What is the age requirement for a child to fly in the US alone?

Question

Have things changed since 9-11 are rules different? Do the parents walk their child up to the gate or are they not allowed past security? Does the flight attendant sit with the child? How does that work?

Answer 1

The parents walk the child to the gate the required age is 13 i think it might have changed

Answer 2

Children under the age of 12 are termed "unaccompanied minors", or UM's in airline lingo, and children as young as age 5 are allowed to travel without an adult, but there are some very specific procedures and requirements.  First, you need contact the airline and learn their specific rules. All of them have information about UM procedures on their websites. You also need to let the airline know ahead of time that a UM will be traveling so they can arrange for assistance, and they charge an extra fee for it because of the special handling required. There is some paperwork to fill out, identification is checked and then the child is accompanied by an airline representative through security to the airplane. Parents without airline tickets may not pass security. Most airlines want the child to be at the gate 45 minutes prior to departure, which means arriving at the airport at least an hour or two before the flight, depending on how long it takes to get through check-in and security at your airport.  Once on the plane, the child is monitored by the cabin crew, and they try to seat them next to a flight attendant station, but quite often they sit next to an ordinary passenger close to the seats occupied by the FA's during takeoff and landing. At destination, an airline rep meets the child at the gate and escorts them to whoever is meeting them outside the security gates.

There is a very thorough article about it here: http://airtravel.about.com/cs/safetysecu...

Answer 3

Each airline has its own policy; I learned this from setting up travel arrangements for my stepdaughter, travelling between Florida and Oklahoma.  She was 15 at the time, and had no problems.  Of course we printed out maps of the various airports, highlighted the terminal numbers, and did pretty much everything we could to make everything easy to understand and the directions easy to follow.

I think that some are overly restrictive, and as with most things, just because someone makes it past some date on a calendar doesn't necessary mean they're mature enough to handle a given responsibility.  Conversely, some kids are mature enough to travel by themselves when they're 10 or even younger  (I flew unaccompanied when I was 10, back in 1977).  It all depends on the individual in question.

In my experience, American Airlines is the most restrictive (probably after being featured in those Home Alone movies).  They will not necessarily have a flight attendant sit with the child, but they will escort the child through the terminal, from gate to gate and in clearing security on the destination end.  Continental, Delta, and Northwest all seem to be a little more common-sense, and are less restrictive, though if you ask for the same service level, you'll probably get it.

Answer 4

The youngest age for a child to travel alone is 5 for most airlines.  They will be considered an unaccompanied minor and 'escorted' by an airline employee the entire trip.  Most airlines also allow a gate access pass for one parent.  From there the child will be placed on board by an adult from the airline and introduced to the flight attendants who keep an eye on them, however does not sit with them.  For instance on united the child wears a bright red button to ID them as an unaccompanied minor.  After the flight, the child remains onboard until the flight attendant releases them to an airline representative who escorts them to the person picking them up which must have photo ID on them (all that information is supplied at the time of booking as to who will pick the child up etc).  There are extra fees and also other age restrictions for layover flights (usually age 8) etc but those vary by airline as well so it is best to ask all those questions at the time of booking.

Answer 5

hmm, good question, I'm not sure. I probably wouldn't let my child fly alone unless they were over the age of 13 though.

Answer 6

I personly think that anyone is ready to go on the aircraft. I got on the aircraft when I was 5.

Answer 7

I flew alone when I was 12.  But that was in 1985, so I dont know if things have changed.  They had someone waiting at all the gates, but it irritated me.  I could figure out the airport on my own.  I told my parents not do to that anymore.  The stewardess treated me like I was 4.  I had already found my next gate before I got off the first plane.  There is usually a map in the seat back of the airports and you can figure out where you get off and back on easily. But as an adult now, I would want someone meeting my kid and guiding them.