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Seth's story
11 year old Seth boarded an aeroplane by himself for a trip to his grandparents. His father watched him walk down the runway, and then went home, assuming his son would arrive at his destination safely. Six hours later, he discovered Seth had walked off the plane just before it departed. He had left the airport, stopped at a service station for directions and trotted 40km’s along a busy road to his hometown. This is not an Australian story but true nevertheless.
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Lost 13 year old
Don't do it!!! Northwest Airlines lost my thirteen year old a few years back. They did so only after slapping one of those "Kidnap me first - unaccompanied minor!" stickers on her. Eight gut-wrenching hours of the kid going up in planes, coming down, no one ever telling us anything, and insisting that we were being unreasonable because she'd been unaccounted for the whole time. Good thing we had dear, patient friends on the other end of the journey.
But hey, she got 500 frequent flier miles, a Cinnabon, and a phone card that didn't work in any phones she had access to.
May 2005
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Flying Solo
Last summer, an American mother put her 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son on a cross-country flight and chewed her nails for an hour waiting for it to take off. Five minutes after take-off, her cell phone rang and her stomach clamped into a tight knot. It was her son, who had resourcefully used her secretly memorized calling card number to phone her from his seat. No, nothing was wrong. He'd just forgotten to tape his favorite TV show, Pokémon. Mum wasn't thrilled about the phone bill, but was pleased to find out that later in the day this same resourcefulness helped when a gate agent nearly put him and his sister on the wrong connecting flight.
Every year, 7 million children are sent off alone on airplanes to visit friends and relatives, flying "unaccompanied minor" status. There is plenty that parents can do to maximize the chances of a safe and happy journey.
"I can't believe how many people put their kids on a plane with nothing to do for five hours," says one flight attendant. "We want the kids to enjoy their trip, but we just don't have time to entertain them." The Flight Attendant mentioned that passengers sitting near kids traveling alone will often interact with them, but that parents shouldn't count on this.
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Jodie's story
One of my own stories about my children travelling alone.
– Jodie E Cole
I had booked the flights with the travel agents for the usual domestic Melbourne/Sydney sector. When we arrived at the airport, we were told the children were on an international leg to Sydney and we had to go to the international terminal, rather than the usual domestic terminal.
My daughter, a seasoned traveler by now at age 9, started to show signs of worry. By the time we had checked them in, signed all the paperwork, it was time to say goodbye as they needed to pass through security, customs, immigration and enter the international transit lounge.
I did not realise at the time how scary this was for a little girl without Mum or Dad. She had her 7 year old brother with her, but it is her that looks after him. Unfortunately, my little one overheard the customer service people talking about the children not having a passport and what ID should they accept and not accept. They also had to pass through many security gates – which still today, makes them both anxious (my son had his toy key ring taken away from him years earlier). The loud beeps and men coming over to ask them what is in their bags was just a little too scary for them. My precious child started to panic then and cry as she did not know what to do and she could not see me anymore or call for me to help her.
She was very upset about the whole situation and even now, 18months on, she still insists she is NEVER going on an international flight even with me.
You wish you could re-wind the event to take the pain away but this is another story of why I am passionate about Travelling Angels.
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News Articles
Click on a image to view a larger version
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> Seth's story
> Lost 13 year old
> Flying solo
> Jodie's story
> News Articles
Seth's story 11 year old Seth boarded an aeroplane by himself for a trip to his grandparents. His father watched him walk down the runway, and then went home, assuming his son would arrive at his destination safely. Six hours later, he discovered Seth had walked off the plane just before it departed. He had left the airport, stopped at a service station for directions and trotted 40km’s along a busy road to his hometown. This is not an Australian story but true nevertheless.
^ page top
Lost 13 year old Don't do it!!! Northwest Airlines lost my thirteen year old a few years back. They did so only after slapping one of those "Kidnap me first - unaccompanied minor!" stickers on her. Eight gut-wrenching hours of the kid going up in planes, coming down, no one ever telling us anything, and insisting that we were being unreasonable because she'd been unaccounted for the whole time. Good thing we had dear, patient friends on the other end of the journey.
