Kids Flying Solo

Kids Flying Solo
By admin


This blog first appeared on Toddlers on Tour.

There’s been a lot in the news recently about kids flying on their own, or unaccompanied minors as they are called in the airline industry.

First there was the poor man who was unceremoniously removed from his seat on a Virgin Australia flight.  This obviously should never have been allowed to happen.  As an ex-ground staff member for another airline, I know that it is part of the ground staff duty to edit the flight before check-in and ensure that if possible there are no adults seated next to unaccompanied children.  Second the flight attendant should have chosen more appropriate wording when asking him to move.

Instead of saying, “you’re a man and you can’t sit next to unaccompanied children.”  She should have said, “I’m sorry, it is our policy that if there are spare seats on the flight we prefer that the unaccompanied children are not sitting next to adults.  Again I am really sorry to inconvenience you.”

Obviously these situations may continue to grow as airlines are now (with a fee) allowing passengers to pre-book a seat at the time of booking.  Thereby making it more difficult for airline staff to arrange the seating on a flight.

Then a worse story emerged later in the week where Delta Airlines lost an unaccompanied child.  Those poor parents receiving a phone call from their daughters camp advising that she hadn’t arrived.  I cannot imagine the anguish they went through until she was located.

Part of the problem being that the airline subcontracts out the duty of escorting unaccompanied minors, and the flight attendants left the child waiting alone for the escort.  The child missed her connecting flight.

Again these problems may increase as airlines get more concerned with the bottom dollar.  Airlines will continue to outsource duties that take up airline staff time that result in flight delays which ultimately costs the airline money.

Obviously no parent really wants to send their child on flight across the country or around the world unaccompanied.  However we don’t live in a perfect world and sometimes it needs to be done.

So what can you do?

Start by research each airline, their policies and choose the one that best suits your needs.  Then explain the process to your child and create a contingency plan if something goes wrong eg. “go the people in uniform at the desk and ask for help”.  Next explain the procedure to the person collecting your child.  Pack your child’s bag with them and their carry on luggage so they know what snacks and activities they have.  Finally remind them and yourself not to get annoyed with the formalities, it’s in place to keep your child as safe as possible.

Because the safety of your child is what everyone really wants; including the poor man who was removed from his seat.

If you'd like to submit a blog to be featured in this section of our site, please email us here.

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]