KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Flying Alone

More children fly alone in the summertime than any other time of the year.  In the peak of the summer travel season, it's estimated that twenty thousand children, some as young as five, fly "unaccompanied" across the states.  While the airlines never misplace a child there are still several things that can go wrong.  Delays happen, diversions happen, cancellations happen, that's why parents need to empower their children.  Parents need to provide their children with emergency telephone numbers to travel with and also the travel itinerary for them to keep with their carry-on.  You should also consider booking flights during the daytime.  Making sure the flight is non-stop is also a good tip.  Also, experts recommend putting your child in an aisle seat close to the flight crew.  But, above everything else, you need to ask yourself if your child is mature enough to make the trip alone.  Parents are not advised to leave the gate area until their child's flight has taken off.  They say parents should also leave a cell phone number with the airlines so you can be reached immediately if the plane should need to return to the gate.