Father and Son

Minor, Flying Alone

Is being a minor and flying alone a milestone for the parent or the child?

Friday, June 21st, my 10 year old flew from San Jose to Dallas Texas alone. This was his first solo trip. Before this, the option was available but he would say he was not ready. Since the divorce either he and his mother would fly him here, and I would return him, or I would go there and get him, come right back, and then return him, then fly right back. It made for long days for the parent going and coming, in which I caught most of them. This milestone is clearly an advantage as we will have more time together, especially when flights are full. It’s also a milestone he is maturing. It also means the parent child relationship is changing. So many big small steps brought us here. But is this the norm?

Flying alone was a norm for me. I can’t tell you how many times I was put on Southwest flight and sent to one of either my paternal or maternal grandparents. I remember San Antonio and El Paso Airports as a kid. Back in the day, San Antonio didn’t have jet-bridges. You went down a stair truck and right into the terminal, near where the baggage carousels were.

The movie Cloak and Dagger, 1984, starring Dabney Coleman and Henry Thomas had scenes filmed in San Antonio, showcasing the airport…