Delta-unaccompanied minor policy
 

I was just reading Delta's unaccompanied minor policy. My daughter and I will be in Europe, but my FF ticket returns on Continental Airlines. The dance studio is using a travel agency that apparently doesn't book tickets on Continental, so the option they are giving me is Delta. I have no problem with my very mature 14yo travelling on a separate plane and even through a different US gateway from me. I also have no problem paying the $100 mandatory fee for an unaccompanied minor that Delta demands. My problem is that their policy says that the adult accompanying them to their departure gate must remain in the gate area until their plane departs. In order to time our arrivals back home at the same time, her planned flight will leave 20 minutes before my flight to the US. That will mean that I CANNOT remain in the gate area until she takes off. Those of you who are more experienced with this, do you think they will work with me on this?

Thanks for your help. I don't mind calling Delta, but thought you guys at fodors might have tips or info on possible pits that I might fall into with them that I would like to avoid before I make that phone call! :-)

Hi K,

>My problem is that their policy says that the adult accompanying them to their departure gate must remain in the gate area until their plane departs.

I recently sent my grandchildren back home as unaccompanied minors.

The airline had the same policy.

I took them to the boarding gate, made sure that they had what they needed, gave them each $5, kissed them goodbye and left.

They were happy to be on their own.

((I))

PS,

No problems reported.

That sounds like one of those policies by airline to avoid liability in case of a problem. I'd do as Ira did.

Hard to imagine anyone at an airline gate these days paying that much attention.

When I was sent to Paris at age 13 I was not an UA , as it was for 12 yr olds and under... does a 14 yr old need to be a UA now??
I would just accomany daughter to gate and leave. Its not like she would wander off if you told her not to right? I think its more important for a 8 yr old.

Ira, did they leave from ATL? Was there a problem taking them to the gate when you were not holding a ticket for yourself?

The issue is that if the plane doesn't take off or something there is an unacc. minor without the wherewithall (I just wanted to use that word!) to go somewhere. Knowing the state of delays, I wouldn't want to leave not knowing if her plane departed or not. Since you are heading back home, I would try and find a later flight for you so you could watch her take off. Your dh could meet her and then you drive your own car home or take a car service. To me, that small price would be worth knowing that she actually took off...

ymmv.

Hi J,

>Ira, did they leave from ATL?

Yes

>Was there a problem taking them to the gate when you were not holding a ticket for yourself?

They give you a gate pass.

>The issue is that if the plane doesn't take off or something there is an unacc. minor without the wherewithall (I just wanted to use that word!) to go somewhere.

You leave the a/l emergency phone numbers.

You leave the kid some cash and emergency phone numbers.

Note. You are paying the a/l $100 to baby sit one child. They will ensure that the kid arrives safely.

((I))

Well, there are 14 year olds and there are 14 yr olds. Would depend on the willingness/ability of the individual. I'd have no prob with it for mine as long as she was prepared with a contingency plan and a way to finance it.

My daughters, 16 and 18, are buzzing around Italy mostly on their own at this very minute, armed with previous experience there and 4 different pieces of plastic money.

I agree that this no doubt is a legal requirement of the airline, so if something does go wrong, you would have no case against the airline if you didn't follow the policy.

Airplanes do sometimes get delayed, so that would be the main problem -- what would the child do if the plane didn't take off, would they wander around and possibly miss the plane. We have adults on Fodors who probably would do that, who talk about leaving the airport on layovers, etc., and not accounting for security or the time to get back on schedule. Also, in delays, you never know sometimes -- it's possible if a delay were announced and someone left, they could change it and take off sooner than they thought.

What if the plane didn't take off at all after boarding? I've been on a plane like that (AA out of CDG). we sat there maybe an hour while the pilot tried to figure out if the plane was safe, the firetrucks came out because some tires started blowing and became enflamed, etc. After a couple hours or more, we were stuck in Paris overnight until the next day when AA pulled the same stunt again (I'm still annoyed about that, they claimed we had to stay overnight so they could bring in a new plane, and the next morning when the same thing happened, they admitted they had boarded us back on the same plane).

well, in any case, things can definitely happen, so I think you just have to realize you are taking the responsibility for those things if you don't follow the policy and wait until the plane actually departs.

Actually, if their policy was that she could travel alone without having to do the UM thing, I would be fine with it. My husband and I discussed it with her and she felt comfortable navigating the US airport without problems--of course, we also live in BHM, so driving to Atlanta if there were major delays and she couldn't get back or if she missed flights wouldn't be a big deal for us. Having her stuck in London for another day by herself would be a bit of a concern for us though. Although very mature, she is only 14 and I don't have friends in London for her to stay with if there were a problem...more's the pity.

There are flights on Delta out of LGW to the US at 9AM, 9:45, 10:25 and 11:00. My flight on Continental leaves at 11:20. The 9AM and the 11AM for her would take her only through Atlanta. The 9:45 would take her through JFK and ATL, the 10:25 would take her through Cincinnati and ATL. Since I'm having her escorted, extra connections don't bother me, and as long as she picks up the new Stephanie Meyer "twilight" series book released that day at the airport, they won't bother her either!

I know there are NO certainties about takeoff, but do you think I could put her on the 10:25 for takeoff and then walk across the same terminal (both airlines take off in North Terminal) and get on my flight o.k.? Since there is a 3 hour before flight requirement, I was trying to avoid having to be at the airport at 6AM--that is why I chose 11AM. My flight is already booked and cannot be changed--especially since that was the only award option in my mileage amount available for that day.

