Community Chat

[Mz iMac]

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@Brisky wrote:
I thought airlines have a rule that if child is under age
they must be accompanied by parent or guardian?

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Delta Airline rules:  A stewardess will be assigned to the child till the age of 17.  Not sure if that age rule still applies.  It did 5 yrs ago.

[Nonametoday]

I don't think any child under the age of 13 should be put on an airplane alone, let alone one with Autism.  That is cruel for a parent to do that, cruel of the mother to send him and cruel of the father to expect him to be transported in such a careless and uncaring manner.  Shame on both parents.

[Brisky]

Didn't know that! Thanks for the information Mz iMac!

[Sage04]

Of course the flight attendants were responsible for him. No way would he be allowed to travel by himself at that age. He could have been seated to someone who would get annoyed with him but he was seated to someone who played games with him and kept him comfortable.

The mom did the perfect thing by giving him the note because people like to judge kids behavior not thinking that something could be wrong.

[Sage04]

People have to stop assuming that his mom let him travel alone. That would never happen on an airline. My niece and nephew are 14 and 15 and my sister had to pay extra for them to travel a few months ago. It depends on the airline. At one time it used to be age 12.

[Jordan2]

We don’t know the mother’s situation with her son, it can’t be easy possibly being a single mother raising a child with Autism. I can’t believe that a flight attendant doesn’t keep an eye on a child traveling alone. The father has a right to see his son, she probably has no choice but to send him on his own.

[FrostyBabe1]

Children between the ages of 5 and 14 are required to participate/pay fees for the unaccompanied minor program on most major airlines. Children age 4 and under may not travel alone, those between 5-7 are only allowed on some non-stop flights, and those between 8-14 may make connections. Children between 15-17 may travel alone, with some allowing children to travel alone at age 12. The fee is usually $150 each way. Flight attendants (and yes, that is the correct term, steward/stewardess went out the window a long time ago) are only responsible for watching them while on-board the aircraft, but they're already very busy. Most flights go out with only the FAA mandated minimum staffing. They don't have time to sit and play with the kids or make them the focus of their attention. Other airline personnel make sure they get to their flights, get delivered to the adult picking them up, etc. 

Here's the info from just one airline, Delta:

https://www.delta.com/us/en/children-infant-travel/unaccompanied-minor-program

I'm not the child's parent and am not familiar with his medical records, but boy, would I think long and hard before putting an autistic child on an airplane alone. Who you are seated next to is always a ****** shoot. Fortunately it turned out okay, but it could've just as easily be an horror story. 

[SahmIam]

People aren't assuming; the mother stated that she sent her child, who has Autism, alone on the plane with a note and $10 in the hope that someone would be kind to him and look after him.

Both parents are to be shamed, IMHO. One of my nephews has Autism; you never know when something can go wrong. Like the flight crew have nothing else to do on a flight but care for your child. To assume other passengers want to care for your child because you don't is rude. There is no excuse for a young child especially with a medical condition to be sent alone on a flight; neither parent wanted to make the effort to fly out with the child so she pinned a note on him and attached money. 

Shows how important he is to them both. Thank God there a good person on board instead of someone else who saw ample opportunity to do harm. 

I advocate on the behalf of children as they have no voice in society. This situation plays out far more often than people may realize and it REALLY ticks me off; especially that so many excuse it as "no big deal" and "oh, you don't know the mom/dad situation". 

Please.

[Jordan2]

Every parent knows their child, what they are capable of. I admit to not being an expert on Autism, there are varying degrees of the spectrum. I believe the mother said he is high functioning autistic, he may be use to the flight as he may visit his father often.

[Lisa now in AZ]

Sorry, while I applaud the seatmate for being kind, there is NO WAY this should have happened, and I am starting to think it is a fake story. If the child needed to see his father, then one parent rides with him and maybe the other one brings him back. That is how divorced parents do that all the time - there is no way any child that age should travel alone. Especially since he is autistic, there is no way anyone would know what might set him off - a noise, a flashing light, etc. and unless someone was sitting with him who was traveling with him, those parents had no right to subject that child to that chance. Unbelievable. Sorry - that is NOT a feel good story to me and I pray they find that it is fake.