Im An Unaccompanied Minor...?

Question

and im 14 years old!!! i can guarantee someone will see im still not old enough but come on, get real!! im flying continental and i dont want to be treated like some special person or baby...ooo hes flying as an "unaccompanied minor" ya know?? and i keep telling my parents i dont need to be one and they are like, no your better safe than sorry. or somethin like that. so i mean what the heck im 14 i dont need to be an unaccomanied minor like geez can someone talk to me here?

Answer 1

I agree. I remember when I was 14 I was definately mature enough to navigate the airports by myself.  In fact i was more well traveled than my parents so when they came with me I was always showing them around the airports. so I have no doubt that you're capable of doing everything by yourself. but parents will be parents and parents tend to worry. I now work for a major airline in the reservations center and you wouldn't believe how many parents call in to request the service for their 16 and 17 year old children!!!!!  so you're definately not alone. but depending on the airline you're going to go on they won't allow you to go by yourself unless you're 15. some airlines are 14. so just wait one more year and  then you shouldn't have any problems with the airlines, you'll just have to talk your parents into it.

Answer 2

I know, it feels awkward.  But it gives your parents peace of mind.  

I was an unaccompanied minor at age 16, when I was traveling by myself internationally to Japan on a study abroad program.  I started out in Montreal, and my parents requested the service for me because in Chicago I had 25 minutes to make it to my connecting flight, and they were afraid I'd miss it.  Although it was a little embarrassing being 16 and surrounded by 9 and 10 year olds, I'm thankful that they did what they did.  Especially once I got to Tokyo, and had no idea where anything was, and needed to transfer to another airport, so I could take another flight to a small city in southern Japan.  

If you're worried about being treated in a special way, don't worry.  In Chicago, though I had two large check-ins (I was going abroad for a year), the lady I was with didn't help me pull the suitcases off the conveyor belt, and was irritated that I was slow in keeping up with her.  Truthfully, I don't think these people really give a d**n about you one way or another.  No worries!