Flying with DD and her friend?? Special papers?

[#1Disfann]

Hi. We leave in 9 days and decided on Wednesday to invite my daughters friend (14) to come along. I asked for some advice on the family board and the tip board for what I may need to know and got some great advice...some things I had already covered with her family and some were just good park tips. Someone did post that I may need her birth certificate and a notorized letter from both parents saying she can travel with us. Now I have been taking my niece (also has a different last name than mine) along for all but our last 2 trips and never needed anything like that. Now, when we were going to go to Mexico I was going to need some additional paperwork but what about traveling state to state? I will have a note saying she will be traveling with us from such and such dates and that I may seek medical attention for her. Does that really need to be notorized? Has something changed at the airport in the last 2 years that I will need something additional for her? We are flying on Spirit Airlines. Maybe a phone call is in order. Anyone have any recent personal experience with this? Thanks!

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Personally, I would have the papers notarized. It only takes a minute to do; I know that all our local banks will do it. We always take a friend of my DSs on vacation with us and get a consent to travel and a consent for emergency care notarized. Make sure you have all the child's insurance information on the form.

On that note...we have never been asked for the papers, and this includes a trip to Mexico and a cruise (4/05 and 7/06).

 

[Mousema]

Please have the papers notarized. Legally the hospitals, etc can't do anything without the legal "notarization". My friend found out the hard way when her daughter was in an auto accident with a friend's family. The hospital had to call her to start treatment, fortunately it was nothing serious.

 

[CarolA]

When I travel with my Girl Scouts out of the local area I do get the forms notarized. It's probably not required, but I don't want to get in a fight with the ER!