Sleepless in Seattle 西雅图夜未眠（精讲之五）

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When your child is flying unaccompanied

在美国，每年会有上万的孩子单独坐飞机飞到目的地。为了确保孩子的安全和让家长少担些心，很多机场开通了不用家长陪同的乘机旅程。The purpose of this publication is to guide parents and their children in a way that will help prevent negative experiences and help ensure the child's safe and carefree journey from start to finish. Appropriate planning with the airline and your child is the best "in-flight insurance" against any unpleasant travel experiences. To assist you in this process, it helps to know that there are some consistencies among domestic air carriers.
For instance, "unaccompanied minor" is the term airlines use to refer to children younger than the age of 18 who are not traveling with an adult. All airlines require a child to be at least 5 years of age to fly unaccompanied. If the flight is not a direct one, some airlines will not allow a child younger than the age of 8 to fly unaccompanied. If the child has a direct flight, an escort fee may not be required. Airlines normally charge from $30-$60 to escort an unaccompanied minor to connecting flights. If two or more children are traveling together, most airlines will not charge an additional escort fee. And most airlines allow children 12 years of age or older to fly unaccompanied.