My daughter has been desperately missing her grandparents and friends for 7 months now. They live in California and we live in Austin, Texas. She’s never flown before, (we took the train to Austin). We decided that she’s old enough, and if she WANTED to she could fly alone to visit. She didn’t hesitate and said, “Yes!” immediately. So you can imagine my apprehension and nerves in the weeks days and hours just before she boarded. Sure for an eight year old she’s incredibly mature, but she’s still my baby.
It can be rough letting go of your child the first time. So, in order to help parents out there, here are some tips for you to (hopefully), make it easier:
- BOOKING
You can book your child’s flight online (it saves you $$) but be sure to call them afterwards and let them know that a child will be traveling unaccompanied when making their reservation and be prepared to supply the Reservation crewmember with the name, address and phone number, as it appears on the photo ID, of the person dropping off and picking up your child. - FEES
- There is an $85 per person fee each way for unaccompanied minors which will be assessed at that time. Please note: the fee must be paid at the time of booking.
- IDENTIFICATION For the SAFETY of your child; Photo identification is required for both parties who will be dropping off and picking up the child. The child will NOT be accepted or released without the guardian’s photo ID. They are also going to ask for the address of both guardians
- YOUR ROLE
When you get to the airport go the Jet Blue Check In tell them you are checking in your child, they will ask you for your id at that time they will give you a “boarding pass” that will allow you to accompany your child through security (thank God) and all the way down to the gate. Once at the gate let them know you have a child flying unaccompanied and they will tell you that they will call your child to board last. This is nice for your child as they wont have to deal with the hassle of boarding the plane slowly like the rest of us. She will be accompanied by a flight attendant that will introduce her to the crew and help her to her seat. - WHEN YOU CAN LEAVE THE AIRPORT
Jet Blue requires that you not leave the airport until your child’s plane has departed. This is for a great reason. If the plane’s departure is delayed you’ll know immediately, as opposed to you driving away pay parking and then receive a phone call telling you to come back. Having said this do not leave the airport without leaving Jet Blue your Cell phone number and also leave the cell phone number of the guardian picking your child up. This is imperative. The lovely ladies at the Jet Blue gate told us of an incident where the mother who was to pick up the child suddenly went into labor 3 weeks early and couldn’t pick up her child and Jet Blue didn’t have her number (this story has a happy ending but I will not share it here). - GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME
The airport is always daunting. You never know how long check in and security will take. Approximately two hours before your flight should be enough. Make sure to block off at least 2 hours AFTER the flight time in case of delays. Don’t forget parking! The bigger the airport the more time you should give yourself.
Dad has brave face on, which will last just a few minutes more...
Ava about to board next to the wonderful Leanne
8. SEATING
Bear in mind unaccompanied minors may only travel on nonstop or direct flights (flights that make a stop but do not change aircraft). This is excellent as my research led me to too many stories about Unaccompanied minors ending up in the wrong city who had connecting flights. Unaccompanied minors will be safely seated in Row 25ABC (A320) and 25 AB (E190) so that the Inflight crew can assist them when needed. Ava liked the idea of sitting close to grown ups that could help right away (so did I). On this particular flight we were told that she would have the entire row to her self and could sleep lying down if she wanted.
9. GOOD ADVICE
I felt I needed to give her something to help her on her trip. I told her that whenever she felt nervous, scared or sad, it was important that she take a deep breath and say to herself; “I CAN DO THIS.” She immediately took a deep breath and said, “I can do this”. She smiled at me and I felt better knowing she had this to help her.
Even being armed with all this knowledge, it was still impossible not to have a huge knot in my stomach. The second she was out of site walking down to the plane my body became limp, I let go the facade of carefree mom. The lump in my throat was too much to handle, it got bigger and bigger till it started shoving tears down my face. The women at the gate couldn’t help but notice these two parents racked with the pain of letting go. They immediately came over and reassured us that Ava would be in good hands.
Not too shabby
That she would be able to distract herself with a movie, that she could have all the snacks she could handle and all the drinks she could want. They told us that it would be like flying in her living room and that she would do great. As they were talking they pointed out the her plane was taking off, we all stopped talking abruptly. We watched the plane ascend higher and higher into the early morning Austin sky. My husbands hand found mine without looking away from the plane, we watched helplessly until we could no longer see the plane. As we turned around at a loss for words Leanne and Sharon, these lovely caring women were more good friends than Jet Blue employees continued to reassure us that she would be well and happy. They shared stories of children flying every day and that if they could chose any airline to put their own children on this was the one. We left the airport (after double checking paper work for Ava’s pick up in California) feeling more assured but no less apprehensive. For three excruciating hours we waited with baited breath to hear, not if she was safe but if she was happy. Would she tell us of her scary experience when she called?
At noon the phone chimed with a picture of her and my mom and good friend. Her face said it all but I had to hear from her how it went.
Me-How was it hun?
Ava- It was Great! [read the rest of this in super-fast-eight-year-old-speak] I DID NOT like the take off but the rest of the flight was great and I got to watch tv and have all kinds of snacks and the ladies were SO nice and I liked the landing alot! It went by so fast.
Me-So you were okay, you didn’t cry or-Ava cuts me off-
Ava-No mom, I just didn’t like it I was FINE.
Me-So would you be okay flying alone again?
Ava-Yeah! For sure!
Me-Okay babe, have fun, I love you.
Ava-(in rushed tone) Okay mom, gotta go, good bye, love you too….
~Sigh~
Thanks Jet Blue
This was wonderful to read. Such thorough and carefully written details about young people flying alone. I had to shed tears with the statement of being “racked with the pain of letting go.”. So, so touching to me. Being in the process of just this very emotion with a newly turned 18 year old daughter, I’m struck by how often we face these same feelings whilst parenting.
It’s true. It’s ongoing, the letting go. Thanks for reading it and your kind words. Please friend us on Facebook so we can share more!
-Gena
PS we also have a radio show and will be discussing this topic in October.
The letting go just never stops, does it?!! You’re one brave mama and she’s one brave girl! Kudos for you for being able to let her go. I truly believe it’s one of the most difficult tasks for us as mothers.
I love how comforting the JetBlue employee was to you and your husband. Ava looked so happy as she was about to board. Thanks for this post. I was just thinking the other day what it would be like to have the kids fly unaccompanied. Reading this makes me want to have them fly JetBlue!
I think it’s important to mention that the accompanying to the boarding area may differ from airport to airport or airline to airline. I know my aunt sent me cousins here from England (at ages 8 and 9), a flight they’d done a million times so it wasn’t a big deal to them, but she had to sign a waiver at the check in handing over “guardianship” to 1 employee. That employee walked them through security and sat with them in the boarding area. At boarding this employee “signed the kids over” to a flight attendant. When they got off the plane the attendant signed them over to another employee who then signed them over to my aunt. So it does vary based on airline.