Hi Mel,

The answers: younger than you may think, and a 17-year-old can definitely fly as an adult would!

The golden rule of booking a ticket for a minor is to call your airline before booking, but airlines agree that a 17-year-old can book and fly as an adult. In fact, some airlines allow children as young as 12 to fly alone without having to use the airline’s unaccompanied-minor services.

Even if your airline is happy to transport your littlest travelers without imposing their youth service (and its fees), bear in mind that some restrictions may apply, even for teens. It’s common for an airline to restrict children to non-stop flights or to ban them from the last flight of the day (if a flight cancelation results in an overnight stay, children younger than 18 may not be accepted by hotels).

Here are links to some domestic airlines’ minor policies so you can compare:

American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways

A wonderful flight and safe travels to your teen!

Michelle

Even though perfume and cologne can be considered to be flammable, and therefore hazardous, according to the FAA website, you are allowed to bring approved hazardous materials that are considered medicinal and “toilet articles,” which includes such things as nail polish remover, shaving cream in an aerosol container, and, yes, perfume. No spray paint or insecticide, however, just in case you were wondering. For more information, check out the FAA website.

So the answer is yes, you can pack perfume in your checked luggage but you better make sure it’s packed up well so that you don’t face a perfume luggage stink bomb at baggage claim. I’d wrap it in bubble wrap and then bury it deep in your surrounding soft clothes to eliminate the chance the breakage.

If you want to bring your perfume in your carry-on, you can bring it as long as it’s in a three-ounce container or less.

By the way, not everyone will agree with me on this, but please try to avoid wearing the perfume or cologne during the flight. No matter how nice you might think it smells, in the enclosed space of the plane, a strong scent can be cloying to your fellow passengers, especially those who are sensitive or prone to allergies.

Hope you have a great trip and that you smell fabulous during your time in NYC!

We recently booked airline reservations. We didn't realize that the names on our driver's licenses do not match the names exactly as they appear on the tickets (ie. Andy instead of Andrew, middle initials missing). Will this be a problem at airport check-in/boarding? If so, what do we need to do ahead of time?

Hi Sherri,

As of May 15, 2009, the TSA now requires your air travel reservations to be made under the exact name listed on your government issued ID. However, check out this blog post from them. They write, “But rest assured, the system will be pretty flexible. For the near future, small differences between ID and reservation information, such as the use of a middle initial instead of a full middle name or no middle name/initial at all, should not cause a problem for the passenger.” They also go on to explain that the point of this new rule is to be able to positively identify people who are on the FBI’s No Fly List.

You might be able to get away with a small difference in your name between your air ticket and your ID, but there’s no way to be 100% sure. If you’d rather not risk it, you’ll have to work directly with your airline to get the ticket changed. I’m not sure which carrier you’re flying, but most don’t allow name changes. In many cases this means you’ll be required to cancel your current ticket and rebook a new one under the proper name—which will be costly.

I’m sorry! I wish I had better news for you. The TSA is really cracking down, but hopefully it will lead to safer skies for everyone.

--Alison