Airlines and unaccompanied minors

skyhighZJ

skyhighZJ

Gov retirement < needs to live
Joined
May 31, 2012
Location
Aberdeen, NC.
Asking for real world experience with buying tickets for unaccompanied minors. My step son will be traveling from Lake Charles Louisiana to Raleigh and staying for the month. This will be his first time flying and he is 17 but asked us if it’s possible to have an escort to make sure he gets where he needs to go and make connecting flights. Please let me know what you have dealt with this and any issues you have run into.

TIA.

PS this is very important to us as it will be the first time my wife has been able to see, and spend time with her son in a many years due to a nasty divorce so we want this to be a flawless experience. And he will be here for his 18th birthday which will be amazing!!

TIA!!

Edit; some additional details added below in comments that I forgot to list initially. Sorry for the confusion.
 
Last edited:
Has he flown before?

Most airlines charge a fee for an unaccompanied minor that is flying, typically to cover costs for an escort. I don’t remember if it’s for the entire trip or if you have to pay for both initial and return flights. You may want to book two one way tickets to avoid additional unaccompanied minor fees for the return trip since he will have turned 18 already.

There is a form the parent/guardian has to fill out from the airline as well as some form of ID, even a birth certificate. These have to be with him during the flight. With that fee, the airline provides an escort for connecting flights and to the terminal exit/baggage claim.

When I flew as a minor, the escort never showed up, so at 14 years old I had to navigate two connecting flights and a gate change solo. I asked if he had flown before because in my case I had flown many times and was familiar with airports, etc. and didn’t miss my flights. Previous flying experience will be helpful if the escort never shows up.


Edit: Doh! Overlooked the “first time flying” part.
 
He has never flown and this the request from him to us to have an escort to make sure he navigates the airport terminals correctly.
 
No real world experience so kinda just a question: with it being a short flight (I'm assuming only a few hours??) And the need to make sure it goes flawlessly and doesn't deter him from wanting to come up again, would it be cost effective to have one of you fly down there to fly back with him? I have no idea about the prices of airline tickets but if it's close to what it would cost for the escort or the additional ticket that @rockcity was talking about, seems like a good reason to fly down and get some crawfish gumbo for lunch in my best Troy Landry voice.
 
I'll sort of echo Rockcity's experience.

My son flew to Arizona when he was 15 solo. We had to pay a very nominal fee for the escort (maybe $45?)...BUT...we took him to the security gate and the TSA guy met us. Took him through security and we were each off. 5 minutes later I am on the phone with my son as I am riding the shuttle back to my truck. He said the TSA guy got him through security and said - your plane leaves from Gate B2 (I dont know if this is the correct gate just an example) - wing B is over there and you will be at the 2nd gate. Look for the B2. Hand this paper to the lady at the desk. He said the TSA guy never made it 10' past the end of the security line.

Now with my kid, he had flown plenty and at 15...well he didnt look 15. Maybe that influenced the TSA guys behavior, dunno. But I was kinda ticked at the waste of money. If Id been in your shoes and had that experience I would have been livid.

None of my business but looks like - date dependent - you could fly CLT to Lake Charles for $200 round trip or RDU to Lake Charles for under $300 round trip.

As a former kid of an estranged parent...it may actually be very emotionally beneficial to let your wife go meet him and them connect 1-on-1 and fly back together as a joint adventure and you pick them up at the airport. It could alleviate all his fears of flying solo, eliminate some inevitable awkwardness and make it all around a better experience.

Good luck however it goes
 
Ron said:
I'll sort of echo Rockcity's experience.

My son flew to Arizona when he was 15 solo. We had to pay a very nominal fee for the escort (maybe $45?)...BUT...we took him to the security gate and the TSA guy met us. Took him through security and we were each off. 5 minutes later I am on the phone with my son as I am riding the shuttle back to my truck. He said the TSA guy got him through security and said - your plane leaves from Gate B2 (I dont know if this is the correct gate just an example) - wing B is over there and you will be at the 2nd gate. Look for the B2. Hand this paper to the lady at the desk. He said the TSA guy never made it 10' past the end of the security line.

Now with my kid, he had flown plenty and at 15...well he didnt look 15. Maybe that influenced the TSA guys behavior, dunno. But I was kinda ticked at the waste of money. If Id been in your shoes and had that experience I would have been livid.

None of my business but looks like - date dependent - you could fly CLT to Lake Charles for $200 round trip or RDU to Lake Charles for under $300 round trip.

