More tips for children travelling alone

More travel tips for parents with childred flying alone to keep in mind:

There are lots of very good reasons why parents might want to put kids who still haven’t mastered shoelace tying on a plane all by themselves.

Divorced parents, or families geographically separated by one parent’s career, need to send children for visits; sometimes under court order. Kids often vacation with their grandparents or travel to spend time with aunts or uncles who live far away.

And summer camp season is almost here. But before you pack your kid’s Sponge Bob Squarepants suitcase and brief him on using an airplane restroom, there are some potential wrinkles you need to consider: Although the minimum age is 5, airlines require that children be at least 7 - usually 8 - before they can go solo on anything but a direct flight. If a kid’s itinerary includes a connecting flight, they MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Some airlines don‘t allow children to fly solo on flights with connections until they are considerably older. US Airways won’t let them negotiate tricky flights alone until they are 15. Southwest sets the minimum bar at 11.

All airlines have “mandatory unaccompanied minor service” for kids under a certain age. This means airline personnel will help the child make his or her connecting flights and personally get them on and off the plane and escort them off to whoever is meeting them at the final stop. That service comes with a fee, usually somewhere between $40 and $99.

The price varies greatly from airline to airline, and depends on whether it’s a nonstop or connecting flight. Some airlines charge only one fee, even if two or three kids are traveling together. Keep an eye out for this, and figure it into the equation when selecting flights.

The ceiling age for mandatory minor service also varies from airline to airline. It can be as young as 12 (AirTran, ATA, Southwest and United) or as old as 15 (American, Continental and most other major carriers). Again, you need to ask. Many carriers offer optional minor service for youths as old as 17.

Anyone under the age of 17 who is flying alone on an international flight must have a signed note from a parent or responsible adult giving permission, destination and length of stay.

Minors must be met at the destination by another parent or responsible adult. Even if your 11-year old is used to riding buses or catching cabs, he or she won’t be allowed to do it on their own.