Children Traveling Without Parents
If you read the story of Little Red Riding Hood and wondered what the parents were thinking when sending the child off into the woods by herself, you might be surprised to learn that the idea of children traveling without parents is actually quite common. Kids flying alone is sometimes a fiscal consideration, while at other times it is a consequence of impossible to resolve logistical problems. Fortunately there are a number of safety tips for kid travel involving airlines.
Travel Safety Tips for Kids Flying Alone
An undated Encyclopedia of Everyday Law article on E-notes suggests that there are annually some seven million kids flying alone. If it will be your children traveling without parents or other grownups, the first and foremost rule is to check the travel rules by the airline or other transportation provider you have chosen. While most transportation providers have a rule that governs kid travel, these regulations are not necessarily uniform, and may change over time as well.
For example, kids flying alone on American Airlines must be booked in by a parent, who can offer proof of identity and can provide proof of a pickup at the target location. Here is one caveat: if there is a chance that your child's flight will suffer delays and therefore a connection might be missed, it is up to you to figure out alternate travel arrangements.
Delta goes a step further, and restricts children traveling without parents under the age of seven to nonstop, direct flights only. Between the ages of eight and 14, this restriction is partially lifted; children may use connecting flights, as long as they are not offered by another airline. Most importantly, if you are hoping to have your kid travel alone at night and sleep through the experience, Delta does not allow you to book kids flying alone on the day's last connecting flight.
Problems Associated with Solo Kid Travel - Dos and Don'ts of Sending Kids on Trips Alone
Children traveling without parents need to possess a level of maturity that allows for some quick thinking and problem solving. For example, would your child know what to do if seated on an airplane in the same row as a passenger who is gradually becoming intoxicated? The odds are good that many of us flying once in a while would not exactly know how to handle this situation, but how much less would a child understand what is an appropriate course of action? Discuss and play through potential scenarios and empower the child to solve some of these problems, should they arise.
Finally, avoid surprises on the other end by having a backup plan in place. Make sure that an alternate pickup is arranged, identify who will jump into action in case the first candidate has car trouble, cannot make it, falls ill, or is hospitalized. As the practice of children traveling without parents is bound to continue on, travel safety tips, which keep kids flying alone protected, must be sufficiently fluid to allow for changes in the political climate and also factor in changing airline regulations.
Sources
http://www.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/children-traveling-alone;
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/travelInformation/specialAssistance/childrenTraveling.jsp;
http://www.aa.com/content/images/travelInformation/UMNR_FORM.pdf;
http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/special_travel_needs/services_for_children/children_traveling_alone/index.jsp
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