My 12-year old niece flies alone all the time. Because her grandparents live a few state over and with the rising price of gas, it is more convenient for her to fly. She packs her iPod, a few books, and her favorite snacks. When its time, I accompany her to the gate and watch her board with a flight attendant. Her grandparents greet her on the other side. We have been doing this for 3 years now. We have never had a problem.

But, it seems parents want the airlines to do more for unaccompanied minors. They want special rules such as letting the children board early, doing more when they're flights are canceled and reducing fees. TSA does not require airlines keep incidents related to unaccompanied minors. However, there are a few documented incidents. Northwest Airlines accidentally put two children on the wrong flights. American Airlines estimates it carries more than 200,000 minors.

Susan Cole wanted to fly her 12-year-old son Danny from their Maryland home to Houston so he could catch a football game with his dad, who was there on a business trip.
Danny had only flown once or twice, and never alone. So Susan, plenty nervous herself, last month took Danny to Baltimore-Washington International Airport three hours early and accompanied him to the gate.

"I assumed Southwest would let him on early, before the herd of passengers gets on, because I'm not even sure he's tall enough to reach the overhead luggage," Cole said.

Cole said a succession of Southwest employees not only refused to let Danny board early, but wouldn't promise to help him meet up with his father.

A Southwest executive says the employees were just following company policy.

Southwest escorts children 5 through 11 who are traveling alone, but "once you hit 12, you're considered a youth and not an unaccompanied minor," said Teresa Laraba, the airline's vice president for ground operations.

Each year across the United States, hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors take to the skies. Airline officials say the holidays are second only to summer in numbers of solo children, making it a time of year that tests anxious parents and airline policies.