crownvic From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1594 posts, RR: 6 Posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 3994 times:
I was kind of shocked at this story and then it got me to wondering...My daughters 16 year old friend was travelling from the Northeast to Orlando 2 days ago, and the flight was cancelled due to a mechanical..It was the last flight out for the day and arrangements were made for passengers to be put up overnight at area hotels...She was included in the arrangements until they found out she was under 18...The airline would not put her up and apologized and said that all she could do was sleep in the airport....My question, is this normal??? what happens if an unaccompanied minor 10 years old for example is left in a similar situation...who watches over them overnight?????
747m8te From Australia, joined Aug 2008, 403 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 3787 times:
Quoting crownvic (Thread starter): My question, is this normal??? what happens if an unaccompanied minor 10 years old for example is left in a similar situation...who watches over them overnight?????
Well I know alot of airlines have a policy with unaccompanied minors that the parents or guardians dropping the UM off at the airport must remain at the terminal untill the aircraft has departed, so in the event that a flight is cancelled their parent/guardian still takes care of them till the next available flight. And for this reason, many airlines don't allow UMs to be booked on connecting flights, rather only single sectors.
Otherwise, airline staff remain with the UMs at the airport untill the next flight, or untill a parent or guardian can collect them.
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TOLtommy From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 3220 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3720 times:
I'm calling BS. Name the airline. Name the flight and city pairs.
Elevated From United States of America, joined Feb 2010, 288 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3710 times:
Quoting 747m8te (Reply 1): Well I know alot of airlines have a policy with unaccompanied minors that the parents or guardians dropping the UM off at the airport must remain at the terminal untill the aircraft has departed, so in the event that a flight is cancelled their parent/guardian still takes care of them till the next available flight. And for this reason, many airlines don't allow UMs to be booked on connecting flights, rather only single sectors.
My airline practices this for UMs. It's also in the 'Contract of Carriage."
tlhgator From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 63 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3678 times:
Quoting crownvic (Thread starter): ...My daughters 16 year old friend was travelling from the Northeast to Orlando 2 days ago
Not sure about other airlines, but I think this is an across the board policy for most, they are only consider unaccompanied minors up until 15 years old even though it's not required for an escort.
Since she's 16 and not consider UMNR, she would be treated like an adult passenger and hotel arrangements made for the most part, but I just can't see an airline making a 16 year old sleep in the airport by themselves some sort of arrangement most have been made...
Quoting TOLtommy (Reply 2): I'm calling BS. Name the airline. Name the flight and city pairs.
DLPMMM From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 3529 posts, RR: 9 Reply 5, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3667 times:
An airline would be too liable if anything happened to a minor in a hotel room paid for by the airline.
I have heard of registered unaccompanied minors being taken to hotels by airline staff members who stayed with the minor at the hotel.
Prinair From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 744 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3603 times:
Most airlines will not accept UMNR on the last connecting flight of the day for reasons like this one. I have had to spend the night at an airport with an UMNR before due to mechanical and also because the persons picking up the child have been delayed in showing up. It is very sad and usually very stressful on the child.
I do believe we are not getting all the facts on this story.
MSYtristar From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 6242 posts, RR: 51 Reply 8, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 3585 times:
Quoting DLPMMM (Reply 5): I have heard of registered unaccompanied minors being taken to hotels by airline staff members who stayed with the minor at the hotel.
That was policy at both Vanguard and Frontier when I worked for those airlines...pretty sure it was the same with AirTran, as well.
usflyer msp From United States of America, joined May 2000, 1785 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3389 times:
Quoting crownvic (Thread starter): My question, is this normal??? what happens if an unaccompanied minor 10 years old for example is left in a similar situation...who watches over them overnight?????
When i worked for a major airline this was the policy for pax 15-18 that had not paid for the UMNR service. The hotels will not allow anyone under 18 to checkin without a guardian and the family did not pay for airline staff to accompany them so the pax are basically on their own. pax that paid for the UMNR service were either taken home by airlines staff or accompanied to a hotel room by same-gender airline staff.
FlyASAGuy2005 From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 6517 posts, RR: 11 Reply 10, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 17 hours ago) and read 3218 times:
Sounds pretty strange. I was flying home to Atlanta from Boston, around 2005 (was 16 at the time) and thunderstorms rolled through the area. I was booked on the second to last flight and that was cancelled and the last flight for the evening was an ATL-BOS-ATL turn and the a/c never made it to Boston. We lucked out because the plane broke down in Atlantla so the cancellation was billed due to MTC and not weather. Everyone as given 2 $7 vouchers for dinner and breakfast the next day, and hotel vouchers. I was included and they didn't bat an eye.
[Edited 2010-08-08 22:15:59]
CAM2:"Lightning coming out of that one." CAM1: "What?"
LHR380 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 3143 times:
Quoting crownvic (Thread starter): My daughters 16 year old friend was travelling from the Northeast to Orlando 2 days ago, and the flight was cancelled due to a mechanical
1. Where were the people that dropped her off, if the UM fee was paid, the people that dropped her off had to stay until the plane goes.
I think the thread title needs to be changed, I don't think this passenger was a UM!
Yellowstone From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 3071 posts, RR: 7 Reply 13, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 3115 times:
Quoting LHR380 (Reply 12): I think the thread title needs to be changed, I don't think this passenger was a UM!
It's a bit confusing, yes. She was unaccompanied, and a minor, but not an Unaccompanied Minor.
Hydrogen is an odorless, colorless gas which, given enough time, turns into people.
web500sjc From United States of America, joined Sep 2009, 588 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 3082 times:
i belive you can pay for the UM service on US airlines until you turn 18- but it is not required until after you turn 15- also i dont think you can not be a (paid for) UM on the last flight of the day.
SNLH From Belgium, joined Aug 2010, 30 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3073 times:
In Europe the most common rule is that children traveling alone are classified as UM from the age of 5 until the age of 12 and thus are obliged to make use of the UM service.
"Children" from the age of 12 till 18 can also use the UM service of the airline on request of the parents.
Some exceptions are in place e.g. BA requires italian children traveling alone to make use of their UM service up to the age of 14 because of some national law in Italy.
Also if the child between 5 and 12 is accompanied by someone older than 12 the UM service is not mandatory.
"Children" between 12 and 18 sometimes get the remark of Young Passenger so that staff can take this into account.
crownvic From United States of America, joined Oct 2004, 1594 posts, RR: 6 Reply 17, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3069 times:
Okay I have an update with more information....the flight was a US Airways flight from LGA to MCO with a stopover in Charlotte...Due to thunderstorms the flight was diverted to (the mother believes Charleston but wasnt sure)...after several hours on the ground the flight was then redirected back to Charlotte..Because of the late arrival time of 11:40 pm there were no more flights out to MCO..The hotel was offered as previously mentioned and then declined due to her age..US Airways was in contact with the parents and offered to have a female employee stay in the hotel room as an escort, however the 16 year old girl said no and did not want to sleep in a room with a stranger....As a result she was offered a cot in the US Airways employee lounge which she and two other minors from other flights accepted...At 4:00 am. they were moved to an office where they sat until the gate area opened up and then departed at about 9:30 a.m for MCO...Meal vouchers were provided by the airline and the airline was in contact the entire time witht the parents.....thats how it went down...I dont see the airline doing anything wrong and it was handled as best as it could for the situation....
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