight meal. Yes, he cried pitiably.  An unwanted meal pales in comparison to a few recent incidences involving unaccompanied minors, though. Continental Airlines has put children on the wrong planes, to the wrong destinations. Worse, a 13-yr old unaccompanied minor was actually molested by a pastor on a flight from Philadelphia to Oakland.  This absolutely sickens me, and the fact that the US Attorney’s office declined to bring charges against the alleged molester – despite that the girl’s testimony was deemed much more credible than his – is revolting.

As a parent of a elementary school-age children myself, I would do some planning prior to them flying as unaccompanied minors. Besides teaching daughters to be assertive if strangers are touching them (which is a good idea in general), this is what I recommend:

  • Talk with your child, even if she’s flown solo before, to ensure that she understands the process from beginning to end.
  • Get a prepaid calling card for your kid, just in case (unless said kid has her own cell phone).
  • Print out an e-ticket the night before, and make certain that all the information on it is correct.
  • Make sure that the airport personnel know that you are supposed to take your child right up to the gate, not just the security line.
  • Introduce her, and yourself, to the flight crew if you can (this isn’t always feasible or convenient).
  • While waiting to board, talk with your child about how she can request a seat change if she feels uncomfortable with her row mate. Flight attendants will always honor these requests.
  • The airline staff will probably give your kid some sort of wearable identification that indicates she’s an unaccompanied minor – make sure it’s securely on, and remind your child not to tell any strangers personal information.
  • In case the flight is delayed horribly, don’t leave the gate area until the plane has taken off.
  • Last, make sure that whoever is meeting your kid (grandparent, etc) knows to call you as soon as your child has arrived.

Children have been flying alone for decades, of course, but it’s probably never the first choice for parents who would rather Grandmother Traveling with Granddaughter in Hawaiikeep close eyes on their kids. These days, with divorced parents often living far from each other, it’s just not economically feasible for parents to fly with their children to drop them off at their exes’ homes. Visiting grandparents while parents must be at work also means older children flying as unaccompanied minors. These recommendations aren’t only a good idea for the security of your child, they should also go a long way towards easing your own understandable anxiety.

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July 20, 2009 | Filed Under Family Travel, Flying High, Travel News 

Comments

8 Responses to “Unaccompanied Minors – Keep Children Safe on Planes”

  1. pligg.com says:
    July 20, 2009 at

    Unaccompanied Minors – Keep Children Safe on Planes…

    Here are some tips regarding how to ensure your children’s safety while flying as unaccompanied minors….

  2. jamie says:
    July 20, 2009 at

    I’m not well enough to send my kids alone on a plane. Maybe when they’re 13 and 15…

  3. Emma - iloho says:
    July 20, 2009 at

    I used to fly unaccompanied all the time as a child too between DC and London. We were lucky and nothing ever went wrong then. I think your tip about making it as easy as possible for your child to contact you whilst they’re travelling is the most important (from the child’s perspective). I don’t know how feasible it is to send a kid off with one of your credit cards, but at least that way they could call you from the plane if they felt really nervous and wanted to talk to you.

  4. Juancav says:
    July 20, 2009 at

    In addition to these measures taken by parents, one can not ignore the responsibility of the airline is obliged to take control of the passengers on board.

  5. Marion says:
    July 21, 2009 at

    This is such welcome advice. Careful and thorough, it makes the idea seem far more do-able, which is a goal for me and for my 13-year-old, who asks to go unaccompanied see a friend in the Midwest — something I’ve not yet seen fit to allow. Now maybe I can. thank you.

  6. A bab boomer blogger attends BlogHer and Travel Blog Exchange says:
    July 21, 2009 at

    [...] blogging friends will be leading sessions. I’m looking forward to listening to Jen Miner of Traveling Mamas talk about “Growing Your Blog,” as well as a terrific travel panel including Nancy [...]

  7. MEXICO BEACHES says:
    July 28, 2009 at

    Great tips, really useful, but there is sth that you can avoid when flying with small kids: when they star crying sometimes there is nothing to do about it…

  8. Marina K. Villatoro says:
    July 31, 2009 at

    Hey there…excellent article. I’m a mom who travels a lot and I have a son. This article will help me a lot to ensure the safety of my son while I’m on air. Thanks and keep up the good work :)

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