Kids flying alone.

Your best bet is to contact the specific airline to find out the details of their policy. You can get that info on their websites.

Some airlines do a better job than others as far as looking after little ones in transit, so it's a good idea to talk to people who've actually done it to see what their experiences were.

Does anyone have a story to share about their little one's 'solo' experience?

I think the age is 12. I would NOT recommend putting a child on a flight with a connection. Too many factors could get that child lost. You don't want a child any age ending up stuck for hours in an airport after a missed or delayed flight. Your best bet is to directly call the airline and ask them their policy. I expect the policies have tightened up in the last few years due to security changes. It also might vary from airline to airline.

Susan is mom to Alexander, Isabel, David and stepmom to Eric. She does community outreach for arizonamoms. Be sure to enter the Back-to-School $1000 Giveaway every day July 4-31!

I think most airlines will accept unaccompanied minors as young as five and will assign the child to one of the flight atttendants. Sometimes you have to pay an extra fee. I think some airlines do require a non-stop flight, but you would have to check with the airlines (you could even go online to check that policy). Depending on the airline, at 12 or 14 the kid is on their own - no flight attendant supervision.

You can get a pass to take your child to the gate, and whoever is meeting them can do the same (only one person can go though).

Southwest Airlines:
Policies for Children Traveling Alone
Southwest strives to provide the best possible service to our Unaccompanied Minors. For this reason, we have special policies and requirements for children between the ages of five and eleven who are traveling without an accompanying adult.

Unaccompanied children between the ages of five and eleven may travel on Southwest Airlines provided the child has a confirmed reservation and the flight on which he/she travels does not require a change of aircraft or flight number. Proof of age may be required, so be sure to bring the child's birth certificate or other valid identification that shows the child's date of birth.
Children under the age of five must be accompanied throughout their trip by a Customer twelve years of age or older.
Children who are 12 years of age or older travel under the same policies and terms as adults.
Southwest Airlines will be unable to transport Unaccompanied Minors on flights anticipated to terminate short of or bypass the child's destination due to weather or other operational situations.
Southwest Airlines personnel are not permitted to take children home or remain with them overnight in a hotel. If the child is not met and the adult sending the child cannot be reached, or if the child cannot be returned to the originating city at the sending adult's expense, the child will be turned over to the custody of the welfare department or local police.
These policies apply on Southwest Airlines only. Other airlines may have different policies and procedures

US Airways:
Children traveling without a parent or legal guardian are considered unaccompanied minors.

When a young adult traveling alone checks in on the day of departure, a notation will be added in our computer system which will alert other US Airways personnel of the young adult's presence on the flight. This notation will aid US Airways personnel in providing assistance to the young adult in the event of an irregularity.

Children under 5 may not travel without parent or legal guardian.
Children 5-14 may travel unaccompanied on non-stop flights for an additional $100 fee each way. US Airways assistance is required.
Children 15-17 may travel unaccompanied on non-stop and connecting flights without US Airways assistance.
Children 15-17 who require US Airways assistance may travel unaccompanied on non-stop flights only. There is an additional $100 fee each way. Uniformed employees provide assistance for children traveling alone from the point of departure to their final destination. Personnel are not qualified to provide certain types of medical assistance, and are not permitted to administer or dispense medication. Please take these points into consideration if the child requires specialized care.
If an unaccompanied minor is traveling on a flight operated by one of our Star Alliance or codeshare partners, you must contact the carrier directly for their policies on unaccompanied minors. Some airlines may charge an additional fee for these passengers.

Delta Airlines:
General Guidelines
Unaccompanied service is required for all children 5–14 years old when not traveling in the same compartment with an adult at least 18 years old or the child's parent/legal guardian.
Children ages 5–7 years can only fly on nonstop or direct flights with no change of planes.
Children ages 8–14 years can fly on nonstop or connecting flights, but may not connect to other airlines, with the exception of Delta Connection carriers (excluding AA Eagle) and Air France.
Children 15–17 are not required to have unaccompanied service but we will provide it when requested.
An unaccompanied child can not be booked on the last connecting flight of the evening. This is to prevent the need for an overnight stay in a hotel. Contact Reservation Sales before you book here at delta.com if you have questions about connecting flights.

United Airlines:
United offers unaccompanied minor service for children from 5-17 years of age.

For the safety of minors traveling alone, unaccompanied minor service will ensure that your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and turned over to the appropriate person upon arrival at their final destination.

The service is mandatory for unaccompanied minors 5 to 11 years old and optional for 12- to 17-year-olds. If the child is traveling as an unaccompanied minor, he or she may not travel on the last direct or connecting flight of the day. The fee is $99 USD each way (except to/from Japan or Brazil - no fee applies). Notify us at 1-800-UNITED-1 (864-8331) when making your reservation so essential information can be noted for your child. Be aware that the responsible adult bringing the child to the airport (including camp counselors, etc.) must remain at the airport until the child boards and the aircraft departs the gate.

