I'm a 14 year old girl and I'm flying internationally unaccompanied, advise please?
I'm flying from Omaha, Nebraska to London with a connection in Chicago. I'm really scared but I can't tell my parents or else they won't let me go. My major questions are, 1. How do you transfer planes? steps please, and what should I do in between flights? (2 hours) 2. What is the process for customs? I have a Canadian passport, will that complicate it? Will they ask for my Green card? 3. What should I do on the plane? (about 2 hours,and 11 hours over night but I'm not good at sleeping on planes) 4. what should I bring in my carry on? My ideas are, -Ipod (touch) -2 books -magazine -journal (pencil) -bottle of water -snacks -hoodie -mini cosmetics -camera? -hairbrush Any other tips appreciated, thanks everyone. btw im going to see my dad, who lives there not running away. btw im going to see my dad, who lives there not running away.
Air Travel - 10 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
are you really just gunna go off like that and go to another country without telling your parents?ever stop and think how worried they would be?grow up
2 :
I know you really want to go, BUT I would advise you not to. It can be really dangerous. Also, your flying international! Are you crazy! That is so dangerous! I really hope you won't go. Even though I don't know you I don't want you to get hurt or anything. Make the right decision.
3 :
the main thing is that you bring plenty of entertainment because you hav a long trip ahead of you. connections are sometimes difficult because you hav to switch planes but just ask for help if you're not sure about something.theres plenty of people around to help you. add money to your list
4 :
its not so bad! dont worry! my non - english relatives arrived just fine! there would be people around u can help ! and sometimes theres someone that is traveling the same way, and u can just be near them for guidance! When they transfer planes, u just get off and sit for 2 hours at an area until your stuff is transfered to another plane. Between flights u can always go buy some food! bring lots of money, food is SO expensive! theres alot of shops so u can go look around! =) Just bring you passport and green card just in case.! better safe then sorry =) theres not much to do on a plane, theres movies, or you can read magazines. BOOKS are good to bring! and music, snacks sounds good too, dont turn on your ipod until your flying, or else the people would make u turn off . Bring cosmetics if u wear them, so when u get off, you dont look so worn out. Hairbrush of crouse! eally good ideas! it can get pretty cold on an airplane! and those blankets they give u arent so great! so bring a hoodie too =) hope it helps! <3
5 :
You should ask your airline(s) for answers to 1 and 2, since they have different policies about unaccompanied minors. (The main one is that they know you're a minor, since some will not allow transfers for minors on international flights.) Your carry on items are fine, with the exception of the water. You can't bring that through security, but can buy some at the airport shops. Also, I don't know why you would want a camera on the plane, unless it's your first time and you want shots outside the window.
6 :
Well I don't want to answer this question because I don't want you to get hurt, even though I don't know you. Stop being so selfish and think about what you are doing to other people. Your parents will be so worried! Believe me, I got lost in Wal-Mart one time and my parents had the store shut down to look for me! Your parents love you and if you leave the country, there will be no way of them finding you! They will probably send out thousands of search and rescue teams to look for you, and that's not cheap! Your family loves you, why would you want to leave them?!?!?! And, how are you supposed to pay for your ticket if you are only 14? I mean, you can't have that much money by now. Tickets cost a lot at the last minute especially international flights. I'm pretty sure you can't travel as a minor through an airport, too. They have special "un-accompanied minor" rules and regulations. Please, don't go! I don't want to hear your name on the news when they say. "A 14-year old girl boarded a plane this weekend and was kidnapped in Chicago while running away from her parents." Just don't do!
7 :
Being nervous traveling by yourself is natural, even adults hate it. Your baggage should be automatically transferred for you in chicago to your new plane before your board it for London. However do ask, since you will be waiting 2 hrs some cases require you to do it. If that is the case you will need to go to the baggage claim area which will be easy to get to. Once you have your luggage, you will need to check it back in with the carrier that will be taking you to your ultimate destination. After that all you need to do is find the gate number in which you will be boarding. If your bags do not have to be checked in, all you do is go straight to your new departure gate. Waiting to board a plane can be very boring, so all the things you said are great especially for the longer trip. Avoid taking anything with liquids/sprays/jells as they will not let you board the plane with them. Im not good on sleeping on planes either, but you might want to try and go to sleep for the 11 hr flight, you will grow very anxious once you have done everything on the plane and don't what to do after you have tried, every game listened to every song and done every word puzzle. Just relax and enjoy. If you go to sleep, you will feel like your there in no time! I hope you have a wonderful trip and I hope this helped! Enjoy!
