Originally Posted by
trayson
Rolling eyes. Reduced turn times? maybe on your airline, but I've watched over the last few years as they've padded the flight times for my son's normal GEG to PDX flight so they can still claim to be on-time despite delays. for a 45 minute flight, I've seen them quoting times that are approaching an hour and a half. It's pretty obvious they're padding their flight times to incorporate delays.
My son fly's 4 flight legs per month as an unaccompanied minor. he started doing this when he was 5 and is now going on his 4th year as an Alaska Airlines MVP. So yeah, we've been around the block on this. First of all there's all sorts of rules and procedures in place to address all the situations you worry about. Kids can't fly solo until a certain age. they need to be escorted through security. escorts have to stay there until the bird is in the air. UM's can't fly connections until they reach a certain age (I think it's 8 or maybe 9 at the latest as my son can fly connections). They don't let kids fly after a certain time of night when it's the last flight. They do get escorted to and from the plane, and are with the gate agents when they arrive (if the parents are late picking the kid up). But yeah, while flying they are just like any other passenger chillin' in their seat. Although they typically seat all the UM's near the flight crew and usually group all the UM's together so it's easier for the crews to keep tabs on the UM's.
My son flys his regular flight from PDX to GEG. We've done ONE connecting flight through seattle when his normal flight was cancelled for weather and we had to rebook the following morning. Sadly his PDX to SEA flight was delayed and he missed his SEA to GEG flight. They took him into a special room for the UM's waiting for connections and he got all excited telling me about all the snacks and treats he got while waiting on comfy couches.
After I think Age 13 you don't have to do the UM and honestly, I'd just get them a cell phone and some kind of debit/credit card rather than dealing with UM procedures and fees once they're old enough to not be required to fly UM.
So here's the deal. You book your flight like normal, but in the reservation screen it'll ask how many children and adults. when you mark one child, and zero adults, it'll prompt and ask if the child is flying alone and ask their age. then it will give ONLY the flights that your age child is allowed to fly on as choices.
When you fly UM, you need to go to the counter when you get to the airport (leave extra time for this! because if you're not an MVP you're likely to wait 30+ minutes to get through this line). At the counter, you'll give them a form that you've filled out (or get a form at the counter) that gives your info as their escort and the info of the escort meeting them on the other end. You will get a "standby" dummy boarding pass that gets you through security and the kid will get their boarding pass with the "guardian accompaniment form". they ususally get a sticker or lanyard to identify them as a UM.
You both go through TSA and you take them to their gate. you check them in with the gate agent. The gate agents typically have the UM's board before everyone else and they are escorted by a gate agent onto the plane. they are first to board and last to get off. You're supposed to wait until the plane is in the air before you can leave the gate area.
On the other end, the escort will go to the counter and get their escort "boarding pass". the escort will to through TSA and be waiting at the gate for the UM that's escorted off the plane. the receiving escort will have to show ID that matches with the people that are able to pick him up on the guardian accompaniment form.
It's a very thorough process.
The various airlines charge different fees for UM's. Alaska is the cheapest at $25 each way, payable when you check in at the counter. SWA is $50 each way, payable in full for the roundtrip when you book. Other airlines are often much more. For example, Continental rapes you at $100 each way for their UM fees. United is freaking ridiculous at $150 each way!!!! Also, for Alaska airlines, once the child reaches MVP status (30 flight legs in a year), then they waive all the UM fees and we also get free checked bags, and get to go through the various MVP express lines in the airport.
LMK if you have any questions. I am at the airport probably 40 times a year doing this. In fact, I'm heading to PDX tonight to pick up my son this evening.
