Unaccompanied minor flying and joint legal custody

[Mississippian]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama

Hi,

My daughter is supposed to go to her father's house this weekend for a visit, and there is a disagreement about her flying with layovers. I have joint legal custody and primary physical custody of her. I do not want her flying with layovers due to the fact that she is eight years old, and her father took it upon himself to purchase tickets for the return trip from Pensacola with a layover in Atlanta. What are my options?

 

[CJane]

Options? Fly to Atlanta, meet her there and fly home.

Are you actually hoping we'll tell you not to send the child because you don't like the return arrangements? Is your order silent on the issue of layovers?

 

[Mississippian]

Options? Fly to Atlanta, meet her there and fly home.

Are you actually hoping we'll tell you not to send the child because you don't like the return arrangements? Is your order silent on the issue of layovers?

There is no order on layovers....I have discussed several times through email about my concerns and complete disagreement with layovers. I worry about her sitting in an airport with a stranger for several hours, and the possibility of her flight being canceled all together. She is only 8 years old, and completely terrified to fly.
He (my ex) sent me and email prior to the last one with the itinerary stating he would drive, and at the last minute, one week before visitation, sent me the itinerary. So yeah, I guess I am holding on to some hope that there is some age requirement or law that will help me.
Thanks

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Alabama

Hi,

My daughter is supposed to go to her father's house this weekend for a visit, and there is a disagreement about her flying with layovers. I have joint legal custody and primary physical custody of her. I do not want her flying with layovers due to the fact that she is eight years old, and her father took it upon himself to purchase tickets for the return trip from Pensacola with a layover in Atlanta. What are my options?

I know the Atlanta airport well and I would NEVER have a child fly unaccompanied (even with an airline escort) with a layover in Atlanta.

Too much can and does go wrong in Atlanta.

How far apart are the actual homes?

 

[Mississippian]

I know the Atlanta airport well and I would NEVER have a child fly unaccompanied (even with an airline escort) with a layover in Atlanta.

Too much can and does go wrong in Atlanta.

How far apart are the actual homes?

We are in Northern Virginia, and he is in Southern Alabama. I am so worried, don't know what to do????

 

[CJane]

I flew into and out of Atlanta this summer with my girls. We didn't have a SINGLE issue w/anything at all.

If your order is silent, I don't see that you have a hope of disallowing the visit. You could always purchase a different ticket w/out a layover and see if Dad will fly Princess home on that ticket.

Or, fly to Atlanta and meet her.

 

[Mississippian]

What does a silent order mean? We have never had the issue before the judge. If I could fly with her I would. I am the only income in my family and am unable to take off work at the last minute.
If I meet in Atlanta, I am still about 7 or so hours away. The flight is for a late time, so if I pick her up, she will miss the next day of school due to travel time. What to do?

 

[LdiJ]

We are in Northern Virginia, and he is in Southern Alabama. I am so worried, don't know what to do????

I have flown through Atlanta quite often, and EVERY time there has been a problem with a layover. I have never had a single successful flight with a layoever in Atlanta. Most of the time it has been a very extended layover instead of the short one expected...or running like mad to make a flight at the other end of the airport, but its always been a problem. Plus the Atlanta airport is huge, and difficult to navigate.

I would be making some serious noise with dad about this one, but if nothing else worked, I would fly to Atlanta, meet the child, and travel home on the same flight as the child.

If the child is flying down there without a layover, the child should be able to fly back without a layover. I would also be hightailing it to court to ask the judge to order that the child fly without any layovers, to prevent this happening again.

Judges have many different opinions of children flying alone. I have known of judge who would allow it as young as 5, as long as it was a direct flight and the child was escorted, but I have also known of judges who feel that even 10 or 11 is too young.

 

[Mississippian]

I have flown through Atlanta quite often, and EVERY time there has been a problem with a layover. I have never had a single successful flight with a layoever in Atlanta. Most of the time it has been a very extended layover instead of the short one expected...or running like mad to make a flight at the other end of the airport, but its always been a problem. Plus the Atlanta airport is huge, and difficult to navigate.

I would be making some serious noise with dad about this one, but if nothing else worked, I would fly to Atlanta, meet the child, and travel home on the same flight as the child.

If the child is flying down there without a layover, the child should be able to fly back without a layover. I would also be hightailing it to court to ask the judge to order that the child fly without any layovers, to prevent this happening again.

Judges have many different opinions of children flying alone. I have known of judge who would allow it as young as 5, as long as it was a direct flight and the child was escorted, but I have also known of judges who feel that even 10 or 11 is too young.

Thank you so much! I really can't afford to go back to court again, but it seems the only option. We go yearly, sometimes more, in the future I will just have to budget more. I will meet her in Atlanta. Thank you sooooo much

 

[allwipedout]

Sorry, I don't have any legal advice about your situation, but I thought I would share my experience of my daughter flying cross country.

My ex and I live cross country and before our daughter turned 8 we both took turns traveling with her, but once she turned 8, we paid a fee to have the airlines escort her. My daughter has now been flying every year, multiple times a year for 5 years this way and we have only had a problem one time, but the airlines kept in close communication with us and we were not charged any extra fees and she was placed on the very next flight.

Usually what happens during layover, at least for my daughter, is that she will go to a designated area with any other unaccompanied kids, and depending on how long the layover is, they may be given a snack and get to watch tv or play games until it is time for them to board the next flight.

When a person books a flight for a child, they have to give the airlines detailed information about who is dropping off the child, and especially who is picking up the child (at least we always have to). When you pick up the child you have to show your ID, and fill out forms. Sometimes the escort person will even verify with my daughter that I am in fact who I say I am.