But hey, she got 500 frequent flier miles, a Cinnabon, and a phone card that didn't work in any phones she had access to.
May 2005
^ page top
Flying SoloLast summer, an American mother put her 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son on a cross-country flight and chewed her nails for an hour waiting for it to take off. Five minutes after take-off, her cell phone rang and her stomach clamped into a tight knot. It was her son, who had resourcefully used her secretly memorized calling card number to phone her from his seat. No, nothing was wrong. He'd just forgotten to tape his favorite TV show, Pokémon. Mum wasn't thrilled about the phone bill, but was pleased to find out that later in the day this same resourcefulness helped when a gate agent nearly put him and his sister on the wrong connecting flight.
Every year, 7 million children are sent off alone on airplanes to visit friends and relatives, flying "unaccompanied minor" status. There is plenty that parents can do to maximize the chances of a safe and happy journey.
"I can't believe how many people put their kids on a plane with nothing to do for five hours," says one flight attendant. "We want the kids to enjoy their trip, but we just don't have time to entertain them." The Flight Attendant mentioned that passengers sitting near kids traveling alone will often interact with them, but that parents shouldn't count on this.
^ page top
Jodie's story One of my own stories about my children travelling alone.
– Jodie E Cole
I had booked the flights with the travel agents for the usual domestic Melbourne/Sydney sector. When we arrived at the airport, we were told the children were on an international leg to Sydney and we had to go to the international terminal, rather than the usual domestic terminal.
My daughter, a seasoned traveler by now at age 9, started to show signs of worry. By the time we had checked them in, signed all the paperwork, it was time to say goodbye as they needed to pass through security, customs, immigration and enter the international transit lounge.
I did not realise at the time how scary this was for a little girl without Mum or Dad. She had her 7 year old brother with her, but it is her that looks after him. Unfortunately, my little one overheard the customer service people talking about the children not having a passport and what ID should they accept and not accept. They also had to pass through many security gates – which still today, makes them both anxious (my son had his toy key ring taken away from him years earlier). The loud beeps and men coming over to ask them what is in their bags was just a little too scary for them. My precious child started to panic then and cry as she did not know what to do and she could not see me anymore or call for me to help her.
She was very upset about the whole situation and even now, 18months on, she still insists she is NEVER going on an international flight even with me.
You wish you could re-wind the event to take the pain away but this is another story of why I am passionate about Travelling Angels.
^ page top
News Articles Click on a image to view a larger version
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The FACTS:
1) In Australia, Qantas carried 300,000 unaccompanied minors in 2003.
2) Children can not see the crew member do the safety drill or the TV monitor and thereby miss the mandatory safety procedures. This is not the crew’s fault at all, children just can’t see over the seats!
3) Children are also nervous and sometimes cannot reach for the call bell. Flight Attendants have a 1:34 crew to passenger ratio (dependant on aircraft type) so it is difficult for them to devote much time to the children.
4) Since children dehydrate almost 3 times faster on board a plane, it is important for them to drink regularly.
5) In America, there are 9 million children travelling unaccompanied onboard aircrafts each year (source: Department of Transport 2004). Since 9/11, many US Airlines will not take children unless they are on a direct flight to their destination.
They charge anything from $35-75 $US one way for a child to travel unaccompanied. This does not include extra service or crew support.
1) In Australia, Qantas carried 300,000 unaccompanied minors in 2003.
2) Children can not see the crew member do the safety drill or the TV monitor and thereby miss the mandatory safety procedures. This is not the crew’s fault at all, children just can’t see over the seats!
3) Children are also nervous and sometimes cannot reach for the call bell. Flight Attendants have a 1:34 crew to passenger ratio (dependant on aircraft type) so it is difficult for them to devote much time to the children.
4) Since children dehydrate almost 3 times faster on board a plane, it is important for them to drink regularly.
5) In America, there are 9 million children travelling unaccompanied onboard aircrafts each year (source: Department of Transport 2004). Since 9/11, many US Airlines will not take children unless they are on a direct flight to their destination.
They charge anything from $35-75 $US one way for a child to travel unaccompanied. This does not include extra service or crew support.
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