Unaccompanied minor
 

My 5 year old grandson is travelling unaccompanied this weekend SEA-LHR.

I have some info from the booking agent but would like to get some more details from maybe cabin crew on here, about how he will be looked after for boarding-flight-disembark. Obviously we are going to be a bit concerned.

Who looks after him after going through security?

When is he handed over to cabin crew?

Will he be seated close to flight attendants maybe in rear? (Agent said he will be allocated a seat by CC)?

On landing I understand he will be kept behind until other passengers have disembarked. is this to allow a flight attendant to be allocated to him after they've finished clearing the aircraft?

Who takes him through immigration/baggage collect and looks after him until we meet him?

Where do we pick him up? At the normal arrivals area?

Thanx for any info, obviously we will be a bit on edge...

Goldox

Different airlines tend to have slightly different procedures. Your best bet is to ask the airline concerned/consult their website.

FIVE years old? UNACCOMPANIED, INTERNATIONAL? Are you NUTS?

Thanx Wiggy guess I was being lazy when I could do as you suggest. Just thought someone might have real experience rather than website standard info.

Intruder: Not nuts just victim of circumstances:

Parents separated. Kid lives with American mum in USA. English dad lives in UK with new partner/family.

Dad wants to see son, grandparents want to see grandson whenever possible, so we went to USA last year (expensive, we are not wealthy).
Mum now consents to kid visiting dad in UK. None of us can afford costs for return fares again for adult(s) (£1500 each) plus kid so mum sending kid only, using Virgin Atlantic formal UM service.

Seems reasonable arrangement, affordable and safe, we just want details of how it works in practice as obviously on edge about it. Kid of course very excited.

Some years ago, when he was about 9, my lad went unaccompanied from LHR to Cairo on BA. And they looked after him incredibly well.

Thanx KelvinD that's reassuring.

I've checked Virgin website info it is pretty much what booking agent told me, but no real details about during the flight. I guess they'll keep him fairly close to their station and regularly check up.

Firstly to the OP, I hope the trip runs smoothly and you all have a great summer together. I always had good experiences as an UM, spoiled by lovely stewardesses and visits to the cockpit made up for any insecurities about travelling without parental oversight.

I've obviously confused myself along the way, but I'm sure that I read/heard within the last few years that airlines had discontinued UM flying due to the fear of being sued in this litigious modern age ?

Thank you SHJ for the good wishes!

Virgin are happy to take him as UM subject to "usual terms and conditions" which include signing indemnity forms.

Please do report back and let us know what he thought of the experience. I would think he would enjoy it. Sadly no trip to the cockpit or even "flight deck", but the stewardesses will still be there!!!! Like SHJ I wish the lad a great trip.

Back in ancient times (late 50s - early 60s) I flew unaccompanied from London to Nairobi a few times: school holidays. I was, though a little older, a teenager. On one occasion I managed a night stop in Paris. Used to travel to and fro to Colwyn Bay by train. Met by friends for a night stop in London.

Thanx Planemike much appreciated. I certainly will report back on the experience.

Regarding your overnight stop in Paris; Virgin's UM conditions include "direct flight only no stopovers or transfers". (Including Colwyn Bay!)

One surefire way of getting the sack from BOAC was to lose an unaccompanied minor who had been placed in your charge. I could never find that in the staff manual, but it stood to reason!

Two other ways, which were in the book:
1. Writing a bad cheque, which was drawn on the company.
2. Brawling in public, in uniform. 'Brawling' - a genteel way of putting it!

Is it not the case that unaccompanied minors -UMs - have become more politically correct young passengers -YPs?

:)

Sent my inheritance spender on his own (about 11 yo) with Virgin and there were absolutely no problems from booking to him arriving home again. Escorted at all times and eye kept on during the flight.
Best of luck hope it goes as smoothly for yours.
Last year (14yo) he managed the whole thing himself including customs and immigration into BOS and TSA ex BOS.
More than I can usually do.

Hope he has a great trip.

Thank you Johnny FP (and everyone else) for the fantastic information and anecdotes, I think we will be much more at ease now! Roll on Saturday morning LHR T3 arrivals!

Goldox - just a suggestion, for when your grandson and Virgin groundstaff appear through T3 arrivals.

Before the event, perhaps make up a felt-tip pen "meet and greet style" notice to hold up, emblazoned with your grandson's name. Bearing in mind the usual airport throngs, the lad will recognise his own name, written, amongst a sea of faces!

Wishing the boy a great time over here.

my step-son used to commute to his dad in Teneriffe via BA's unaccompanied minor scheme (which I think has been discontinued?) from the age of 5.

On his first trip he was seated next to a non english speaker, but was swiftly moved. I feel sorry for his seat companion as he was pleased to talk about Bristol City...

Cabin crew looked after him well. He earned an awful lot of chocolate/sweets assisting on the drinks trolly. As the was pre 9/11 he also entertained the cockpit crew at times.

From memory he was handed over at a special check-in and was escorted from person to person to the airplane. At the other end one of the Cabin Crew would bring him out - usually sat on their cases at our end as it was a late night arrival....

He did this quite a few times, until he became old enough to travel with one of the cheaper airlines from a more local airport. Sadly they were not so good - he managed to board without anyone realising that he was unaccompanied child. They were relieved when they found him on the plane in his seat....

I'm sure the child will be fine, and super-spoilt....

Goldox
I spent a long period travelling from Chile to England in the late 60 early 70,s with BCAL and had what were called "Aunties" look after you. They were usually retired stewardess or current and just filling in. There were usually 2 or 3 children but sometimes just me, and we got taken to special desk at Gatwick where we joined up with Auntie for the trip out. As flights stopped at about 4 places on route Dakar/ Sao Paulo/ Rio/ BA /Santiago we dropped of on route. I was on the bus to the end so to speak. Did the trip twice per year for 5 years before my Dad was posted home. It was an experience, and the crew spoiled you rotten - first taste of Whisky from a Tartan clad young women when only 14 - it was horrible. Also as has been said you got to go in the cockpit in flight which is obviously no longer allowed. As I got older (I think about 13) I was allowed to travel on my own, although a watching brief I believe was still kept by CSD as they are now called. Only thing is you get a bit blasé about it after a while, as I felt I knew Gatwick and indeed some of the stops on route as well as other people kids knew their town or village ! Anyway I am sure your son will have a great flight and will be full of it when you see him.

Thank you all do much for the advice and stories. Just here at hotel at LHR waiting for tomorrow morning and reading these. Holding up a sign at arrivals for him sounds a great idea! Not so sure about the whiskey..... Cheers everyone.!

IIRC, the last-but-one series of the Heathrow fly-on-the-wall documentary featured a UM traveller.

Maybe worth having a look for it on YouTube.

Dammit. Just heard they've diverted to Kefkavik. Awaiting replacement a/c EST 8 hrs delay...