16 year old flying alone on Delta

[lpandorf]

My daughter 16, son 12 and I are taking a trip to WDW next month. Due to a scheduling change my daughter may need to fly in the day after us. She would be flying alone on Delta on a direct 2 hour flight to MCO. Our home airport is easy to navigate. I see she can take the Magical Express alone at age 16 once at MCO and meet us at the hotel. I am very comfortable with her doing this trip alone. She is mature, has a good head on her shoulders, straight A student and has done this trip annually with adults and knows her way around airports.

I am not clear on requirements of getting her to plane. I see from 15-17 is optional as an unaccompanied minor. If we choose not to have her fly as minor can she walk in to the airport and make her way through security and to the gate on her own? Her father is not going on this trip so could always go with her all the way to the gate if needed. However, he has limited mobility and it would be a lot easier if he could drop her off, watch her walk in and we stay in touch via cell phone. And once she gets off the plane will Delta allow her to walk to magical express with no one there to meet her? Again, we'd chose not to have her fly as an unaccompanied minor as this trip is something we are confident she can handle.

 

[wilkeliza]

My daughter 16, son 12 and I are taking a trip to WDW next month. Due to a scheduling change my daughter may need to fly in the day after us. She would be flying alone on Delta on a direct 2 hour flight to MCO. Our home airport is easy to navigate. I see she can take the Magical Express alone at age 16 once at MCO and meet us at the hotel. I am very comfortable with her doing this trip alone. She is mature, has a good head on her shoulders, straight A student and has done this trip annually with adults and knows her way around airports.

I am not clear on requirements of getting her to plane. I see from 15-17 is optional as an unaccompanied minor. If we choose not to have her fly as minor can she walk in to the airport and make her way through security and to the gate on her own? Her father is not going on this trip so could always go with her all the way to the gate if needed. However, he has limited mobility and it would be a lot easier if he could drop her off, watch her walk in and we stay in touch via cell phone. And once she gets off the plane will Delta allow her to walk to magical express with no one there to meet her? Again, we'd chose not to have her fly as an unaccompanied minor as this trip is something we are confident she can handle.

If she is 16 I believe she can be dropped off at the airport and do it all by herself if you are comfortable with that. I would just double check with Delta and make sure she knows to have her phone charged and have a little emergency money on hand in case there is a delay and she needs to buy food or something. He could definitely walk her in and stay to make sure she makes it through security if that isn't too much for him.

 

[lpandorf]

Thanks for your help!

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I would at least have someone go in until she gets through security.

 

[rwdavis2]

We always went in with the kids just to make sure they got through security and then went home. From when they were 15 and 12 and traveling together.

 

[bumbershoot]

Fwiw I was 17 when I went to college. I hope I would have been trusted to fly alone just one year before.

Being taken through to security is nice for almost anyone, not just teens. But not if it taxes her dad too much.

 

[jeeperwy]

I would definitely not pay the extra $ for her to be an unaccompanied minor. She sounds like she would be fine on her own. If it's too hard on her dad to make the trip to the airport, maybe a family friend could go in with her and stay until she checks in and checks her bag (if she has one). My son flew to Chicago from our small airport and had to connect in Denver at age 14. At MCO, I find everything to be pretty easy, especially if you don't have to go to baggage claim and then back over to the other terminal!
I think at that age most kids embrace the independence and a direct flight is a perfect chance for them to do so.

 

[Sandi]

If she is comfortable and has flown before, she can manage it herself. My DD has been flying on her own since she was 15 with no issues. Your plan to have DH drop her off and wait to hear that she got thru security is fine. Also, Delta won't care where she goes after she gets off the plane (unless you do the unaccompanied minor thing which would be a waste of money and probably insulting to your DD).

 

[Huff]

At 16 she can go thru security and to the gate by herself. Any adult(s) can go thru TSA to escort her to the gate as well. All they need to do is visit the airlines counter at the airport and ask for a gate pass. You can also do this if desired at MCO to pick her up.

 

[Riles_and_Gabe]

My son at 16 flew from Boston to Santiago, Chile on his own to meet up with us for a trip. He needed a notarized from both myself and his Dad giving him permission to fly on his own. It also listed our contact number and the address that he would be traveling to (he was staying with family the first night so we listed their address). I am not sure if this was because of the international flight or something they require on all their flights. I would probably send the letter just in case.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[DebbieB]

I don't think they would accompany her to magical express. Typically unaccompanied minors have someone meet them at the gate. The FA checks ID to make sure the correct person is picking them up.

 

[writerguyfl]

My son at 16 flew from Boston to Santiago, Chile on his own to meet up with us for a trip. He needed a notarized from both myself and his Dad giving him permission to fly on his own. It also listed our contact number and the address that he would be traveling to (he was staying with family the first night so we listed their address). I am not sure if this was because of the international flight or something they require on all their flights. I would probably send the letter just in case.

The notarized letter requirement is only for international travel.

I don't think they would accompany her to magical express. Typically unaccompanied minors have someone meet them at the gate. The FA checks ID to make sure the correct person is picking them up.

This is correct. Unaccompanied minors are "picked up" at the gate.