The following rules apply to those customers traveling on United-operated flights only. If an unaccompanied minor is scheduled to travel on a flight operated by one of our Star Alliance or code share partners, you are required to contact the carrier directly to inquire about their policies for children traveling unaccompanied.

5-7 years
Children ages 5-7 may travel on United flights that are nonstop or do not require a change of airplane. They may not travel on connecting flights. They may also travel on the last non-stop flight of the day.

8-11 years
Children ages 8-11 may travel on United non-stop, direct and connecting flights. (A direct flight makes a stop but there is no plane change.) They may also travel unaccompanied on connecting flights to other airlines. Children ages 8-11 are restricted from connecting to the last flight of the day which includes the last direct flight of the day. An exception can be made for children connecting to and from international flights.

Continental Airlines:
For reservations booked and purchased on or after Feb. 17, 2008:
Continental will allow unaccompanied minor travel only on Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia, Continental Express and Continental Connection flights.
Unaccompanied minors under 5 years of age are not accepted.
Unaccompanied minors ages 5-7 may only travel on nonstop flights.
Unaccompanied minors ages 8-14 may travel on any flight (nonstop or connecting) operated by Continental, Continental Micronesia, Continental Express, or Continental Connection. However, travel will not be allowed on the last connecting flight of the day – unless the connecting flight is the only published service to that destination. Unaccompanied Minors are not accepted on flights which require an overnight stay in order to make a connection.
Special supervision for children ages 15-17 who are traveling alone will no longer be offered.
Children under the age of 15 traveling alone may not travel on any flights operated by Continental that connect to/from other carriers, including SkyTeam and other partners.

Northwest Airlines:
To ensure a safe, comfortable and fun trip for the unaccompanied child traveler, Northwest has established a program for children traveling without an adult 18 years of age or older.

If your child will be traveling alone, please contact Northwest Airlines Reservations at 1-800-225-2525 to book their travel. Northwest will waive the ticketing fee on tickets purchased through our Reservations Department for children participating in our unaccompanied minor program.

Children between the ages of 5-14 may travel unaccompanied when participating in Northwest's unaccompanied minor program. An unaccompanied minor fee will be assessed prior to departure and certain exemptions to this fee apply. Please see the chart below for details. In addition, the following policies have been established:

Any child age 5 through 14 traveling without an adult 18 years of age or older must participate in the Unaccompanied Minor Program. All rules and fees apply.
Children ages 5 through 7 may fly unaccompanied on nonstop, direct flights only, even when traveling with another child age 8 through 17 (no connections that change planes allowed).
Children ages 5 through 14 will not be accepted on red-eye flights.
Children ages 5 through 14 will not be accepted on the last direct flight of the day.
Children ages 8 through 14 will not be accepted on the last connecting flight of the day.
Overnight stay itineraries are prohibited.
Red-eye flights are defined as departures between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. local time. The following are exempt from the red-eye restriction:
International Flights
Domestic short-haul flights (2 hours or less)
Flights to and from Alaska and Hawaii

Unaccompanied minors will not be accepted for international travel if their itinerary includes a connection to an off-line carrier. Northwest code-share partners are not included in this restriction. For domestic travel involving connections to another carrier, please contact Northwest Reservations for policy and charges information.
Reservations must be confirmed to the child's final destination.
The Northwest unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for children ages 5-14, and optional for children ages 15-17. The ticketing fee will be waived if the unaccompanied minor service is purchased for children ages 15-17. The fee will not be waived if the service is declined.
Northwest will provide supervision for children accepted under the program from the time of boarding until the child is met at the final destination.
Up to four children (related or not related) traveling together will be assessed only one service fee. Exception, more than four related children traveling together will be assessed only one service fee.
Children under the age of 5 are not eligible for unaccompanied minor services and must be accompanied on the same flight and in the same compartment by a passenger at least 18 years of age.
Unaccompanied minors must be checked in with an agent. They are not eligible to use the self-service check-in devices

American Airlines:
Unaccompanied Child / Minor (UMNR)
A child 5-14 years old traveling alone or with other children ages 5-14 years.
Children under age five may not travel unaccompanied.
Unaccompanied children 5-7 years of age will be accepted on a nonstop or through flight only.
Unaccompanied minors ages 5-7 are not accepted on change-of-gauge flights.
Unaccompanied children 8-14 years of age will be accepted for transportation on nonstop, through or connecting flights. Connections to flights of other airlines are permitted only when allowed by the rules of the connecting carrier.
Reservations must be confirmed to the destination.
American Airlines will not accept reservations or provide transportation for unaccompanied children for any itinerary that includes the last on-line connecting flight.
Must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or responsible adult until the child is boarded on the flight and the aircraft has departed the gate.
The child must be met at the destination by another parent, guardian, or responsible adult.
The age of the child is based on age at commencement of travel.
A service charge will be assessed for UMNRs on all flights.
During schedule irregularities, American Airlines may refuse to provide connection air transportation services at any origination city to an UMNR holding reservations when there is a reasonable likelihood that the UMNR will not make a flight connection, and therefore require overnight accommodations.
Effective for reservations made on or after June 2, 2007, American Airlines, American Eagle and American Connection will no longer accept UMNRs when their itinerary includes a connection to or from another airline.

