Can me - a 14 year old in the uk fly to north carolina by myself?

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Towelie's Twin Towel

YEP=)

so long as your guardian takes you to the airport and an adult (which will be a camp counselour) will be there to pick you up

soulmusic

yes u can, however make sure you tell the airlines that u are by urself so they look out for you and yes an adult has to drop u at the airport and pick u up from the airport.

captsead0nkey

the only restriction is you can not have an exit isle seat, due to safety reasons, you have to be 16yrs old.
other than, enjoy the 8hr flight.. just remember, were 5hrs behind in time from the UK, 4hrs now if the UK doesnt go no daylight savings time..

Jonny

yes you could as a matter a fact they passed the littile airplane act witch allows anyone with any age go to any airplane by themselves but you need someone to drop you off and an adult to pick you up.

one420blaze

yes, but you need a parent or guardians approval.

wonderer

yes but there are some guide lines you will have to take to do so ..i had a friend who's child was 3yrs old and she had to fly to another state to visit her dad he lived there and they will take over at the airport to make sure you reach your destination but you can't do it without your parents help and consent

Alex

Yea you can I think, I've seen a 13 years old go by plane himself. Don't worry they will guide you through since you're young, as long as you follow the instruction they give you, I think you'll be fine.

Eclipsepearl

I'm an ex-Flight Attendant and I've had many Unaccompanied Minors (UM's) on my flights. There is an extra fee for this service and as a Flight Attendant, I had passengers as old as 16 flying as "UM's".

You're parents have to be there to sign the paperwork when you check-in and someone from the summer camp has to be there to pick you up. Contact the summer camp organizers and ask them how they usually organize this. I am sure you're not the first one to fly in to participate!

The advantage of being a UM is that the ground agents will escort you through security to the gate. This means that you wont have to look for where you're going and you only have to follow them. Once on the aircraft, the Flight Attendants will know that you're flying without an adult and will keep an eye out for you.

Once the plane lands, you'll be given instructions but usually you have to wait till the other passengers get off and then they will hand you over to a ground agent in Philadelphis, who will then help you collect your luggage, get through customs and bring you to your connecting flight.

Please note that you do have to go through customs and immigration at your first point of entry into the U.S. even though you're connecting. They are very strict about this but the ground agent will be there to help you and probably you can go through the "fast lane" with him or her and not have to wait in the big queue.

When you land, again, you wont have to look for your bags yourself. Put bright ribbons or anything distinctive on yours' so you can see them from a distance. It will also help the ground agent to pick them out too. You'll only have to say "the one with the blue ribbon" and not have to describe the bags in details (they all look alike anyway).

Don't think it's treating you as a baby. Airports can look a little crazy and will all the security points, your parents can't take you to the gate themselves, like they did with me when I was little and flew alone. You will simply be following someone in a uniform around.

Please note that they will take your passport and ticket. This is normal. They will fill out your paperwork for you on the airplane before going through customs and immigration in Philly.

Please cooperate with all the airline staff and follow their instructions. Trust me, UM's are taken very seriously by the airlines and these employees will get in big trouble if they lose you! You might be doing this with a group of other kids. Sometimes the children with divorced parents don't listen and try to "escape" because they don't want to do this trip but don't pay attention to them. If the ground staff seem strict with you, that's why. Don't take it personally.

If the person meeting you in the U.S. is late, they will stay with you until they arrive. Make sure that person has all flight information (connecting flights) and ask them to check the internet or call the airlines to be sure of the time to be there. As them to provide the person's cell phone number (don't say "mobile" in the states as that refers to home phones without wires).

Bring some snacks and whatever to pass the time. Recharge any electronical gadgets before leaving and/or bring extra batteries. Bring some books and magazines and a converter for any electronical toys you bring to recharge in Philadelphia while you wait for your next flight (probably they'll run out on the way to Manchester).

Lastly, please don't be offended if they have any trouble understanding you. I lived in London for 6 years and I also lived with a girl from Manchester in Hong Kong. My coworkers found her accent super-exotic but they did have to ask her to repeat herself. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, they also have a distinctive accent so please be patient with each other!

Southerners are known for being nice and polite, as you northerners are in the U.K.

For the record, I would not hesitate to send my own children as "UM"s. It reliable and means you will have an easier time, especially in the airports themselves.

Have a great time in the U.S. and hope it goes well!

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