As a former kid of an estranged parent...it may actually be very emotionally beneficial to let your wife go meet him and them connect 1-on-1 and fly back together as a joint adventure and you pick them up at the airport. It could alleviate all his fears of flying solo, eliminate some inevitable awkwardness and make it all around a better experience.

Good luck however it goes
Click to expand...
Thanks man! They have met as she was able to get down there for his HS graduation and reconnect so this isn’t a totally blind meeting scenario just looking for him to have his first experience flying be a smooth one (outside the typical flight delay bs). We are still considering a flight down there to meet him or, based on coast even doing a cannonball run to go pick him up.

Just trying to figure out the best coa.
 
I would try and choose a direct flight if available, that way changing planes , lay over delays, missed connecting flight .etc they won't have to go through.
 
You can get an escort pass to get through security just as the escort for a minor. Same for meeting at the gate.
Don't think there's even a fee. We did this several years ago with a niece. Quick Google suggests it's still the case.
That doesn't help w the layover but can go a long way to make a parent feel better about seeing their kiddo get on the plane.
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
I would try and choose a direct flight if available, that way changing planes , lay over delays, missed connecting flight .etc they won't have to go through.
Click to expand...
I wish this was the case and not be cost preventative (or obscene). The closest to accomplish would be either ATL OR DFW (each over 6hrs away) and then I still don’t even know getting into NC because even as big as Raleigh and Charlotte are they still have to connect to go anywhere (if that makes sense?)
 
RatLabGuy said:
You can get an escort pass to get through security just as the escort for a minor. Same for meeting at the gate.
Don't think there's even a fee. We did this several years ago with a niece. Quick Google suggests it's still the case.
That doesn't help w the layover but can go a long way to make a parent feel better about seeing their kiddo get on the plane.
Click to expand...
That might not be too bad and once he is on the ground again we could FaceTime or the like to guide him through. Of course this is 100% best case scenario and not including delays that would require rebooking or the like.
 
skyhighZJ said:
I wish this was the case and not be cost preventative (or obscene). The closest to accomplish would be either ATL OR DFW (each over 6hrs away) and then I still don’t even know getting into NC because even as big as Raleigh and Charlotte are they still have to connect to go anywhere (if that makes sense?)
Click to expand...
For sure fly into certain areas can have intresting routes.

Also make sure you have a long enough layover. My first time flying i remember we were delayed on the first flight and landed at the same time our next flight was boarding. Luckily it was at onother terminal on the clear other end of the airport. Had to run for it.
 
I know it’s not relevant to you actual question, but is the request for being accompanied for one of the parents ease of mind or the kids or is this an airline requirement? That may be a “none of your damn business” question and irrelevant.

I ask because we sent our 15y/o unaccompanied daughter from Florida to NC. We ran into an issue with Allegiant because of weather. They restricted her from flying in case they had to divert to another airport. They didn’t want the liability 🙄. So be aware of any policies such as this. I thought it ridiculous, but it’s their policy.
 
mbalbritton said:
I know it’s not relevant to you actual question, but is the request for being accompanied for one of the parents ease of mind or the kids or is this an airline requirement? That may be a “none of your damn business” question and irrelevant.

I ask because we sent our 15y/o unaccompanied daughter from Florida to NC. We ran into an issue with Allegiant because of weather. They restricted her from flying in case they had to divert to another airport. They didn’t want the liability 🙄. So be aware of any policies such as this. I thought it ridiculous, but it’s their policy.
Click to expand...
Allegiant's maintenance makes me raise an eyebrow, but there is no cheaper way to get from FL to NC!
 
mbalbritton said:
I know it’s not relevant to you actual question, but is the request for being accompanied for one of the parents ease of mind or the kids or is this an airline requirement? That may be a “none of your damn business” question and irrelevant.

I ask because we sent our 15y/o unaccompanied daughter from Florida to NC. We ran into an issue with Allegiant because of weather. They restricted her from flying in case they had to divert to another airport. They didn’t want the liability 🙄. So be aware of any policies such as this. I thought it ridiculous, but it’s their policy.
Click to expand...
Jeez, can you imagine looking at a 16 y/o and saying, "sorry your flight has been cancelled. We're booking you for first thing in the mrning... here's a free hotel and meal voucher, have fun, see you in the morning!"
 
mbalbritton said:
I know it’s not relevant to you actual question, but is the request for being accompanied for one of the parents ease of mind or the kids or is this an airline requirement? That may be a “none of your damn business” question and irrelevant.

