Mickey'snewestfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2005
- Messages
- 4,719
I have a wonderful soon to turn 12 year old niece with pretty severe learning disabilities, including language delays, memory deficits, and dyslexia. She's a sweet, well behaved girl, who in many ways, both academically, socially and in terms of judgement is more like an 8 year old than a 12 year old.
I am hoping to have her come out to visit me for a few weeks this summer, and am looking into the option of having her fly here unaccompanied. The logical airline to fly (by far the cheapest for our particular route) is Southwest. However, here's where things get difficult. SW's policy is that unaccompanied minor status is reserved for children 5 to 11. Since she's over 11 she doesn't qualify. Her mom and I can take her to/meet her at the gate (SW allows that for any child under 18), and we can request that she get preboard priviledges because of her disability (which we'd use because it would mean that she would be able to sit where the UM's sit -- very close to the flight attendant in case they need something. But there are other UM services -- like them not releasing her without a specific adult with ID being there, and them watching her if the plane is rerouted for some reason, that she doesn't seem to get because of her age.
I'm not really worried about them releasing her to someone else -- it's a short flight and I'd be at the airport -- at the gate in fact before she got on the plane, but it's the slight possibility that she'd be rerouted (e.g. if the plane ran into trouble or if there were an evacuation at our airport) that has me worried. Her reading skills are still so poor that there's no way she'd be able to navigate an unfamiliar airport.
Is there some way I can get her these services? It seems silly that I can send my 7 year old son to visit her and her parents, but she can't come here simply because of her birthday.
Oh, and in case someone suggests lying, no I'm not "above" that but SW requires proof of age when you check in a UM.
Ideas?
I am hoping to have her come out to visit me for a few weeks this summer, and am looking into the option of having her fly here unaccompanied. The logical airline to fly (by far the cheapest for our particular route) is Southwest. However, here's where things get difficult. SW's policy is that unaccompanied minor status is reserved for children 5 to 11. Since she's over 11 she doesn't qualify. Her mom and I can take her to/meet her at the gate (SW allows that for any child under 18), and we can request that she get preboard priviledges because of her disability (which we'd use because it would mean that she would be able to sit where the UM's sit -- very close to the flight attendant in case they need something. But there are other UM services -- like them not releasing her without a specific adult with ID being there, and them watching her if the plane is rerouted for some reason, that she doesn't seem to get because of her age.
I'm not really worried about them releasing her to someone else -- it's a short flight and I'd be at the airport -- at the gate in fact before she got on the plane, but it's the slight possibility that she'd be rerouted (e.g. if the plane ran into trouble or if there were an evacuation at our airport) that has me worried. Her reading skills are still so poor that there's no way she'd be able to navigate an unfamiliar airport.
Is there some way I can get her these services? It seems silly that I can send my 7 year old son to visit her and her parents, but she can't come here simply because of her birthday.
Oh, and in case someone suggests lying, no I'm not "above" that but SW requires proof of age when you check in a UM.
Ideas?