<p>Every airport is different. At our home airport they ask the child’s age when checking in for the flight. They don’t require ID for passengers under 18 when they are with a parent. But at Logan, when traveling alone, my daughter was hassled for showing her school ID and had to drag out her DMV ID card - luckily she had one.</p>
<p>By the way, your child can get a DMV ID card in lieu of a driver’s license that will be accepted anywhere as photo ID. It helps alleviate worries. </p>
<p>Every airline has its own policies for unaccompanied minor traveling - many of those policies were updated and changed about one year ago. I know Delta’s was changed, others were also. For the most part they were made more restrictive and fees were imposed/raised. Once your child is over 15 there are generally no restrictions on flight travel, but under 15 it depends on the airline. You can check on the airline’s website. </p>
<p>I also wouldn’t try to get around the airline policy. My daughter had a friend get his travel plans messed up at the last minute because he was booked on an airline that would not allow passengers under 15 to have connecting flights. He ended arriving to camp a day late due to the travel mess.</p>
<p>emdee, I would make sure that if you have connections that there is slim to no possibility that your child will not get to the end of the trip due to weather, equipment delays etc. Although I fly very little now, I once traveled a lot for business, and when travel was better than it is today, I experienced all types of crazy delays for weather, equipment etc., so I know things happen. I was even diverted in a snowstorm to Boston, instead of Laguardia. Years ago we were flying my step D to see us from her home about 8 hours away by car (1hr. flight) and we had a weather problem and she could not come until the next day - just one short flight. ON the way back there were delays and we waited a long time until she could take off. On a more recent trip, some aggravated dad was waiting for a while with his D, because we were delayed. I don’t know where you are coming from or what the economic constraints are, but if you can do it, consider going with if there are connections.</p>
<p>Just so you don’t think I am a drag, I would think that if your child is ready to go to boarding school that even if there were plane delays etc., that any airline delay would be an adventure for the kid (you on the other hand might not be so enthused.)</p>
<p>Here’s some information that I copied and pasted from Southwest’s website that may help.</p>
<p>Note: Starting with reservations purchased June 1, 2009, in addition to the fare purchased, Southwest Airlines will charge a $25 one-way service charge for each Unaccompanied Minor traveling on or after June 17, 2009. Payment will be accepted at the ticket counter upon checkin. An Unaccompanied Minor is a child who is at least five years old and younger than 12 years old and who will be traveling without someone who is 12 years old or older.</p>
<p>As to the question of what ID is considered valid for flying…</p>
<p>Goaliegirl has flown out of Logan and Manchester since age 14. She got her driver license a year ago (age 16), but before then used her school ID for flying and was never questioned. </p>
<p>I would suggest you check the Homeland Security website. They should clearly define what is considered valid ID for an unaccompanied minor. Double check the airline website for ID requirements beyond that. </p>
<p>BTW, flying Southwest is probably wise, as they have a better on-time record than the other airlines. IIRC I saw a a stat today showing they had by far the lowest “stranded for an extended time on tarmac” frequency. That says volumes about how they handle their flight management.</p>
<p>2 rules to live by when flying your child. Never get the last flight out of your connecting airport. A minor child connecting will always get priority in the event of a problem. She needs to identify herself as that when she arrives at the hub airport gate every time she flies. The other rule is to choose your connecting airport carefully. As I mentioned earlier, I try to route goaliegirl through hubs where I can drive (<8 hours) or have relatives in case everything else fails. </p>
<p>We had one break where she couldn’t get off the ground in Boston because her hub airport (Cleveland) had weather issues. One of her house parents took her back to campus when they scratched her flight and brought her back the next day. Make sure you have plenty of phone numbers (cell) of trusted faculty and staff at your child’s school. That is how we got her unstuck at Logan, as the school offices had closed. </p>
<p>Personally, I prefer to drive there and pick her up (16 hours each way), but that isn’t always practical. Kind of crazy, but I still value the control, so I understand your trepidation about flying you child.</p>
<p>I just saw a notice posted on the Andover Parent Portal that may be of interest to PA parents. They are starting a new “Parent-to-Parent” program to pair far away parents with local parents for the purpose of accompanying students to the airport gate and receiving them when they return after vacation. You sign up for it through the PSPA. Parents of “fliers” are expected to reimburse the local parents for mileage, tolls and any other expenses which could arise as a result of flight delays. This will be an enormous help!</p>
<p>Are there any slightly older students at your daughter’s school who live nearby? Perhaps they could travel together. This new policy will be a huge headache for schools.</p>
<p>I can tell you as an ex-stew for 13 years and the wife of a current pilot things happen and you had better be prepared for the craziest things!</p>
<p>In fact I just spent 12 hours in the Orlando airport last week trying to get on a flight after our flight canceled with a mechanical issue, with my 13 and 10 year olds. Of course we were traveling as employee’s so we were the LAST people accommodated on the planes but many full fare passengers also spent the better part of the day sitting in the airport.</p>
<p>Back in my stew days I did have one flight where we diverted to another city with a UM, the child ended up spending the night in the hotel with a management type person! Obviously this was a long time ago, but that kind of stuff does happen.</p>