I ask because we sent our 15y/o unaccompanied daughter from Florida to NC. We ran into an issue with Allegiant because of weather. They restricted her from flying in case they had to divert to another airport. They didn’t want the liability 🙄. So be aware of any policies such as this. I thought it ridiculous, but it’s their policy.
Click to expand...
We asked Robert how he felt about it and gave him the option. He said he would like help. He is humble and knows when to ask cause he is a rarity amongst most youngsters.
We said we would get it figured out then realized we had neither ever had the issue being we are both retired military and thus never had the comfort option in airport situations with the worst case scenarios possible and just left to “deal with it”. Thanks uncle sugar airlines lol
 
mbalbritton said:
Did it at 12and my brother was 15. Layover in Atlanta on our way to Holland. Ya, I can. 😁
Click to expand...
ATL is probably a mandatory stop for him and depending on what they are working on to improve the airport this year it can be frustrating at best or down right confusing if you’ve never been through there having to go down and catch the train to the next terminal then back up to your gate. Hope you’re not in a hurry cause your hosed.
 
Lurch830 said:
Allegiant's maintenance makes me raise an eyebrow, but there is no cheaper way to get from FL to NC!
Click to expand...
Once we finally transitioned from the MD80 in favor of a single-type fleet (A320’s/319’s) all that really went away. I’ve flown for them since 2015 and I can tell you there’s not a single pilot on property that will currently accept an aircraft that they wouldn’t put their own family on.. myself included.
 
mbalbritton said:
Did it at 12and my brother was 15. Layover in Atlanta on our way to Holland. Ya, I can. 😁
Click to expand...
When I was 16 my parents sent me to Antwerp for 6 weeks to stay with a friend of Dads. Like everyone else on the east coast then, had a layover in Atlanta to get there. I think they spent as much time preparing me for that as much as what to expect from a Dutch family, lol. My flight out did have a delay, I remember just sitting in the terminal for what seemed like forever, watching looped footage on a TV about the genocides happening in then-Czechoslovakia and hearing people talking about it, and getting really freaked out about leaving the country.

Going to a market and having my first beer with my host teenager made up for that really quickly, lol.
On the return trip they had me call them from ATL using 1-800-COLLECT. I guess that in itself dates me.
 
skyhighZJ said:
ATL is probably a mandatory stop for him and depending on what they are working on to improve the airport this year it can be frustrating at best or down right confusing if you’ve never been through there having to go down and catch the train to the next terminal then back up to your gate. Hope you’re not in a hurry cause your hosed.
Click to expand...
Funny, I have quite the opposite opinion on Atlanta. To me it's the easiest and most efficient airport I've ever navigated.
 
RatLabGuy said:
When I was 16 my parents sent me to Antwerp for 6 weeks to stay with a friend of Dads. Like everyone else on the east coast then, had a layover in Atlanta to get there. I think they spent as much time preparing me for that as much as what to expect from a Dutch family, lol. My flight out did have a delay, I remember just sitting in the terminal for what seemed like forever, watching looped footage on a TV about the genocides happening in then-Czechoslovakia and hearing people talking about it, and getting really freaked out about leaving the country.

Going to a market and having my first beer with my host teenager made up for that really quickly, lol.
On the return trip they had me call them from ATL using 1-800-COLLECT. I guess that in itself dates me.
Click to expand...
Our flight out of Atlanta was cancelled. They booked us out the next day, Stuck me and my brother in a hotel with a voucher for $xx.xx worth. When we got to the hotel we called our parents (in Holland), my step dad said to order Steak and Lobster and whatever desert we wanted and bill it to the room. Voucher value be damned. Made our way home the next day. My Grandparents and Uncles were all flipping out and ready to drive to Atlanta to "Save us". Shit, we were having a great time!

Another one was a delayed/cancelled flight for me and my two older brothers a couple of years later. Stuck sitting on the floor in Heathrow airport for 12 hours, burning up all of our batteries for our Walkmans.

The difference being we had all started travelling internationally at 10-15 years of age 4-5 times minimum. It was just another walk in the park for us. I have people working for me that I have to send off on installs globally that have never been on a plane before, much less out of the country. It's all about perspective and experience in my book.

I hope He has a great experience travelling. Come to think of it, there's been a good deal of shit travel issues lately with delays and rerouting and changing of gates. If you're not accustom to watching out for this and navigating it, you can miss a connecting flight or find yourself stranded right quick.
 
Back
Top