If you and your ex or soon-to-be ex will be residing in different parts of the country or if one of you will be living and working abroad, your child custody agreement and parenting plan may involve your child flying alone on occasion (or more frequently) between your two homes. In airline lingo, they’ll be an “unaccompanied minor” or UM.
Major airlines have UM programs for those roughly between the ages of 5 and 18. These age restrictions and other rules and details vary among airlines. Regardless of your child’s age, what’s important to consider is whether they’re mature enough to fly on their own. This is something you and your co-parent (ideally) need to agree on.
Considering UM programs for your child
Fortunately, a multitude of major airlines fly into and out of Denver’s airport every day to places all over the world. If you agree to let your child fly alone, the first step is finding the best airline to use and look closely at their UM program so you know what services it provides, what it costs and what is required of parents. You’ll want to choose non-stop flights if possible to minimize the chances of problems. Some airlines require that UMs only travel on non-stop flights.
It’s important to remember that while these programs do provide kids with extra attention, they aren’t babysitting services. That means your child (or teen) needs to be able to sit peacefully for the duration of the flight and be able to entertain themselves with books, games and music. They also need to be able to understand and follow the crew’s directions.
If you can afford or have the reward miles for a business or first-class ticket, that should help ensure a little more personal attention. If not, at least try to book them a seat near the front of their section.
Codifying your child’s long-distance travel
If you agree that your child is (or at least soon will be) mature enough to handle this arrangement, it’s wise to codify as much of it as possible in your custody agreement and parenting plan. For example, how many trips per year will your child make, and when? Both parents should commit to dropping them off and picking them up at the airport. UM programs typically let parents go into the gate area to do this.
It’s also wise to determine how the cost of this travel will be split. This may be included in your child support agreement.
Having experienced legal guidance can help you determine how best to prepare for your child’s solo air travel in advance. This can save everyone confusion and conflict later.
