Unaccompanied Minors: Tips for Getting Through Denver and Other Airports

It was just before Christmas in 2006 when 9-year-old Cole Churchill boarded a plane to go to Omaha, stopping to change planes in Denver.

But a quick trip halfway across the country to visit his father turned into a major ordeal for Cole, who missed his connecting flight after getting lost at the Denver airport and then was stranded in there for two days during a snowstorm.

Cole passed the time in an "unaccompanied minors" room, which is staffed by child care workers, according to The Associated Press. However, for at least a period of a few hours no one seemed to know where he was, sending both his parents into a fitful panic.

While Cole¹s story is unusual, there is nothing unusual about children flying on airlines without adults. Northwest Airlines, in recent years, reported a 30-percent increase in the number of unaccompanied minors on its flights.

While there are procedures and plans in place prevent what happened in Cole¹s situation, with more than 1 million children flying alone each year, there are bound to be incidents.

There are a few things parents and guardians will need to do, whether it is at Denver or any other airport, to make sure the child¹s travel plans go smoothly.

First, airlines will need to know the name and age of the child that will be traveling, the name, address and phone number of the responsible adult who will be dropping the child off at the departure gate and the responsible adult who will be picking the child up at the arrival gate.

Further, the airline needs to be provided with emergency contact information, just in case any problems arise during the trip.

As another word of warning, if you are making travel arrangements for an unaccompanied minor, make sure to contact the airline directly. Do not go through an online reservations system, as most are not set up to deal with an unaccompanied minor option.

Though ages vary by airline, generally if your child is less than 13 years, an airline escort will be required. Usually children under 5 are not allowed to travel alone at all and there may be other restrictions if connecting flights are needed. There is usually a fee associated with this service, typically an additional $100.

If the terminus of your child¹s flight is at an international destination, make sure to have all proper paperwork and any proof of immunizations that may be required. Otherwise, your child could get lost in an immigration nightmare at the destination airport.

Providing the child with food and a little bit of money for a snack may also be a good idea. Airlines do not offer as much free food on flights as they used to.

If possible, it would be good to give your child a cell phone if they know how to use one (and most kids do). Even a prepaid phone could be very helpful in case your child were to get lost somewhere.

Coordinate and double check with the adult at the destination point to make sure they know the child is coming and at what time. It is also good to ask them to call you when they are leaving the house or once they arrive at the airport. Of course, it is also good to have them call once the child arrives at the destination as well.

If you are sending a child on a flight, try not to worry. The airlines deal with this situation every day and most of the time the travel plans go off without the slightest hitch.