Solo Flying Kids Don't Always Have The Airlines Looking Out For Them

At what age does a child get treated as an adult when it comes to travel? Once a child hits 12 he is considered a youth and not a minor. That difference can make for scary times for kids not used to traveling alone.

Twelve year olds are not given the privilege of early boardings even if they are traveling alone nor does staff stay with them until they reach the gate. Every year there are many unaccompanied minors in the skies. Things can and do go wrong when these young people are traveling by themselves. There is no clear number of how many times a problem happens because airlines aren't required to report incidents that happen with minors. Still complaints issued by parents are adding up with 36 such issued through last week. Children have been put on the wrong flights. That happened twice in June, one of the children was 12 hours late before being reunited with their family. Last Christmas a nine year old who was stranded due to a snowstorm in Denver had to use a stranger's cell to get in touch with his family. When the airlines do take responsibility for those children flying alone often times there is an additional charge that goes along with that service. In some cases up to an additional $100 on domestic flights. That figure goes even higher on international ones. When children of the same family are traveling together the older ones sometimes get the shaft. Julio Garcia's family found that out the hard way last August when two of his six children were stranded after spending three weeks in Paris at a French immersion program. When the siblings arrived in Houston their flight home to San Diego was diverted so the four youngest were treated to a night in a hotel. The oldest two were left at the airport on their own.

"My eldest called and said, 'They just hauled the little kids away and left us standing here,"' Garcia said.

Garcia said he spoke to three different Continental employees, and told a supervisor, "Let me get this clear. It's Continental's policy to leave unattended minors stranded in an airport? How can you leave them in a hotel room? A hundred things can go wrong."

In the case of solo flights parents need to prep their kids on what to do in case of a flight delay or cancellation. Giving them a booklet of emergency numbers and a phone card is a start. Have them take a recent picture of who will be picking them up with them is another good idea. Be prepared to pay extra for the added attention that you want for your child when you get to the boarding gate. In the end the goal is for your child to have a pleasant and safe experience.