What do Unaccompanied Minors do between flights?

[Barb D]

DD14 is bummed right now -- she's stuck in a room in an airport with a bunch of other Unaccompanied Minors being "babysat." They wouldn't even let her buy a post card in a gift shop. Is this typical, or does it vary by airport, or airline, or... She desperately wants to get some souvenirs in her next layover city. (She does understand, although she doesn't like it, that she has to be walked from gate to gate, but she really thought they'd be willing to take a short detour into a gift shop.)

 

[flipturngirl]

Wow I am also intrested in this. I have never flown alone always with a group but would like to know if I end up having kids and if this ever happened. I would think that they would let them get a gift or something.

 

[Bob Slydell]

I think that's the same way they do it here in Cleveland. I know I've seen the "clubs" in each of the terminals, but I don't have any personal experience with it, so I don't know what their policy is as far as letting the minors go buy things or do anything in the terminal.

 

[nuke]

Technically you are paying for the airline to get your child from point A to point B whether it be in the air or on the ground. They aren't going to let the kids go shopping and risk losing your child.

At age 14 you had the option to skip the escort didn't you?

 

[kendall]

Probably depends on the airline, airport, the amount of time of the layover, number of kids, facility, and personnel.

DS has experienced the room with little in it, and on another occasion, the WorldPerks lounge (he liked that one a lot).

 

[Hannathy]

They do not have the personal to have individual attention while they shop. They are escorted either form gate to gate if that's all the time they have or escorted to a waiting room like she is in if there is longer time and they stay there until they come and take them to the next gate. They are not allowed to go anywhere unescorted that is what you paid for. My DD has had it both ways straight from one gate to the other and then had to sit close to the counter and wait or to a waiting room. We stopped paying when she was 12 and she did the switches on her own so she could buy a drink or etc plus I didn't think she needed to sit in a room at her age. She would kill me if I did that to her at 14.

 

[helenabear]

I want to say I was 15 when I flew by myself for the first time, but I could've been 16. Always had a layover in either Pitts or Philly. Any time I flew before I turned 18 by myself (and I did this several times a year) they did nothing. I was treated as any other passenger. I think it depends on the airline, but unless you tell them you want assistance, I don't think they have to get it after a certain age. I'd have hated it if I was "babysat" at that age.

 

[chasbos]

Not sure of the "rules" either. When my kids fly alone they are alone - an unaccompanied minor is someone who is under 12.

That is a bummer though that she is stuck in some room.

 

[Barb D]

On Delta, she still has to be an "unaccompanied minor" at 14. If she was 15, she could do it alone. Trust me, she doesn't need this. She is perfectly capable of getting herself from gate to gate.

Southwest's age is 12, but they don't fly to the city she's going to.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Not sure of the "rules" either. When my kids fly alone they are alone - an unaccompanied minor is someone who is under 12.

That is what I remember. When DS flew by himself, he was over 11 so they would not considered him an unaccompanied minor.

 

[helenabear]

Silly question, do you have to give her age next time? I mean that sounds odd, but when I got flights, my dad just got me tickets like I was an every day passenger and not a child. Just a thought... I don't know how Delta works with this. I was on USAir

 

[Barb D]

Silly question, do you have to give her age next time? I mean that sounds odd, but when I got flights, my dad just got me tickets like I was an every day passenger and not a child. Just a thought... I don't know how Delta works with this. I was on USAir

Well, she looks like an adult, but I figured if I didn't give her age she'd have to bring photo ID which has her birthdate on it anyway.

 

[Barb D]

Liberation! They're taking her to her next gate! Woo hoo!

 

[DawnCt1]

Well, she looks like an adult, but I figured if I didn't give her age she'd have to bring photo ID which has her birthdate on it anyway.

She doesn't have a have a photo id. I have flown with almost 18 year olds who looked well past 18 and when asked for an they said that they were 17.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I thought they all broke out of the Unaccompanied Minors room, ran wild through the baggage systems, wreaked havoc in the warehouse, then brought Christmas to all the blizzard-stranded passengers and a crabby airport official.






I can't be the only one who thought of this when I read the title to the thread.

 

[Barb D]

I thought they all broke out of the Unaccompanied Minors room, ran wild through the baggage systems, wreaked havoc in the warehouse, then brought Christmas to all the blizzard-stranded passengers and a crabby airport official.

I can't be the only one who thought of this when I read the title to the thread.

We will truly have to rent that movie when DD gets home!

Anyway, I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath for the news...
Yes, they did let DD14 go INTO A GIFT SHOP in Salt Lake City!