Alaska Airlines:
At Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air we welcome child travelers and will gladly escort them to their final destination. Our Unaccompanied Minor Service is available to children ages 5 through 17 years old, on both our domestic and international flights. To book a child traveler, type in “0” in the Adults field and the total number of children traveling alone in the Children field on the reservations page.

Please note: Other airline policies, fees, and age limits may differ from Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Some airlines may not allow children traveling alone to be booked in the same reservation with Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air flights. If a child's itinerary includes non-Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air flights, please check with that airline directly regarding their policies, fees, and age limits.

The age is fourteen. You have to walk them to the plane and an adult has to pick them up. I don't think they have to travel non-stop as long as the airline has enough people to take care of them.

Paz

Hey Unc, I think you might have just got your own research staff, wow!

Susan is mom to Alexander, Isabel, David and stepmom to Eric. She does community outreach for arizonamoms. Be sure to enter the Back-to-School $1000 Giveaway every day July 4-31!

I flew my 6 year old via SouthWest from Phoenix to Boston last summer and it was awful, I'll never to it again, not until he's at least 12.
First of all, before I put him on the plane we went snack and toy shopping; Lunchables, cookies, coloring books, action figures the whole kit'n'kaboodle. I even packed him a mini DVD player with lots of Disney DVDs to be sure he was totally occupied the whole time.
I walked him to the gate, spoke to the flight attendant who reassured me he'd be taken care of, informed them he needed his bag because that's where all his snacks were - so make sure to put it by his feet, etc.

Come to find out. The genius flight attendant put his bag in the overhead bin and never gave it back to him. My poor little 6 year old son didn't have a single toy, snack, or movie the whole flight. OMG. Can you say "angry parent"?

I was emotional enough worrying about him the whole time, but when I found out they didn't even let my little guy get to his cookies I was furious. I flew up and picked him up for the ride home. What a nightmare.

Booo SouthWest.

Guess it just depends on your own experience. My 8-year old daughter flies to see her dad that is stationed in San Diego at least 5 times a year, by herself as an unaccompanied minor on Southwest. I have gotten awesome service. All the other carriers charge an additional fee on top of the price of the ticket, Southwest does not. I have not had any problems and she's been doing this since she was 8-years old. Good luck!!! She loves it!

There is no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one!

I work in the travel industry and the age is 5 years old for domestic flights on domestic carriers. However, many airlines will charge a fee for unaccompanied minor service. The above information I posted is all off of the airlines websites there for is accurate and most up to date.

Good Uncle, the age limit is just 5 on most airlines. The question is, whether the children in question is ready to fly on his own. The procedures for unaccompanied minors are strict enough to assure their safety in terms of who can pick them up at the gate, etc. But there's no one on board that will actually baby sit the kids. Though the flight attendants do keep an eye on them, they also have other work to do.

So the question to ask: Is this child independent, able to take care of his own needs like snack and going to the bathroom alone? Can he entertainment himself for the time required? Does he follow directions well? Is he excited about making the trip alone?

Karina Bland is raising her 9-year-old son in Tempe with a lot of love, humor and support from her friends and family. A longtime journalist covering child welfare and education issues for The Arizona Republic, she blogs about raising good kids.

Both my kids flew by themselves to visit their dad in AZ while I was still selling our house in TN. My daughter was 8, direct flight, no problems. My son was 13 and the only problem we encountered was that you can't accompany anyone over the age of 12 past the security gate if you don't have a ticket. That was not okay since the airlines recommend that you are at the airport 2 hours prior to boarding - I was not comfortable leaving him alone for that amount of time in an airport. The security people listened to my concerns and allowed me to accompany him. I think I had the "mother lion look" in my eye.....

No her child was not the only child or person on that plane, but she DID pay extra for that extra attention & care and the child didn't receive it. Some children are reluctant to talk to strangers as they've been taught about stranger danger and even though the child may have been assured that this person is okay and was going to help them they may still have been reluctant. Or ..... the flight attendant may have never stopped by to speak with the child which I have personally observed before on a flight with a child flying unaccompanied that the parents paid extra for the unaccompanied minor service. As far as I'm concerned if paying extra for that service the child shouldn't have had to ask, the person in charge of that child should have remembered what the parent told them about having the bag near the child and followed through with it. Thankfully there wasn't anything absolutely necessary in that bag which required it to be near by, i.e. asthma inhaler, etc.

If at all possible, I would try to send an adult with them. We have experience too many delays. You can never count on mechanical, medical or weather delays or diversions to other cities. If they are left to fend for themselves at an airport, what age would you leave them?

soccermom