Rethinking Airline Responsibilities for Unaccompanied Minors

At the close of 2023, two highly publicized cases involving unaccompanied minors on airplanes brought attention to the challenges faced by airlines in ensuring the proper placement of young passengers. In both instances, children were placed on flights they shouldn’t have been on—one at the age of 16 and the other, surprisingly, at the tender age of six.

Families affected by these incidents expressed their frustration, with one even considering legal action. However, it’s crucial to address a controversial perspective on this matter: airline workers, from gate agents to flight attendants, should not be viewed as babysitters.

While empathetic to the distress experienced by families, the author, a parent themselves, argues that airline personnel have numerous responsibilities before, during, and after flights. They contend that expecting airline workers to serve as de facto babysitters is both unrealistic and unfair. With potentially dozens of passengers per flight attendant, their primary focus must remain on ensuring the safety and smooth operation of the flight.

The author acknowledges the anxiety felt by parents, citing a scenario where a teenager landed in Puerto Rico instead of Ohio. Despite the emotional toll, the author firmly rejects the idea that airlines should shoulder the entire responsibility, even if they sold the ticket.

The crux of the argument is that parents and guardians willingly entrust their children to strangers in an airport and on an airplane, environments considered places of business. The author questions the appropriateness of such delegation, drawing a parallel between entrusting a child to strangers on the street and doing so in an airport or airline cabin.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 21: A man sleeps in the new business class seat onboard the new Qantas A380 flagship the ‘Nancy-Bird Walton’ as she joins the Qantas fleet at Sydney Domestic Airport on September 21, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. The Qantas A380 will feature seating for 450 passengers across four cabins and will commence commercial services from Melbourne to Los Angeles on October 20, and from Sydney to Los Angeles on October 24. (Photo by Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images)

The article suggests the need for a middle ground, proposing the concept of a companion travel-only fare. However, the author acknowledges potential challenges, including the risk of exploitation. Nevertheless, the central message remains clear: it is imperative to stop viewing airlines as babysitters for children, regardless of their age or maturity level.