14 and 16 year olds flying alone

[MaryAnnDVC]

I'll be flying to Chicago with my son, and then my two DDs (14 and 16) will be joining us a couple of days later. Is there any problem with them flying alone? DH is going to go in with them to the security checkpoint, and he'll have his ID with him, but they don't have any IDs, except for unofficial high school cards. Anything I need to know to make things go smoothly?

They'll be flying home with me, so that should be OK.

 

[safetymom]

Your husband should stop at the ticket counter and get a pass that allows him to accompany your daughters to the departure gate. You might want to get them ID cards. You can get them at the DMV. That way you don't have to worry about any cranky TSA agents.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and they're leaving Thursday.

That's a good idea about getting a pass tho. I never thought of that. Thanks!

 

[Donalds_best_pal]

Dont worry about id cars. Not they arent good to have, but I am 15 and travel somewere alone every 3 months and never get asked. Technically they cant force you to show or have id, the rule is all passengers over 18 must have id. Now i have my permit but never get asked to see that either. Unless the airline will give him a pass he cant accompany them through security. Some airlines are picky giving them out espically when you kids are that age.

Matt

 

[NotUrsula]

Unless they have some sort of disability, it is extremely unlikely that the airline will issue a security pass for "children" that age to be accompanied to their gates. They are old enough to fly unaccompanied with no questions asked. (Actually, the older one is old enough to travel internationally with no questions asked. The US age to get an adult passport is 16.)

Their Dad will have to veer off at the "kiss & cry" area before the entrance to the roped security area, where the first security worker will check for boarding passes and ID's. Depending on how old your oldest looks, she may be asked for a license, but if she tells them she can't drive yet, they will let her through. If their tickets are one-way, their tickets will be flagged for add'l security scrutiny; otherwise they should not have any difficulty unless their clothing or bags set off the scanners.

Make sure that they are carrying prepaid phone cards and enough cash to feed themselves for 3 meals in the event of flight delays. If they cannot get back home under their own steam from your home airport (in the event the flight is cancelled), then Dad should find somewhere to hang out where he can see the departures board, and should not leave the airport until he has determined that their flight has indeed departed.

 

[bdcp]

Isn't 12 the magic age for not needing any escort out to the plane, through the terminal, making flight connections, etc? What is the minimum age to fly alone? I've heard of fairly young kids being put on planes and escorted off at the other end.

 

[chicknoodle99]

You should check with you airline as some airlines require the child to be at least 15 years old to travel without assistance. And they have to travel with someone over 18 to not have assistance so 16 wouldnt work. Just double check with your airline on their policy as you dont want to be surprised once you get there. If they are not old enough the airline will NOT let them travel without the Unaccompanied Minor Fees being paid.

Good luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

OK, I stand corrected. I did some checking around, and I've found that some US domestic airlines have recently raised the "unaccompanied minor" upper limit to 14. (It was universally 12 as recently as 4 years ago, when my niece was flying to see us on a regular basis; she's 17 now.) Among them are NWA, CO, USAir, Delta, and as of just a few months ago, Frontier. BTW, the lower age limit for a child to fly as an unaccompanied minor in the US is age 5, that limit is set by the FAA.

Per their current website info, as of 12/8/04, United and AA, O'Hare's two largest carriers, do not require payment of the unaccompanied minor fee for anyone age 14. SWA does not consider a 14 yo an unaccompanied minor, either. ATA does consider a 14 yo an unaccompanied minor, but allows them to travel without the service if they are accompanied by someone who is at least 15.

14 yos are not young enough to be eligible for a child's fare, and are also not required to show ID. If the young person in question claims to be 15, I don't see that there is anything that the airline can really do to enforce payment of the add'l fee, or to impose the itinerary restrictions that apply to UM passengers. There would be no recourse for the passenger if he/she experienced an overnight delay, but that has been a problem with younger travelers for a long time; most hotels will not accept checkins from parties where the oldest guest is not at least 18, and sometimes 21. The way around it (other than sleeping on the airport floor) is usually for a parent to call ahead and pre-pay the hotel charges with a credit card, including a damage deposit.

I'm not advocating "cheating" on the fee, but I can understand why someone might do it if a restricted itinerary was booked before the buyer realized that the UM fee might apply. Changes could get quite expensive, at least in this case, where 2 tickets might have to be changed.