Children Flying Alone. Do you know of any travel companies...?

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SisterGirl

I have had this problem altho not on international level. I flew my son all over the US for 2 years. He was 8/9 years old. Check with the airlines you plan to use, including connecting carriers. Each has a different policy and each different airline's policies must be adhered to. There is a fee for this service but it is nominal compared to the welfare of your child.

zzzzz

many airlines upon request in advance will provide an escort for a child
iwould try to stick to doing it that way if possible
an outside company could use anyone to escort the childand i would be leery of that
besides at 12 if you put him on the plane and pick him up at the other end he is old enough to fly alone as long as the airline and flight crew are aware of it

Donna M

I'm pretty sure any airline will offer this service. Children travelling alone are called "unaccompanied minors". I remember lots of the girls I was at boarding school with travelled home like this - and by all accounts were spoiled rotten by the flight crew.

apupi

All airlines offer a service for unaccompanied children. You bring your child to the airport and an agent will sign a document a give you a copy of it. Then the flight attendant will take your child to the airplane and he or she will keep an eye on the child until she passes the child to an agent at the destination, once there, the person you have assigned to receive your child must show proof of identity and sign a release form and your child is released to that person.
Usually airlines charge $25~75 per child.
Check with the airline you are planning to use for the trip.

Endie vB

British Airways have a speacial service for children flying alone. As your son is not under 12, it's not too hard to make arrangements. They do charge some extra, but he will be fine on board and during transfer. You need to contact them way in advance.

If you check out this website, scroll down and you will find the "contact us". Then chose for the UK option.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/childinfo/public/en_nl

I don't think there's an ongoing flight from Scotland to Turkey, chances are that he will have to change plane in London. I'd say the extra fee is well worth the service of having your son guided by the airline staff.

jÃ¥Â¢qÃ¼Ãª

I suggest finding an airline that has a direct flight (no connections or plane changes) and see what they have to say.
I work as a ticket agent and we do escort unaccompanied minors. If you flew with the airline I work with (they are only in the US though) you'd have two options to fly with us.
At twelve years old you could choose to pay an extra fee to have him listed as an unaccompanied minor. Then you'd (or the person dropping him off would) take him to a gate where the person boarding the plane would escort him on the plane and introduce him to the flight attendant(s). He'd be sat in the front where the flight attendants could keep an eye on him. He'd also be escorted off the plane by someone with the airline and taken to meet the meeting party.
But at twelve, according to my airline, he'd be considered an adult if you chose to not pay the fee and still let him fly. (Eleven and under require the fee or they can't fly.)
Regardless of his status as an unaccompanied minor, I wouldn't want to put him through the trouble of connections.
Hope this helps, but of course all companies are different...

snickers27

Contact the air lines. They have special procedures for minors traving alone. You probably can get a stewardess to monitor your child and if switching flights is neccessary they will accompany him from one plane to the next.

dtxox

this is a service that most airlines will provide for you they may charge a fee

cazmo

i thought most airlines do that anyway.

greagues2

Recently, this subject has been in the news. telephone the airline company and ask as some companies are not allowing minors - unescorted onto flights.

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