Children Travelling Alone Part 3

This is the last part in a series on children travelling alone:

* Make sure the adult meeting your child at his or her
destination is carrying photo identification.

* Pack some snacks for the child: chips, sandwiches, trail
mix or other finger foods like grapes or berries.

* Put together a travel pack for young children to keep them
entertained while in-flight. It should include books,
drawing materials, small games or puzzles - whatever keeps
them busy.

* Give your child a little cash to cover incidental expenses
and phone calls in the event of an emergency.

* In addition to being sure your child knows how to place a
collect call, you may want to give him or her a calling card
before she travels, as well as a list of numbers to call if
necessary. I also firmly believe in having the child carry a
cell phone. Just make sure he or she is crystal clear about
the rules against using it during the flight.

* Just because a 5-year-old is permitted to fly solo, does
not mean that your child will be able to handle flying
alone, especially if the kid hasn't flown before. Parents
should use common sense and make a decision based on if they
feel the child is mature enough to handle it.

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.

Tips for children flying alone

Here are some travel tips for children flying alone:

* Never wait until you have reached the airport to inform
the airline that you have a minor traveling unaccompanied.
Always provide this information to customer service over the
phone, and have them inform you of all your options, all
fees involved, and so forth.


* If you can help it, buy your children nonstop tickets
only. If a change of planes is necessary, use a small, less
intimidating airport for the transfer, if possible.


* When you send your child, make sure that he or she is
traveling with emergency information. It should include
instructions on how to handle flight delays or
cancellations, emergency contacts and a means to pay for
necessities, such as overnight accommodation.


* Familiarize your child with the plane ticket and have him
or her keep it in a safe place. Upon departure, the child
will need to retain the ticket for the return flight or as a
receipt. Use e-tickets whenever possible, so the information
will be stored in the airline's computers in case of
emergency.


* Try to book a morning flight. If it is delayed or
canceled, you have the rest of the day to make alternate
plans. Some airlines won’t even allow children to fly alone
on the later flights in the day.

* Small children may have trouble with checked baggage. If
it can be avoided, don't send them with excess luggage. If
not, when checking luggage, make sure to check the stubs
yourself, to be sure that the luggage claim ticket and
luggage tag match your child's final destination.


* Get to the airport early to ease check-in and get children
accustomed to their surroundings. If possible, show them
where help desks are located, and get them to recognize
uniformed employees.

* Give your child a picture of the
person meeting him or her. The photo should have the
person’s full name, address and phone number written on the
back. You will need to provide this information to the
airline as well.

Don't let your frequent flyer points expire

Make sure you know the rules for each plan that you participate in. Especially since airlines like to change their rules with little notice. I belong to US Airways and their plan requires a deposit once every 36 months. However, AA requires a deposit at least once a year.

The same with hotel loyalty programs. The Hilton HHonors program requires a deposit at least once every 9 months. The best part about their program is that you can earn points for staying in their family of hotels or from online rewards sites.

I have a free airline ticket but I don't think I'll ever accumulate enough points for a hotel stay.