14 year old flying solo, info please

[castlegirl]

My DS14 is planning to visit family in the Orlando area in June. (He can't wait for Star Wars weekend!)

What airlines accomodate teenagers flying solo? He's flown with us before as a family, so he's familiar with airports, but I worry about him alone.

Anyone have experience with this? I would like to be at the GATE to see him actually get on the plane and then have our relatives meet him at the GATE at MCO when he gets off. Do airlines allow parents/relatives gate to gate? I'm not comfortable saying good-bye and leaving him alone at security.

Any comments would help ease this mother's worries!

[chick20679]

At 14, depending on the airline, your teen may or may not be considered an "Unaccompanied Minor". There ARE fees involved with the service airlines provide associated with a child travelling alone, and if the teen is considered a "UM" you will be allowed a gate pass.

If you airline doesn't require a 14 yo to be a "UM" most airlines will allow you to electively designate him as one (same fees apply).

If you do not want to pay the fees electively, then, depending on the local regulations at your airport you may or MAY NOT be issued a gate pass on either end. If you ask, they may grant you one, but the airlines are NOT required to give you one if the teen is not travelling as a "UM", so don't expect one.

If you are really set on going to the gate and having someone meet your teen at the gate in MCO, then I would advise paying the fees associated with the "UM" service. That way you also know someone will be looking out for him the whole time. IMO.

[Mrs. Cpt. Jack Sparrow]

My DS (then 14) flew solo on America West with no problems. I was given a gate pass and stayed with him until he boarded the plane - a flight attendant took him on the plane and got him seated before any other passengers were allowed to board. When they arrived at the destination, he was escorted off the plane after everyone else had exited and taken to a designated pick up location where my brother had to show ID to take him. At that time, they only allowed unacompanied minors to fly on non-stop flights. I imagine each airline would have their own rules. The fee was only about $40-$50 for this service for round trip. Hopes this helps!!

[BelleEdenMom]

when my dd was 10 she flew unaccompanied to Mexico (meeting g-parents there) , I was so nervous, the airline was GREAT! THey gave DH a pass to take her to the gate, thestewards checked on her throughout the flight and accompanied her to her g-mother at the other side. I would not hesitate to do it again.

The only reason she flew alone is that there was a mix-up with her passport, I felt like such a bad mom at first, but she enjoyed the expirience and she is not brave or very mature for her age.

[BouncingTigger]

This is probably obvious, but make sure your son has a cell phone (fully charged). It's good to have just in case. Especially if the flight is diverted for some reason, he will have a way of contacting someone. When my bf and I were flying home from Chicago, our flight "disappeared" because we were diverted to Vegas because of heavy fog in San Diego. My mom, who was supposed to pick us up in San Diego, didn't know where our flight was because it wasn't listed online or at the screens at the airport. She even called American Airlines directly and they told her they didn't know where our flight was! She was freaking out until I called her. Even though your son probably won't need the phone, it's good to have just in case (and gives some peace of mind).

Also, if you do have to leave him at security, he could use the phone to call you and tell you he got to the gate okay. He could also call you at any layovers just to say hi and let you know everything is going fine.

[MarkC]

I hate to do this to you, but I would not let my child that age fly alone. I'm sure he will be fine, but there is always the chance of problems. What if the plane gets diverted and ends up spending the night in another city due to weather/mechanical problems? The airline is not responsible for this. There are other circumstances that can occur. If it was my child I would spend the extra $200 and fly with them, and then have someone fly them back or go down there and get them. Again, I'm sorry since I'm not trying to scare you. It's just that you can't plan for everything and when it comes to my kids it's not worth the risk. Mark

[dmosher]

At that age, he will think he can take care of himself (even if he can't). When I worked for Southwest we saw kids of all ages come without parents, from age 6-16!

SW is very good with this and will post a very nice attendant to stay with your child during layovers, or until they are picked up at their destination. Generally unless the flight is insane they get plenty of attention (assuming they want it) and are fawned over by the cute female flight attendants and let's face it... what 14 year old boy doesn't like that attention.


D

[Tinkerfreak]

I hate to do this to you, but I would not let my child that age fly alone. I'm sure he will be fine, but there is always the chance of problems. What if the plane gets diverted and ends up spending the night in another city due to weather/mechanical problems? The airline is not responsible for this. There are other circumstances that can occur. If it was my child I would spend the extra $200 and fly with them, and then have someone fly them back or go down there and get them. Again, I'm sorry since I'm not trying to scare you. It's just that you can't plan for everything and when it comes to my kids it's not worth the risk. Mark

I'm sorry to say that I also agree with this. I would not let my 14 year old fly alone. There are too many times when a flight is delayed or people are forced to stay overnight and take a flight out in the morning. My neice ended up having her flight deverted to another airport because of bad weather one time and she had to stay overnite by herself. She was so scared and upset and she was 19 years old. I can't imagine how a 14 year old would handle this.

