Main Rule When Children Flying Alone

As a parent, you can never be available always to travel with your child due to a busy schedule or other commitments. If you have always wondered if children can fly alone, the answer is yes. Children flying alone is something that is very common in very many airlines to the extent that carriers have designed policies specifically to guide parents whose kids fly alone. Well, flying with children is not the same as having them fly alone, and so you have to ensure that they are safe right from when they need to board their flight to when they get to their destination. The main rule to have in mind is both their safety and that of their belongings, and we outline several things that should be factored in for this to be possible. 

Be There Until After Departure

The safety of your child will begin right before you part with them at the airport. Thus children flying alone need to be accompanied to the airport by their guardian just as it is when flying with children. To begin with, you have to make some effort be very early at the airport hours before the departure of your child’s flight. The main idea being the fact that airlines have different policies for children flying alone, so you have to ensure that you are well acquainted with these procedures for the sake of making proper preparations. And this can only happen if you get early to the airport and get an airline official to settle all your concerns and questions. Some airlines will also allow you to assist in helping your child board the flight and so if you are early enough you can be able to process permits like a gate pass needed for this to be possible. Additionally, getting early at the airport will help you find out information about the flight like delays so that you can adjust your plans accordingly, especially if your child’s trip was urgent or it’s an international flight, and you want them to be at their destination at a particular time.

Ensure You Pack All Vital Travel Documents

Another critical factor to have in mind is your child’s travel documents. These documents are what they will require for processing of their flight permits, and so it is important that the papers are kept in a place that they can easily access them. For this reason, always pack their travel documents in the hand luggage since they will have it with them aboard the flight and ensure they know exactly where the documents are for quick retrieval. Ensure in the travel documents you include all your contact details and those of the person who is going to receive them at the airport. Just like when flying with children, ensure their passports are valid and up to date. Also include their flight details with these documents so that anyone assisting them during their trip can know their flight itinerary which specifies important details like the airline's names, the dates of the flights, flight numbers, arrival times and departure times. This clarity will help them to get assistance easily after they get to their destination or when they get stranded in any emergency situation at any point during their flight.

Pack Their Luggage Light

If they are traveling with any luggage, then you also have to put a lot of consideration into this. To begin with, kids don’t have as much energy as adults so pack their luggage very light. We emphasize on this as they as they are going to have to carry their luggage during their arrival at their destination for some time before the person meant to receive them arrives and you want to make it very easy for them to move around. If the person receiving them is late, they will spend some time with the luggage and given children's restlessness and curiosity; they risk leaving the heavy luggage at some point to check something elsewhere which can lead to its loss. In case they have no option but to carry slightly heavy luggage ensure that the luggage has aids like rollers that can help them quickly move with their luggage. As a rule of thumb, it is wise to ensure that their luggage is brightly colored so that they can quickly identify it both at arrival and at any point during their travel.

Have Specific People To Assist Them All through Their Trip

When kids fly alone, always make preparations to assign someone to help them during the flight and on arrival. Once you get to the airport, identify the lead flight attendant or the flight attendant who will be responsible for serving the area in which the child is located. The key reason for this is so that they can assist the child with standard procedures like fastening their seat belts before the flight takes off or just before touchdown. In an emergency situation, they can help the child understand what is required of them so that they act accordingly. If they need to take medication at specific times, then this will be the person to remind them of that important information. Another key person that will assist your child is the one who is picking them at their destination once they arrive. Usually, this should be a very trusted family member or friend. For your child to be comfortable, this person should be someone they know or can quickly identify on arrival. In case they have never met before, you can arrange for a video call before the flight so that they recognize both their face and voice. This person should also have copies of your child’s travel documents. Ensure you scan all these documents and send it to them so that they can make their copies.

So can children fly alone? Yes they can. Kids fly alone without any incidences when you accompany them to the airport before their departure and ensure both you and the kid are well acquainted with the requisite procedures which is never required when flying with children. Children flying alone also need to have all their documents ready and packaged in a safe place they can easily find. When kids fly alone ensure you pack their luggage light or make it easy for them to navigate the airport by purchasing for them bags with features that aid movement. Also ensure that they have someone to assist them in the airplane and when they get to their destination so that they are not stranded on what to do at any given time.

Some Video Advices How to Prepare a Child for Flying Alone:

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