Visting a friend during layover
 

My friend Pufferfish is travelling as an unaccompanied minor on American Airlines. She will be laying over in DFW for an hour and a half. I want to see her during that layover, but I don't know if the airline would allow that, as she is an unnacompanied minor. Would I be able to visit her?

Putting aside the fact that she is an unaccompanied minor, you won't be able to get through security without a ticket, and she likely won't be coming OUT from the secure area.

Agreeing with the post above, doesn't matter the age of the person, assuming they will stay in the secured area of the airport and be transferring gate to gate, you can't get to that part without being a ticketed passenger yourself.

Yes, but I wonder if the airline might be able to give the OP a pass of some kind to go through security, as a kindness because she is an unaccompanied minor? I would call the airline and ask.

With a one+ hour connection there is no way -- sorry. Even IF the airline were to give you a pass (and unless you are a parent or immediate family member or have a notarized letter from her parents, that isn't likely) and having to get her to a different terminal/gate via the train, just isn't a reasonable expectation.

but I don't know if the airline would allow that
Would I be able to visit her?

***

You need to ask the airline your question. We can't help you here.
:-)

janisj, I don't understand your point. The kid is stationary near his/her gate, the OP will--if allowed, which I know is a big if, really the only if--join the kid there.

Why does the kid have to go to a different terminal or gate to make the visit happen? She will go, or be taken, where she needs to go, and the OP will go to her.

What am I missing?

You are missing that the person won't be allowed into secured airport space without a plane ticket.

I think janus' point was that if there's a plane change, the minor would have to get from the terminal and gate where she lands to the terminal and gate where she's taking off from.

What the OP is also missing is that the passenger is on a layover, which means transferring from one gate to another, and possibly to another terminal, in Dallas. As an unaccompanied minor the airline will be responsible to make that action happen. Thus I doubt she will be hanging around for 90 minutes. And the likelihood of a pass through security for a visit is probably slim to none.

>>The kid is stationary near his/her gate, <<

I sorta doubt it. Reading the OP. >><blue> She will be laying over in DFW for an hour and a half.</blue><<

<u>laying over</u> --meaning changing planes with 90 minutes between flights. therefore almost certainly moving from one gate or terminal to another, accompanied by airline employees until she is on board the new flight.

You may be able to obtain a guest boarding pass (have to go through security just like anyone else) from the airline. So check with the airlines as to their policy and requires for such a pass. A few years ago I met my mother during a two hour layover. Went to the airline ticket counter, explained what I wanted to do, give them her reservation number, they looked her up, our names match, and they give me a boarding pass. I point out it was a couple of years ago and security policy changes everyday. Contact the airline and be a little forceful.

No, some of us are just realistic. And as far as getting a guest pass, as a friend, not a relative, no matching names, to visit an unaccompanied minor in a airport, well do come back and report if this actually happens. This is not the waiting area of social services, this is a busy airport with security controls. And actually we had a 2 hour layover in DFW 3 weeks ago. We spent all but 20 minutes of that going through immigration, collecting our bags, customs, bringing said bags to the transfer desk, taking the train to AA domestic, going through security again, and then finding our gate.

One telephone call to the airlines should answer the question if this is going to be possible or not.

Ah, our Secret Mods are back to deleting comments about themselves that they don't like.

What I said was that a lot of people on these boards are just scolds. They live to say No.

What's interesting is that I didn't name a name--so the Secret Mod just decided to take it personally, apparently, lol.

I said all the way at the top exactly what fmpden said--only I didn't know the term guest pass. But clearly there is a way this might happen.

Why insist that it can't?

It doesn't matter what we post here or what YOU think might be able to happen during this layover.

One phone call to the airline Pufferfish is flying should be able to answer the question.

It is impossible for anyone on this forum to say yes or no for sure.




Whose post got deleted?

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...heckpoints.jsp

I see no provision for a 'friend visiting an unaccompanied minor'. Cannot imagine any airline doing this for a social reason.

I doubt you'll have enough time but I'd give it a shot. Last year, I met my grandfather at the gate so that we wouldn't miss each other in the airport. We have different last names and live in different states, so no proof we were related but the airline employees issued a gate pass for me without a second thought. Of course, you'll need to go thru security so be sure to arrive early but it was pretty easy, at least in my experience.

Damn, another positive example. How did that happen? I love it when people who have absolutely no experience with the question have the absolute answer based on nothing but personal opinion. Who knows? Maybe the airline would like a little assistance with the transfer of an minor.

Exactly, fmpden. "I can't imagine grumble grumble". (I mean, I think you're not including me in your comment, but who knows, lol.)