[BouncingTigger]

I forgot to mention this last time:

In high school (about six months after 9/11) my 15 year old friend flew from Oceanside CA to see her father in Chicago because he was really sick and no one expected him to live much longer. Her mother could not make the trip with her because of work (not everyone has flexible schedules and/or a cool boss). For a lot of people, it is simply not a financial reality to be able to fly everywhere with your child just to fly back right away and I don't think people should be made to feel bad because they don't have enough money.

Anyway, so she flew by herself, took a cell phone, and called both her mom and her dad when her plane was diverted (I don't remember where it got diverted to). Anyway, the airline put her up in a hotel and made sure she knew how to get to the shuttle and everything like that. She was a little nervous, but thought the experience was pretty cool overall. She handled herself well and said she felt proud of herself for acting like an adult. She wasn't scared or freaked out. She said she liked the feeling of independence and being able to take care of herself.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that because I think it depends on the maturity of your child. Some teens can be fine by themselves at a relatively young age and others won't be very self-reliant or self-sufficient even after they hit 18 (I'm in college and know plenty of young adults like that!). You obviously know your son better than any of us so you're the only one who can really make this decision. Whatever you decide, have faith in your decision and know that you are making the best decision for your family.

[vamaggie]

I agree with the above posted that it depends on your son's maturity and if he feels comfortable flying alone. That said, a few suggestions (in addition to the ones like paying the fee if needed and cell phones listed above) 1) try to get a direct flight 2) book the earliest flight in the day (less likely to get delayed/cancelled) 3) make sure he has enough cash (I would say at least $150) and credit card in case he does get into a jam.

[browneyedgirl12]

Hello,
Last year (I was 13) I flew alone out of SW airport from Fort Myers to Wahington D.C. I was absolutley fine. My mom and dad both got gate passes and saw me off. I wasn't an UM and our flight was delayed an hour so I just called up my mom and talked to her and my dad until it was time to take off.

I also agree it depends on the maturity of your son. If he feels okay being alone and he doesn't have a problem flying alone then I wouldn't worry so much. Just in case his plane is diverted just make sure he has a cell phone and a good amount of money, but I am almost positive that the airline would not leave your son stranded. Good luck with your desicion.

[MNNHFLTX]

My son's flown by him self twice, once at 12 and once at 14. I was very nervous the first time, especially as he was flying Southwest and their unaccompanied minor policy only goes up to age 11. But I contacted SW ahead of time and they reassured me that one parent would be given a pass to go out to the gate with him and his grandmother on the other end would be given another pass to go meet him at the gate in Florida. It was a non-stop flight and he did fine. The second time was a different experience. He was already a very seasoned traveler anyway, having flown on a plane more times than I can count and enjoyed having a little more independence. He had his cellphone (with charger), some emergency cash, telephone numbers and had been drilled on what to do in the various scenarios. We were still offered a pass (by Continental) for one of us to accompany him to the gate, but he insisted he would be fine alone, and he was. He called us after he had boarded the plane and we waited until it was well on its way before leaving the airport. Once again, it was a non-stop flight (the only kind that I would let him fly on without being logged as an unaccompanied minor).

Feeling worried is understandable, but only you know how experienced and mature a traveler your son is at that age. If you have doubts, pay the extra fee to have him fly as an unaccompanied minor so that he will have more supervision.

One thing I would encourage you to do is to call the airline (at the airport--not the reservations number) ahead of time so that you know what to expect, especially if they will give you a pass to go to the gate. Get the name(s) of the people you speak with, along with a number to call, or the name of a supervisor to contact if you have any problems. Arrive at the airport early (even earlier than they advise), in case you need the extra time.

[mickey&missy]

I flew by myself when I was 14. Granted that was, gulp, 18 years ago. Things were a lot different then. But, it was only the second time I was ever on a plane. I flew from Newark to Atlanta and Atlanta to Huntsville, AL (I went to Space Camp). A flight attendant took me off the plane in Atlanta and grouped me with several other kids from different places who were going to Space Camp as well. The airport staff took us to our connection. Not walking through the airport mind you, they put us in a van and drove us from one gate to another. Directly under a sitting airplane at one point! I'll never forget that as long as I live. Then they put us on our connection and even changed things so we could sit together.

If you think he's mature enough he is. Yes, you'll be nervous and I completely agree that you should accompany him to the gate and have the relatives met him at the gate. I'm sure my mom was a nervous wreak!The people who work for the airlines will know he's traveling alone. I'm sure their prepared for any kind of delay, etc.

He'll have a great time and be more independent as a result!

Good luck!

[joanna71985]

Do you have Jet Blue? If so, that airline is great! I always fly with them.