Your DCs travelling as unaccompanied minors - your experiences?

[MrFibble]

I started a thread here in general travel but it probably sits better here.

Basically I have just had a very bad experience with my DD travelling as an UM. Last time she travelled there was a minor hiccup but nothing serious. I am now worried about using UM services and wanted to know your experiences, as overseas residents, of DCs travelling unaccompanied. Are the services normally good and reliable? Have I just been really unlucky?

[mumonthenet]

Don't know MrF.

Mine have always flown with us, being taught how to find their way around the airport, then around 13 were able to fly on their own (not piloting the plane you understand)

What happened?

[MrFibble]

DD was taken off the plane at the decision of the pilot since the paperwork had been incorrectly put together by the check in staff.

Am fuming. Absolutely fuming.

[mumonthenet]

Blimey, sounds like something you need to get to the bottom of.

Poor kid, how old is she?

[MrFibble]

She's 7. She's ok and thankfully she was with her older cousin. I am so distrustful now. How could it happen? Fuming.

[MrFibble]

Bump.

This is really bad isn't it? How can I trust UM services again?

[kiwibella]

I have only had brilliant experiences both with sending our dd1 home and hubs' dd coming over this way. I feel sad that your child was compromised!

[ZZZenAgain]

would you tell us which airline this was? How worrying for you and she is only 7.

she was taken off the plane and stayed in the airport lounge in the country you are in or in a different country from where you are? Has it been resolved?

[MrFibble]

The error was made by London City Airport check in people who went against the policy of the airline - who I prefer not to mention at the moment since we are waiting to hear back about our complaint.

Basically I booked a flight for DD as an Unaccompanied Minor (at not insignificant extra cost) as the booking agent told me this was the only way she could travel since her cousin was only 17.

However the London City check in man said this was unneccessary and that no documentation was needed. He was wrong.

It turns out that even the 17 year old cousin needed paper work - a letter from her mother giving permission to leave the country - even though it was her mother (my sister) who checked them both in and who asked the check in man several times, "Are you sure this is OK? Do you need anything else from me?"

As a result of this man's actions the girls were offloaded from the plane just before it was due to take off. The girls managed to call my sister who was on the motorway on her way back home (a 3 hour drive away) and me. Fortunately they are very sensible kids who treated it as an adventure not a disaster but it could so easily have gone the other way.

The airline's ground staff did look after them pretty well in City Airport but I think what happened is unforgiveable and unacceptable and has pretty much destroyed my trust in letting my children fly unaccompanied with just about any airline.

I'll update when I hear back from the airline.

[jbells]

hey, ah thats terrible hope the girls r ok, i myself flew backwards and forwards to malta every year from the age of 4-5 as an unaccompanied minor and never once had a problem the staff were always great with me and i loved it. however it has been 9 years since i wud have been classed as an UM im 25 now so a lot might have changed

[heartspain]

My 15 and 13 year old flew to Spain from London City Airport three weeks ago. As they were flying BA they didn't need to be registered anywhere as UMs (BA carry over 12s travelling alone).
The relevant point is that no-one at City Airport asked to see any parental consent etc (although I had given them a letter to carry giving my consent, passport number, phone number etc).
I hope you find out what went wrong and let us know so that those of us whose children travel alone can be prepared. Good luck.

[MrFibble]

OK, we've heard back from the airline and they have basically said it was an "lack of accuracy in the application of the procedure" (no shit Sherlock!!) and have offered us a free ticket for DD as compensation. There are lots of apologies, promises that this won't happen again and promises of special treatment next time. They were absolutely great when my DNiece flew back to London - not quite red carpet but pretty close.

So, the moral of the story? If you are sending your child somewhere as an Unaccompanied Minor:

1. make sure that you take a print out of the airline's policy (not all are the same) with you,
   

1. if the check in person says something different take out the print out and challenge them - speak to a supervisor if necessary,
   

1. fill in all the check in forms yourself and have copies of your passport and that of whoever is doing the pick up to hand!
   

The ticket is valid for a year so maybe I will pluck up courage to try UM services again.