Whether your child is traveling to school, camp, or to see family, there are situations when it is just not possible to stop them from traveling alone. A child who travels without the presence of a guardian legally is referred to as an “Unaccompanied Minor” and requires extra supervision, which also provides parents with peace of mind. Check the policies of the airline you plan to travel with, as each has its own rules around unaccompanied kids. These rules can include limitations on age, fees, types of flights, and amenities available. When booking flight tickets from Canada to India for your kid, it’s essential to understand the specific requirements and provisions each airline offers to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for your child.
Although parents might feel uneasy about letting their kids travel alone, when a child goes as an unaccompanied minor, there is extra supervision throughout the entire trip. Use our comprehensive guide to get ready for your child’s first solo flight, and refer to our list of the main carriers’ policies below. And when it’s time to book, visit Flyopedia to search and contrast your flight alternatives.
What to Pack
- Cell Phone: If your kid doesn’t yet have one, it is a good idea to purchase one for him or her. Pay-as-you-go cell phones are an easy means to stay in touch in a time of need. Any cell phone retailer will be selling pay-as-you-go phones.
- Family/Friends Contact Information: Give your child an extensive list of the names, phone numbers, and addresses of friends and family members who will be picking them up from the airport.
- Photographs: Give your child a picture of the person or people they will be meeting at the airport, and on the back, write out all of their contact details.
- Copy of Passport and Other ID: Packing a photocopy of the child’s passport and any additional identification in the luggage is generally a smart idea.
- Medication: Verify that your child is capable of taking prescription drugs on their own and that they have the right to all necessary prescriptions.
- Details of the day’s schedule: Make sure your child understands what to do in an emergency. For example, provide rules on how to handle airline delays or cancellations. If you need to handle overnight arrangements, let him or her know. Make sure you have two copies of this information and keep them in two distinct locations.
- Snacks: Provide your child with some snacks and an empty water bottle that they can fill at a water fountain after they pass security.
- Entertainment: Create or buy a travel pack to keep him or her busy during the flight. Include items like books, coloring books, crayons, TV shows, games, a tablet, portable video games, and a cherished toy (based on the child’s age).
Before the Flight
- Keep Yourself Informed: If your child is flying alone, make sure to get particular information and rules from your preferred carrier before booking a reservation for cheap business class tickets to India from Canada.
- Try to Book a Morning Flight: Preferably, schedule your travel for the morning to allow yourself time to make other arrangements if the flight is delayed or canceled.
- Write Out the Details: Any minor under seventeen flying alone on an international aircraft must have a written note confirming permission, the desired destination, and the length of stay.
- Give Appropriate Information: It is the responsibility of parents to inform airport staff of who will be picking up and dropping off their children. After escorting the kids off the aircraft, a flight attendant releases them to the appointed employee or another designated employee.
- Go over the Itinerary: Make sure all travel documents are stored in a secure location, particularly if they are required for a return flight.
- Make Smart Clothing Choices: Don’t let your child wear anything with their name on it, as this could make it simpler for an imposter to persuade a young person that they are trustworthy.
- Use the Right Luggage: Lightweight, easily identifiable luggage will help your child feel less anxious when traveling through airports.
At the Airport
- Arrive Early: Since kids are usually pre-boarded, Alone Airlines advises allowing ample time for check-in and security procedures. A slow pace will also be less upsetting to kids who are traveling alone.
- Inform the Flight Attendants: Make sure the flight attendants know your child is traveling alone. Ascertain whether the passenger will be seated in an area of the aircraft that allows flight attendants to readily monitor them; the front or rear of the aircraft are the ideal locations for this.
- Obtain Confirmation (if you can): If at all feasible, have your child contact you both as soon as they land and again while they are with the person picking them up.
Airline Policies for Unaccompanied Minors
Air Canada
Age: 8 to 11 years old – Unaccompanied Minors (UM) service must be purchased; 12 to 17 years old – UM service is optional; children under 8 years old are not permitted to travel alone.
Flight Restrictions: Available only on nonstop routes.
Alaska Airlines
Age: Children under five cannot travel alone. Age ranges 5 to 7 years old – nonstop flights only; 8 to 12 years old – nonstop and connecting flights.
Flight Restrictions: Travel may not begin between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Delta Airlines
Age: Children under five cannot travel alone. 5 to 7-year-olds can only travel on nonstop or direct flights; 8 to 14-year-olds can travel on nonstop and connecting flights.
Flight Restrictions: Red Eye flights (which run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.) do not permit unaccompanied children, except on flights that originate in Alaska or Hawaii and planes that are connecting to or from international flights.
Therefore, with the right preparation and a healthy dose of confidence, kids traveling alone from Canada to India can have an exciting and safe journey. To book last minute flight to India from Canada, visit Flyopedia and make your journey as smooth as it is memorable.