New Booklet Provides Advice on Children Flying Alone. A new booklet from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) provides advice to the parents of children who must travel alone by air. "When Kids Fly Alone" notes that while there are no DOT regulations governing unaccompanied minors on airlines, the carriers have various rules on the ages of children they will allow to travel alone and special procedures they use to safeguard children who are traveling without an adult.

"This booklet provides valuable information to help parents ensure that their children arrive safely at their destination when they must fly alone," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

"I am pleased to have worked with DOT to create this informative booklet to educate and inform parents about the guidelines and airline policies regarding air travel by children and minors," said Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who has a longstanding interest in the issue. "This is a positive step forward in protecting our children when they fly alone and an effective way of providing parents with easily accessible information.”

The booklet includes tips for parents on booking flights for their children, preparing their children for their flights, what to expect at the airport and what children flying alone should know. It also includes cautionary information and advice for parents about the possibility of their teenaged children attempting to travel by air without the parents’ knowledge.