Flying Right It May Sound Daunting, But Even Small Children Can Adapt To Air Travel By Themselves

Preparing a child to venture off into the wild blue yonder with only a flight attendant to comfort him throws some parents into a tailspin.

Reluctant moms and dads, however, can relax. These savvy young travelers generally adapt quickly and often look forward to their newfound solo excursions.

Cheryl Temple, manager of public affairs for Horizon Air, says a number of children from divorced families are traveling alone to visit noncustodial parents. “We don’t specifically market for the business of children, we just get it,” says Temple.

Kid travel peaks during school holidays when airline employees say most flights carry at least one child sans parents. “Christmas is a big time. Actually, spring break and the summer, that’s when we get most of them,” says Barbara Dowda, customer service supervisor for Southwest Airlines’ Spokane branch.

Airlines usually go the extra distance to ensure children are safe and comfortable. Typically, parents fill out permission forms with information, including names of persons authorized to pick up the child at his or her destination. On Southwest, kids age 5 and older can fly without an adult on direct flights. The flight attendant is in charge and children are only released to authorized adults showing proper identification.

Some airlines, such as Continental and Horizon, offer flight attendant assistance service to escort children as young as 5 to their connecting flights. Many parents find it’s worth the extra charge (on average $30-$60 one way) to ensure their child doesn’t end up dazed and confused downing a cola as his or her connecting flight breezes by overhead.

Watching your young child board an airplane by himself can be an unsettling experience. Mary Olobia moved from Spokane to Auburn, Wash., last year. She recalls preparing her son Andru Habenicht, who recently turned 9, for his first solo flight back to Spokane to visit his father.

Olobia purchased a first-class ticket for her son then introduced him to his flight attendant. She requested Andru be given promotional items, such as stickers, airline wings and playing cards to make his flight enjoyable.

“I assured him that he’d be able to see the cockpit, and made sure he had extra snacks. I told him if the plane started to feel bumpy to remember it’s like the kid’s roller coaster at the amusement park and not to worry,” says Olobia.

Still, when the moment to put Andru on the plane arrived, Olobia tearfully said goodbye. “I felt horrible. It was awful. I felt like I was sending my son into no man’s land. It was really scary.”

The flight attendant proved to be good with both kids and parents. After getting Andru settled on the plane, she came back to assure Olobia her son would be OK.

Still, Andru recalls the trip was intimidating. “I was kind of scared when we took off because I thought for a second that I couldn’t feel the seat belt and that I was going to fall straight back.”

Now, Andru has logged nearly a dozen solo flights. This veteran flier has ambitions of becoming a pilot and is one airline customer who looks forward to the food and beverage service.

To keep things simple, all of his clothes and his travel kit (Beanie Baby Doberman, favorite candy bar, a little money and sometimes a surprise card from mom) fit into one backpack. Some items are more important than others. “This is my favorite thing of all, my Gameboy. I always bring it with me,” says Andru.

Andru’s dad, Spokane firefighter Daryl Williams, thinks the airlines do a good job of making children feel comfortable. “Andru is just so relaxed about the whole thing. He just adapted really well.”

Casey Moyer, 17, has been flying solo since he was 12 when he started taking trips to visit his grandparents in southern California. Moyer’s parents opted for flight attendant assistance for his first few trips and while there were occasional glitches (such as a cranky flight attendant making him drink all his apple juice) most of his flights went well.

“Generally speaking, the airlines do a good job of making kids feel comfortable and trying to accommodate them,” says Moyer.

Kelly Stevens, 17, another experienced solo flier, has had only an occasional problem. “The only thing that I think that’s kind of bad is there’s a lot of delays and they don’t come and check on you.”

Temple offers a couple suggestions for parents to ensure kids have a pleasant travel experience: “Don’t put them on a flight where there might be weather problems. Don’t let your child fly on the last flight of the day (because of possible cancellations and limited alternative flights).”

Youngsters like Andru look forward to a taste of freedom and the thrill of flight. “I know about every exit and everything about an airplane. I’m kinda used to taking off now and I love it when you land and have all those bumps.”

This sidebar appeared with the story:

Kid travel tips

Advice from young fliers:

* Pack snacks, books and other small entertaining items.

* Carry cash and phone numbers of those who are picking you up.

* Parents, stay with kids until the minute they board the flight.

* Find a seat near the gate and stay there.

* If there is a delay, don’t panic.

* Don’t speak to strangers or anyone not wearing an airline uniform.

* If you loose your escort, stay where you are and wait for someone to find you.

* For teens traveling without a flight attendant’s assistance, carry directions to your next gate.