Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
33
address of the adult who is authoriz ed to
pick the child up . At the destination city ,
the airline will not r elease the child to
anyone but the authoriz ed adult, after
receiving a signatur e and seeing a photo
ID.
Children ages 5 to 7 generally may
travel unaccompanied on nonstop flights
only; in other wor ds, they're not allo wed
to change planes for connecting flights at
that age. (N orthwest and D elta allo w all
children to trav el on connecting flights.)
Children ages 8 to 11 may make connect-
ing flights with an escor t, with the ex cep-
tion of S outhwest and America West,
which do not allo w any unaccompanied
child under the age of 12 to take a con-
necting flight. America West's policy is
relatively ne w, star ted in 2001 after two
embarrassing incidents in which the air-
line sent one child to the wr ong destina-
tion and neglected to tell a par ent about
another child's flight delay.
Children over the age of 12 ar e consid-
ered adults and may trav el without an
escort on ev ery major carrier but N orth-
west, which r equires escorts until age 14.
They still qualify for assistance fr om the
airline for the extra fee. S outhwest is the
only airline that does not allow children to
use the escort service once they are able to
fly without one, at age 12.
Because airlines want to av oid the
responsibility of having to shepher d
children overnight, minors are usually not
allowed to take the last connecting flight
of the day , when the risk of missed con-
nections is greatest. Minors are usually not
allowed to trav el on standb y, and they
must have confirmed reservations.
On connecting flights, ask when y ou
book if the child will be flying on mor e
than one airline. ( With the ne w airline
alliances, y our child may end up on a
Northwest air craft, ev en though y ou
booked the flight through Continental.) If
so, make sur e y ou kno w each airline 's
policy for unaccompanied minors. O nce
you receive the ticket, review it yourself to
make sure the city of origin and the desti-
nation ar e accurate. R eview the ticket
carefully with your child and explain sim-
ply how it works.
If you're booking a flight for your child,
the airlines will r equest y our name, tele-
phone number, and addr ess—along with
the name, number , and addr ess of the
guardian who will meet y our child at the
destination city. An adult guar dian must
accompany the child to the gate or plane,
furnish r easonable pr oof that another
adult will meet the child at the final desti-
nation, and remain at the airport until the
plane is in the air . The accompanying
adult at the destination will hav e to sign a
release form and furnish go vernment-
issued photo identification, such as a
license or passpor t. If a child is unusually
big or small, it 's wise to bring a bir th cer-
tificate to the airport as proof of age.
Solo Minors on International
Flights
Major carriers' policies for minors trav el-
ing alone ar e basically the same for both
domestic and international travel, although
fees ar e higher on international flights.
Children may be pr ohibited from board-
ing an international flight under poor
weather conditions that could require that
the plane be rerouted.
Parents should seriously consider using
European airlines for international trips
because of the extra ser vices they pr ovide
for kids. British Airways has a toy chest on
its planes, and Virgin Atlantic treats kids
like r oyalty, with special enter
2
tainment
channels, toys, and treats.
If you're booking a ticket for a minor on
an international flight, you should call the
consulate of the destination countr
y to
find out about visas and other special
entry requirements.
Minor Orientation
With stricter security measures at airports,
parents must no w get a pass fr
om the
