Can parent accompany child through customs?

[FredC]

I would like some information if anyone has any experience with this. My fiance, Tatyana, want to come here alone first leaving her daughter home in Russia. I think that this is not the best plan, but she has made up her mind. Personally I don't think that she can wait the probable 9 months to be able to return.

So here's my question. If we/she will let Anastasia fly here alone. Would one of us be able to accompany her through customs when she gets here or will we have to wait for her to process through by herself? I think that this might be a good option as long as we can help her through customs.

[Vaughn]

Fred,

  How old is her daughter? And when you say "Customs" you're referring to Passport Control, right?

I've never heard of one case where someone could enter that area to assist another.

[FredC]

Fred,

  How old is her daughter? And when you say "Customs" you're referring to Passport Control, right?

I've never heard of one case where someone could enter that area to assist another.

Vaughn......You are correct, I should have said Passport Control.

Her daughter is 13. Certainly old enough to travel alone, but I think she would be overwhelmed with processing in here.

[Vaughn]

Fred, be careful implementing this plan. There are regulations about minors flying
alone internationally. My then 17 year old stepdaughter was nearly denied boarding
permission until her biological Dad jumped into the fray. Otherwise she would have
have missed her JFK flight and been stuck in Moscow.

I will see if I can locate that thread - there were some good suggestions how to
circumvent those troubles.

[Vaughn]

Here she be....

http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=1308.0

[Aloe]

Fred, be careful implementing this plan. There are regulations about minors flying
alone internationally. My then 17 year old stepdaughter was nearly denied boarding
permission until her biological Dad jumped into the fray. Otherwise she would have
have missed her JFK flight and been stuck in Moscow.

I will see if I can locate that thread - there were some good suggestions how to
circumvent those troubles.

what about this case, american woman put her adopted 7 year old russian child on plane back to Russia with 1 way ticket and a note that she doesn't want him anymore, she had some stranger she found on the internet meet him in the airport for money, he just dropped the child off at a hospital (lucky didnt kill him , or showed up at the airport at all)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36322282/

[START2]

It is my understanding that a child must be at least 16 before they can fly alone on international flights. For that reason, my wife escorts her/our son back to ukr. every summer or when school here is out(May). She stays a few days then comes home. We go together every july for our vacation then bring our son home with us. We've done this for 5 yrs. Sonny will be 14 this year. Usually the kids from FSU don't have thier own passports till 14 or 16 I believe. Hope this helps.

[kievstar]

I see children flying alone internationally all the time under 16.  I do see that they have an escort from the airline onto the plane and off. I believe the parents pay for this service.

[SANDRO43]

It is my understanding that a child must be at least 16 before they can fly alone on international flights.

Not necessarily, policy on Unaccompanied Minors (listed as UMs on passengers lists) varies with each airline:

What is an unaccompanied minor? The short answer is a child traveling without a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult that the child knows. The age requirements that are generally used by the airlines to define the unaccompanied minor are children between the ages of five and eleven years old (and sometimes up to 15 - it is always advisable to contact the airline to make sure that they accept unaccompanied minors as passengers)

http://airtravel.about.com/od/childrenandairtravel/qt/umnrpart1.htm

[ConnerVT]

This thread has come back to life, and has jumped all over the place.  Let's try to address the OP's issues:

First, yes, an unaccompanied minor can fly on an international flight.  Check the airlines web site, and you will find the requirements necessary.

My son, at age 9, flew alone (in a plane full of people, and a pilot, of course) to Moscow from JFK.  He went to spend the last 8 weeks of 4th grade in a Russian elementary school (a great experience for him).  But there were a number of things that made this possible:

• He can speak both English and Russian,
• He has his own Russian Passport, and US Resident Alien Card,
• He has more frequent flyer miles than most adults I know.

I flew with him from home to JFK, and escorted him up until he boarded the airplane (Delta 30 from JFK to SVO).  At the other end, his grandmother (designated by us, and ID checked when she arrived at the Delta counter at SVO) met him at the luggage pickup area.  He was escorted from the airplane through Passport Control, where he was turned over to his grandmother.

For FredC, there are several issues that would make me say it is an unwise idea.  Besides passport control, the daughter (likely arriving on a K-2) would also need to spend time in the Port of Entry office, while they process her visa paperwork.  How old is the daughter?  Does she speak any English?  Most US arrival terminals are screwed up on a good day -- I would be hesitant to have my child do it unless it was all arranged, and in the simplest manner possible.

If things go wrong, remember...  It will be *YOUR* fault.  No matter what.  My wife's mother came to visit us a few years back -- Flying alone, not knowing a word of English.  She was given exact instructions to pass through customs, then exit the Delta Terminal 3, where I was waiting (we had a flight back together, and I was going to recheck her bags at Terminal 2).  An airline representative intercepted her on her way out the door (I could see her... wait... now she's gone!), and sent her back to recheck her luggage and sent her off to her gate.

As our plans had now been changed, I needed to call my wife (and I'm in the subterranean Terminal 3 Arrivals area).  Her first words after I told her what had happened were, "YOU LOST MY MOTHER?  HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FIND HER IN ALL OF NEW YORK CITY??!!?"  (Never mind that I had it narrowed down to two terminals at JFK, and I had a seat on the flight she had a ticket for).  But it was still my fault...