World Traveler

More and more kids are traveling alone these days, as they fly to see friends, visit relatives, attend camp, or take an adventure trip. Unfortunately, the number of delays, missed connections, and canceled flights has also increased dramatically over the past several months. Although airlines have policies regarding minors and provide workers to make sure their travel goes smoothly, many teenagers fly unaccompanied and therefore still run into the same problems encountered by experienced adult fliers. Here are a few tips on keeping your teenage flyer safe.

Book direct flights. If all possible, book direct flights for you teen. There’s much less risk of canceled flights, and no risk of missed connections, if you can find a direct route. If a direct flight isn’t available, try book on an airline that has multiple flights to the destination daily, and nab a flight that is early in the day.

Make sure your child has a cell phone, the charger for the phone, and cash. Your teen needs to be able to reach you or relatives and friends if they do miss their flight. Make sure any phone numbers they might need are already programmed in. If their travel is delayed or canceled, they may need cash for meals and other incidental expenses. Instruct your child to call you immediately if any problems do occur, so that you can be involved in the situation from the beginning. If need be, have the child hand their phone to an airline employee so you can deal directly with the representative. Also, make sure your child has a copy of his complete itinerary, so he can keep up with where’s he headed and who he’s meeting.

Keep the airlines posted on the situation. Airlines will take care of minors, even if they have to stay overnight somewhere, but unless they are aware your teen is traveling alone, they can’t help. If your young traveler encounters problems, he needs to let the airlines know he’s alone. Of course, each airline has a different policy on minors traveling, so be sure to check the requirements before you book–some airlines charge, and most have different age requirements to qualify for airline assistance.

Don’t lose your cool if there are problems. The best reaction you can have is calm and collected; you don’t want to scare you child by becoming hysterical on the phone. Try to control you anger, and reassure them the situation will be resolved.

Pack carefully. Make sure your child has plenty of food and snacks, as well as entertainment. Many parents even opt to pack one set of clean clothes in their child’s carry-on. Be careful not to make your child’s backpack too heavy, and ensure they have a luggage tag.

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