This is the same time that I bought my daughter a cellphone so they we could keep in close contact with each other and I could feel a little more comfortable about her flights.

 

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

You daughter is flying as an unaccompanied minor. The AIRLINES will charge your X to put her on that airplane. It can be anywhere from $75.00 to $125.00 EACH leg. I know that she is NOT flying SWA only cuz they don't go thru Georgia.

Which airlines? Have you contacted the airlines to see how they handle the unaccompanied?

Now, what happens is that the airlines will provide your daughter a lovely "necklace" that has all the pertinent information for her. In the case of a layover, the child is removed from the general population and kept company. It tends to be like the staff room for the pilots/ flight attendants.

I suspect your X did NOT buy that ticket informing the airlines that it is for an unaccompanied minor.

Jingle them - k?

Which airlines?

 

[CJane]

So I'm curious - for my own edification... I suggested in the very first response to this thread that you fly down to Atlanta, meet kiddo and fly home.

I suggested again in a later post that you fly to Atlanta, meet kiddo and fly home.

Both times you had a reason you couldn't... one of them being that you'd be 7 hours from home and she'd miss school - which makes no sense to me, but whatever.

But L suggests you fly to Atlanta, meet kiddo there and fly home - and it's the best suggestion you've ever heard?

How does THAT work? I mean, I dig Ldi even more than most of the other people here, and as a voice of pure reason, she rocks much lots of the time.

But really? Am I invisible?

 

[amberlea434]

You daughter is flying as an unaccompanied minor. The AIRLINES will charge your X to put her on that airplane. It can be anywhere from $75.00 to $125.00 EACH leg. I know that she is NOT flying SWA only cuz they don't go thru Georgia.

Which airlines? Have you contacted the airlines to see how they handle the unaccompanied?

Now, what happens is that the airlines will provide your daughter a lovely "necklace" that has all the pertinent information for her. In the case of a layover, the child is removed from the general population and kept company. It tends to be like the staff room for the pilots/ flight attendants.

I suspect your X did NOT buy that ticket informing the airlines that it is for an unaccompanied minor.

Jingle them - k?

Which airlines?

I was thinking along these lines, as well. Each airline has different rules regarding unaccompanied minors. My SD is 10 and flies SWA and their rules clearly state that unaccompanied minors can only fly on DIRECT flights. OP, check out the airlines policies.

 

[MichaCA]

As another mom who would be concerned too, I agree calling the airlines to get their policy AND inform them of unaccompanied minor is an excellent first step.

Perhaps they can reassure you enough where its OK, this time. However I agree with other posters', I would also be looking into flying into Atlanta and returning with child. Whenever you do make it into court around this, request dad pay for your expenses.

Whenever you do make it to court around this, I would request the no layovers, only direct flights, dad pays for expenses, and some good wording on child should be situated back in your home in enough time to BE HOME, get a regular nights sleep before school the next day. (I need to do the exact same thing).

If you can go to court just around this, I don't see you having to have an attorney. If your ex starts making things super complicated and brings in other issues, then maybe you would have to pull your attorney in. But sometimes I think people don't really need an attorney for these more clear cut, isolated issues.

Let us know what you learn. Micha

PS Not to fuel the fire; my experience with almost all the airlines is flying is a crapshoot experience. I go at least once a year with daughter to visit parent; two flights one way. The past few years we have had increasingly horrendous experiences..this last time in Houston our flight literally cancelled THREE times via Continental, I could go on and on. I vowed I will never use them again, it was so bad, the customer service was no better. We are both coming to dread going more and more as we just never know what will happen, which is sad as this is the one way we can stay in touch with my elderly dad and some extended family.

 

[Mississippian]

As another mom who would be concerned too, I agree calling the airlines to get their policy AND inform them of unaccompanied minor is an excellent first step.

Perhaps they can reassure you enough where its OK, this time. However I agree with other posters', I would also be looking into flying into Atlanta and returning with child. Whenever you do make it into court around this, request dad pay for your expenses.

Whenever you do make it to court around this, I would request the no layovers, only direct flights, dad pays for expenses, and some good wording on child should be situated back in your home in enough time to BE HOME, get a regular nights sleep before school the next day. (I need to do the exact same thing).

If you can go to court just around this, I don't see you having to have an attorney. If your ex starts making things super complicated and brings in other issues, then maybe you would have to pull your attorney in. But sometimes I think people don't really need an attorney for these more clear cut, isolated issues.

Let us know what you learn. Micha

PS Not to fuel the fire; my experience with almost all the airlines is flying is a crapshoot experience. I go at least once a year with daughter to visit parent; two flights one way. The past few years we have had increasingly horrendous experiences..this last time in Houston our flight literally cancelled THREE times via Continental, I could go on and on. I vowed I will never use them again, it was so bad, the customer service was no better. We are both coming to dread going more and more as we just never know what will happen, which is sad as this is the one way we can stay in touch with my elderly dad and some extended family.

Dad won't allow her to get to Atlanta at a descent hour. It is in fact about nine hours from Atlanta to my home in VA. He has made me drive to Alabama and pick her up on a Sunday evening when she had school the next morning. Yea, she missed. This has happened on multiple occasions. Not to get too deep, but there are always issues with him. Here is a question.. If I have to work, is there any reason that my husband cannot go pick her up. The bio-dad seems to think that I am the only one permitted to pick our daughter up...made me travel 14 hrs while 8 months pregnant to pick daughter up one time..Says he will not allow anyone else to come get her.. My daughter adores her step dad and has no issues with traveling with him.. any ideas?