European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Flying Solo More and More children travel alone by Keith Bradsher new York times k i Stenc if a Sti a l " hoi la at pc 7 a parents had recently separated and her Mother was sending her irom Dallas to Houston to visit her lather although Enslen had mown before with her family. She was nearly in tears at the Prospect of going alone i thought about the plane crashing and that s All " but alter boarding she noticed another even younger girl who was also alone and had begun to cry without any suggestion irom a Light attendant or another passenger Kristen moved to a seat next to the Little girl i told her about my being scared too. And said we could pass the time talking she recalled Kristen. Who is now 11. Said she fought Down her own tears to co Lorl her companion who soon stopped crying a growing number of children and teen agers Are Hying alone because their parents whether divorced separated or still married live in Diller enl cities and As air travel has become More common planes have increasingly replaced buses and trains for transporting children to Distant grandparents and summer Camps some children now Fly alone regularly Enslen hew twice a month to Houston Lor the Lisl couple of years alter her a ent j ii Croc. And she in a int i c n ,3 via i/.,j a Inch a i Cai a r try r Jwj afr of can Noin Fly a inc it not ? Chivi i-.1. A an Chr in j Jet my of 3 for your a . Lynn a another Suurje of Juch travel on a Typ Cal tuesday in August. United air nes helped 1,200 unaccompanied minors make connections at its Chicago Hub and 450 to 500 More at its Denver Hub. Said Sara Dornacker. A spokeswoman for the airline but on another tuesday Only 14 children were assisted in connections in Chicago and seven in Denver Iho said More than Hall of the unaccompanied minors carried by United Are travelling Between divorced parents. Dornacker said Christmas produces such an increase in travel by children Hying alone that United hired 50 extra clerks and opened special lounges Lor children at the Denver and Chicago hubs irom dec. 16 to Jan 6, Dornacker said. Officials Al several american and foreign carriers said they thought More children were Hying alone bul none had exact figures. The department of transportation also does not keep track it s just a More Mobile society said Mary j Orchard Northwest airlines director of passenger service. Sandra r. Gonzalez a United airlines flight attendant said. Ii certainly is a r i in. I i i l a he. I. A. 1" in the i ,.-i." of .l" it c Vry a n a i ii 10 cd. A \ to w trave .1 " , do not a. I of f i Fri cd if no i j t lated Upa cd d and a to Csc Cal psych at to at the York a capital Council medical Center children Are hardier travellers than people by March 1988. According to the census Bureau. 24 percent of the nation s 64 million children lived with Only one Parent compared with is 2 percent in 1978 and 106 percent in 1968 most american carriers allow children age 5 to 7 to go alone Only on trips that do not require changing planes children 8 to 11 years old Are escorted through plane connections. Older children up to age 18 can also be escorted on a Parent s request. Most airlines charge a Lee Lor escorts Lor example $25 in the Case of America West airlines and Northwest airlines. The number of unaccompanied children carried by foreign airlines tends to reflect National cultures it is very very rare for a japanese child to Fly alone said Morris Simoncelli. A spokesman for Japan airlines. Children Are very protected in japanese society he said and larger numbers of japanese adults have Only recently begun travelling alone overseas by contrast Britain s colonial past Lias made British airways accustomed to r. I l scr a pro . Olch ,.r.- iivne1. Arid Law ration r Nti