I'm thinking that maybe I need to take their flight numbers and book my own tickets on my own at this point! :-) Any and all epiphanies are welcome.

<Airplanes do sometimes get delayed, so that would be the main problem -- what would the child do if the plane didn't take off, would they wander around and possibly miss the plane.>

She wouldn't wander farther than a bathroom or to get a drink/snack. She is responsible enough to know she has to stay in that area.

<What if the plane didn't take off at all after boarding? >

This is the only thing that concerns me and gives me pause. I wonder if we had paid the UM fee if they would make sure to accommodate getting her home that day however they needed to do it?

The only way around some of the What If's is to sit next to her and hold hands, and an imaginative parent could come up with even more worst case scenarios while doing that.

What would UM fee be for if they didn't take all reasonable care of her after boarding?

<and an imaginative parent could come up with even more worst case scenarios while doing that. >

:-) I like the way you think. So, in other words, I'm probably over-analyzing this?

Maybe if you spoke to someone at customer service and asked what happens if the plane is grounded after a minor is boarded? Surely they don't turn them out into the streets and tell them to come back tomorrow.

Kellye - it is all about if the plane does not take off - your daughter will be there alone. Personally I would not be able to do it. I would book a later flight for myself. I would rather have my daughter waiting in an airport at home then by herself in another country.

I just talked with the travel agent who is working on her flights home. He said he put her on the 9AM flight because there was lots of open space on the plane and he thought I might be able to talk Delta into letting me even switch my flight from Continental to them on that same flight since I am on a Skymiles ticket anyway. I may call Delta and see if they could "waitlist" me for that eventuality.

The more I've thought about it, the more I think the 9AM flight is probably a good idea, even if I'm not thrilled with having to be at the airport that much earlier. There are at least 3 other flights out of LGW to the US on Delta listed that day, with the 4th one leaving 20 minutes before my flight on Continental. Surely, even if there was a problem with her 9AM one, they could work with us to get her on one of the others. At least I'm going to think positively that way. If she makes her flight, she will beat me home by about 3-1/2 hours. It's not the end of the world for my husband to pick her up and take her home and then come back for me. We only live about 1/2 hour from the airport.

I appreciate everyone's feedback. when I first read the policy, I really wasn't thinking about the possibility that she would have to stay in the UK while I'm jetting to the US. I don't care how mature I know she is...I really don't think I'd be comfortable with that scenario before she is 17 or 18.

Hi K,

>I wonder if we had paid the UM fee if they would make sure to accommodate getting her home that day however they needed to do it?

They will do exactly what they would do if it were an adult in that situation.

They would book the kids on the next available flight.

They will notify you.

> I really wasn't thinking about the possibility that she would have to stay in the UK while I'm jetting to the US.

She will be sitting in the departure lounge. going nowhere, doing nothing, under adult supervision.

> I'm probably over-analyzing this?

Absolutely.

It's not as if you are sending the kids out to play in traffic. :)

((I))

Delays over boarding are certainly rare, but I think you can't assume that you can violate their policy easily and it not be noticed. For example, the idea that they will have someone assigned to stay with your child in the event of delays usually occurs when a plane has a connectino somewhere, and they are supposed to be escorted between connnections, so any delay from the connection, they would be taken care of.

Upon departure, you are supposd to give them the name and address of someone to contact in the case of such a delay en-route, but not a delay upon departure because you are not allowed to be leaving according to their rules. If you tell them you plan to leave but to contact you if the plane doesn't really take off, etc., I don't think they will like it. Do not assume she will be under adult supervision in the departure lounge until the plane departs, as you are supposed to be there.

Also, minors cannot usually check into a hotel on their own without an adult. However, I suppose even if you violated the rules, if the plane were delayed and they had to stay overnight, the airline would make sure she was accompanied in the hotel--they would if it were a delay en-route under that program. Really, I think the risk is certainly minimal and you know your child (however, a lot of adults think their children won't do things but they do, young teens don't always have the best judgment). Be sure to give her names and contacts in case of a delay or cancellation of a flight after you've left the airport, make sure she really understands she cannot wander around if the plane is delayed, and should not leave the departure lounge, etc.

In fact, the problem I incurred (and I'm sure you've read about them in the news, many times) didn't happen until after the plane had left the gate -- which I believe is usually the unaccompanied minor policy. It had left the gate, but they found out it had mechanical problems when it was on the runway, taxiing to take-off. That's when the problems started occurring, and the pilot stopped and tried taking off again, etc. I think the tires blew and the fire started when he aborted a takeoff. So, if an unaccompanied minor had been on that plane, the airline would have had to accompany the child and stay with them all night in the hotel and make sure they got up on time, got back to the airport the next day, etc., if their adult supervisor had left, as the plane had left the gate.

Christina,
I wouldn't actually be "leaving the airport" per se....at least until my own flight took off from that airport. :-)

I talked with the travel agent last night and he said he booked her on the 9AM flight because there were lots of open seats on it still (as compared to the 11AM that I preferred) and he thought there might be a possibility that Delta would let me on a waitlist for that flight since I'm on an award ticket, thereby negating the need for her to fly unaccompanied. I'm going to call Delta today, explain the situation and see if they would be willing to waitlist me for her flights. That would be the best possible scenario.

If not, she should be up and away before I have to board my flight at 11:20.

Ira--I completely agree with your commentary! If it were a domestic flight sequence only, I would be perfectly comfortable leaving her....it's just that potential "leaving her across the pond while I cross it" thing that bothers her father and me! :-)