8 :
Your passport and tickets should be in an inside breast pocket or a pocket with a button enclosure, safe and secure but easily accessable. Do you have any other ID? It's best to have more than one card of identity. Tell the guy or girl at the counter at your gate that you are flying alone and wish the stewardeses to help you. They should make accomodations to help. To transfer planes, it looks like you have a while in between flights, since you do always ask the stewardess or the person at the next gate counter to double check what gate your next flight is in. They will announce it on the plane but sometimes it's hard to hear. Go immedietely to the next gate unless you need a bathroom break. Once you get there look around and become familiar with it, when satisfied, look around for a food court and bathrooms again. Always look for the closest bathroom. Eat, relax, distract yourself. Go back to the gate at least 30 minutes before the flight and relax and listen to the announcements. For customs sometimes you have to walk a ways thru the airport, follow the arrows, if confused ask people that were on the plane with you where they are going, maybe to customs or another place, usually most people head for customs so follow the crowd in extreme confusion. Get all of your papers ready and just say you have nothing to declare, always say that, they never check. You might be given a form on the airplane to fill out, fill it out very simply, you are travelling from here to there and only have your own luggage. What you carry or do on the plane is up to you, I do lots of things, it's just boring, no way to get around it. when you get whereever look around for a group that looks safe, walk up, and stand a few feet away like you're part of the group. Everyone will be looking for cabs or busses, just try your best to keep calm, there are lots of ways to get where you are going, there are always cabs or busses, don't stress.
9 :
1 they will anounce it. not sure though cause i never went on a connected flight. Go to the duty free shop or other shops! just make sure you can take what you buy on the plain with you. (Unless you get your big lugage just make sure your bagage isn't over the wieght limit. 2 they will take you through to customs and get your baguage checked out, (wieghed basically) and put on the plane. Then the airports ppl will give you a badge that will say UM (unaccompanied minor) They will gather ALL the UMs (haha ums i was one when I was 12 on an international flight 8.5 hours and a delayed flight due to technical difficulties. I was on LOT.) Anywho the ppl will take the UMs to the customs before boarding and you will but your bag in a bin along with anything else you have on you. A canadian passport might complicate it and they will probably ask you for your green card but it shouldn'tbe too bad. 3 Listen to your ipod, read, write, if your like me go non stop to pee, like every 5 minutes (for some reason my bladder like shrinks or something in planes), eat a snack, do your makeup, or watch the inflight movie. I can't sleep on planes either but by luck one of my friends were on the same plane to Poland! 4 Don't bring water they have plenty of that on the plane plus they will take away the bottle if there is more than 3 oz of fluid in it. Other than that you should be fine. Bring lots of snacks. Airplane food is NASTY! Tips: Relax. There is nothing to stress about! I went on a direct flight alone 2 years ago. It was fine. Plus they have an inflight movie. Bring your camera to take pictures out of the window. It's amazing some of the views you can see out of the window. (Assuming you have a window seat) And i'm assuming you don't want to tell your parents your scared. Not that u don't want to tell them your leaving lol.
10 :
You get off the plane. You're in the airport. DO NOT GO TO BAGGAGE CLAIM. On your plane ticket, it'll say Gate A1(example). You follow the signs to Terminal A if you are in a different Terminal. If you are in Terminal A, follow the signs. It'll say something like A22-A1. You would follow that sign and at the end of it, there's your gate. Stay near your gate after you get there...You never know when a plane is gonna take off. You need a passport. I don't think it has to be a certain country. Just a passport. You don't need a green card. Only if you're moving there.