Unaccompanied Minors on Flights

[Constellation]

Good evening! This is my first thread on JetCareers, so if I’ve posted this in an incorrect section please let me know (I did my best to search and research).

I was hoping to hear from pilots about their experiences with unaccompanied minors on their flights. My experience flying as an unaccompanied minor helped forge my love of aviation and I hold vivid memories from those days. Even kids don’t forget great service.

I owe much of this to the flight attendants, pilots, and airline agents that went above and beyond to ensure I was comfortable and looked after as I flew alone between the US and Asia multiple times a year (starting around 5 years old). I wish I could thank them today, because I’m sure it wasn’t easy work at times.

Flying alone as a child can often be an unsettling experience, especially during international travel. I always told myself that if I ever became an airline pilot, I’d carry a toy plane or two and hopefully make an unhappy flyer a little less so.

Times have changed a bit since then. How does your airline accommodate unaccompanied minors? Does anyone have a story to share?

Here are a few of my memories:

• British Airways provided awesome bags filled with toys and BA kid gear.
• Northwest Airlines often allowed me to sit in First Class for the last hour or so of a flight.
• Singapore Airlines arranged for my first cockpit visit in a 747 after they learned I loved airplanes (my Dad probably tipped them off). Not possible anymore, but I’ll never forget that day.
• Airline Reps escorted me everywhere I went. Most major airports had rooms just for unaccompanied minors (a big play room with sad children, essentially).
• If they didn’t have an unaccompanied minor room, they’d take you to get food or simply accompany you into an airline lounge. You were often joined with unaccompanied flyers from other flights and airlines.

 

[Stryker172]

We dont have anything specific for unaccompanied minors. We sign and hand out first flight certificates for the kids though if its their first time. Wish I had those little plastic wings to pass out. I remember getting a set when I was a kid and I was thrilled.

 

[Snuggle]

Wish I had those little plastic wings to pass out. I remember getting a set when I was a kid and I was thrilled.

We have those at my airline. Usually inflight will give it out to kids, but I always carry a couple in my shirt pocket for whenever we have little visitors up front.

 

[trafficinsight]

Once when I was about 12 my grandparents bought me a ticket SAN - TUS on Morris Air, the plan was that my mom would take me to the airport and drop me there before she went to work. Well that morning I had accidentally taken a box of important papers to the dumpster and we then spent an hour retrieving them all.

My mom dropped me and left because now she was late for work as well, and I ran into the terminal with my suitcase only to find that I had missed the flight. The next flight was hours away and I didn't really know what to do.

So I found a pay phone and called my mom, she then had to come from work and pick me up. In the meantime I accidentally left my ticket in the pay phone booth.

By the time we made it back to my mom's office near miramar the plane had landed in Tucson without me on it, my grandparents got the gate agent to call the gate in San Diego... who had found my ticket in the payphone booth but couldn't find me anywhere....

You can imagine what happened next...

I ended up getting on the next flight.

Life is so much easier with cell phones.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Constellation]

Life is so much easier with cell phones.

Yep. Can't remember how many times I spent wandering arrivals with airline agents when we couldn't locate my parents.

 

[Plata]

Whenever possible I sell UAs to the gypsies.

 

[MaRiO FDZ]

I fly corporate international (Mexico) most of the time and my employer has sent his kids and their friends on trips to be picked up by some relative on their arrival. Law in Mexico dictates every minor traveling out of Mexico either parent must have this online form filled out, printed, and signed by either parent alomg with photocopies of passport and birth certificate of the Child. Providing they have the correct paperwork, all the operation is smooth. Sometimes they even want to seat right side, which I'm more than happy to share. Once arriving into the US the CBP officials ask who are they staying with and I just show them my instructions.

 

[Get-home-itis]