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[quote=Anonymous]I'll tell you my experience when I was 7. Direct flight from Rome to DC.

I get on the plane. 30 minutes later, the flight ends up having issues - I end up in a queue to get on a new plane to JFK instead. I've got a big unaccompanied minor sticker on my shirt but during this entire time I simply got off the plane, followed a crowd, asked what was going on, and got a new ticket.

I get to JFK. For reasons I still don't know my connecting flight is out of LGA. A ticket agent directs me to get on a bus to get there. I do. Again, all of this is despite my being a UM. As it happens, I got on the wrong bus - this wasn't a shuttle between airports it was merely going back and between terminals.

Eventually I figure this out and get off. By now, my parents in DC have freaked out - and the airline is desperately searching for me. But, because they believe me to be at LGA they've mobilized teams in the wrong airport.

I find a new ticket agent who after some digging is able to get me on a plane from JFK leaving some hours later. I finally land in DC at about 10pm - roughly 7 hours after I should have.

At 7, I found it all fairly humorous and I was proud of having solved it all on my own. Looking back, the airline fucked up hard.

The entire thing was made much harder by the fact that I didn't own a cell phone, so it wasn't easy to reach my family. That was exacerbated by the fact that I didn't have money - my grandparents hadn't given me any in Rome as I was boarding a direct flight - what would I have needed any for? 
Once I reached DC I was able to have a gate agent call my parents who picked me up.

If you do this with your kid give them money and a cell phone :)

My verdict based on my experience: no fucking way would I do it at 5 years old, but at 7 or 8, yes.

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