<p>My S is 15 and he will be traveling in and out of Hartford for school, our intentions are to either drive, full fare tickets for him, or one of us goes and gets him if the loads look good enough for a standby option. So during the holidays he will probably be full fare or we will drive out, I’m guessing 18 hour drive. You just never know what will happen in regards to weather or other issues that you have no control over. And while my S is pretty mature figuring out what to do in those situations can be trying for an adult, let alone a child, which he still is.</p>
<p>My advice would be if you can afford to go with your child do that, if not the Um option would probably be the next best thing. Good luck.</p>
<p>As for ID: For JetBlue, a teen flying with parents/guardians doesn’t need anything. Teens over 14 do not pay extra as unaccompanied minors. To fly alone as a teen, you MUST have a government-issued photo ID with birth-date. JetBlue says that a public school ID would be okay. However, a school ID from one of the oldest boarding schools in the country will not cut it. We are in the process of getting a non-driver ID for our student from NY state…much time at DMV involved.</p>
<p>I took a couple of Andover kids to the airport this year, and was happy to be asked. It’s fun to see some other dorms, talk to the kids. It was coordinated through the well organized program for international students, but I’m glad to hear that the parents association is arranging it for domestic students also (and I’ll volunteer!). </p>
<p>Presumably many of the US citizens have passports they can use at an airport, but Brooklyn Guy’s suggestion of a DMV card is a good one—less of a nuisance if lost!</p>
<p>Thanks to all the local parents who help out, as a long distance parent I can tell you it is a great relief to know other parents are willing to help your child! And, I was especially grateful that a cc parent offered to help my d if necessary. </p>
<p>I am surprised the airlines will not accept boarding school id, but I am going to look into getting a state issued id, so we don’t have to worry about passport being lost. One more thing to add to the long list of things to do before September.</p>
<p>How about a passport card? [U.S</a>. Passport Card](<a href=“U.S. Passports”>U.S. Passports) The website states you can apply for it by mail, if you already have a passport. You may have both. It fits in a wallet.</p>
<p>I’d apply for it soon, though, as processing times are similar to passport processing times.</p>
<p>Does it have to be a picture ID? Because I’m 15 and I don’t have an actual ID but I have a learners permit with my age and address and everything and its all official and stuff.</p>
<p>If the airline says they need a government-issued PHOTO ID, a permit without a photo won’t cut it. Refer to the policies of the individual airlines, being sure to plan in advance.</p>
<p>EmDee
We had that problem too. We got around it with a catch. We did this a couple of times, but usually I flew with her.</p>
<ol>
<li> Get an “ID” from your driver’s license area. Obviously she cannot drive, but it will be an official ID for the TSA security.</li>
<li> Get your boarding pass online.</li>
<li> Get on the plane.
The FA or gate agent will usually not check her id unless she looks really young “as they think it has already been done”. The other thing my d did was “talk” to a lady as she was giving the gate agent the boarding pass.</li>
</ol>
<p>The catch. If the plane gets canceled, you are in problems. Then it will go to a gate agent who might check your id. </p>
<p>I think either US Air or Delta will let a younger child connect if it is NOT the last flight out for the day.</p>
<p>But, the bigger question for you is "Do you want your child to maybe be stuck somewhere by him/her self. I have had several instances where a plane has landed “somewhere else” due to someone dying on board or weather, etc. Then you might get stuck in “the middle of Kansas” overnight. So before you try to get your child on the airplane, answer that question first.</p>
<p>Also, consider the bus or train - but again with the caveat “do you want your child alone”</p>
<p>
Per TSA, that is true ONLY if they are flying with an adult. If they are by themselves, they need an id. A school id will not work. It has to be government (passport or state id)</p>
<p>As an aside, my 15 yo flew to Taiwan by herself to visit a friend. I had to fly to NYC with her (above policies) but got her on Cathay Pacific as a “minor” for $125. It was great for her. They took her to the front of line in all customs and immigrations and escorted her across terminal in Hong Kong.</p>
<p>
The passport card works as it is federal id.<br>
you can go to TSA’s website and they will tell you which ids work. The id cards are not the airline’s ruling (a school id used to work for them) - it is homeland security.</p>
<p>My older son (16) was recently returning from visiting grandparents in Boston and tried to buy an Amtrac train ticket from Boston to NY from the ticket agent. They wouldn’t sell him the ticket without ID. They told him to look into taking a bus. He convinced someone in the train station to take cash and buy him a ticket with their Visa from the automated ticket machine. Just not practical to try to travel without ID these days.</p>
<p>I agree, the passport card, is about as official as it gets. Quick, easy, affordable. Just be prepared to upgrade to the book when your D approaches you with the fact that she absolutely NEEDS to visit Egypt next summer For int’l travel, it only works for Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean countries.</p>
<p>I need to take a tour and an interview at the following schools: Exeter, Andover, Deerfield, Hotchkiss, Middlesex, SPS and Choate. How should I go about this? I’d like to get this all done in one trip, but how?</p>
<p>I don’t know if my parents can come with me, they both have work. Can I schedule the tour and interview for myself (most likely without parents) in the summer?</p>
<p>Can you have a friend / other adult come with you for the tour and interview? (not that I have anyone that live in those areas, but still…)</p>
For int’l travel, it only works for Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean countries.</p>