BajaNomad

Children and Flying

mulege marv - 5-15-2005 at 05:00 AM

My Daughter would like to send our Grandkids to us for a visit for a couple of weeks. they are 10 & 8 yrs. old. Can they fly to Loreto from Kalifornia on their own, or does my wife need to fly to L.A. to escort them ? :?:

bajajudy - 5-15-2005 at 06:37 AM

I think that the age depends on the airline.
However no matter what airline they fly they will need permission from both of their parents to fly into and out of Mexico. The airline will know exactly what is entailed.

Believe it!

yankeeirishman - 5-15-2005 at 07:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
I think that the age depends on the airline.
However no matter what airline they fly they will need permission from both of their parents to fly into and out of Mexico. The airline will know exactly what is entailed.

bajajudy has given good advice, but may I add this....have the "permission" document notarized by an Public Notary. This is the only way the authorities will allow the children to cross. Also, this permission document is required when there is only a single parent attending the child as will.

Also helpful

Don Jorge - 5-15-2005 at 05:48 PM

would be to have the notarized permission papers in Spanish, notarized and registered with the Mexican consulate. Probably overkill on the paperwork, but well worth it if your grandchildren will be frequent visitors. Make sure the papers have lots of stamps on them. They love that!

Do not rely on an airline for legalities regarding your children! Every country has its own set of changing laws.

I travel often into Mexico and Central America with my daughter as the sole custodial parent and carry such papers with us for every country we visit. It was a hassle to put it together, but it works!

I had a bad experience a few years ago, not in Mexico but close enough. Thus I follow the letter and the stamp of law.

bajajudy - 5-15-2005 at 05:52 PM

Yes definitely stamped and official. Not just a note from each parent.

the run around

Sharksbaja - 5-16-2005 at 12:20 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Don Jorge
would be to have the notarized permission papers in Spanish, notarized and registered with the Mexican consulate. Probably overkill on the paperwork, but well worth it if your grandchildren will be frequent visitors. Make sure the papers have lots of stamps on them. They love that!

Do not rely on an airline for legalities regarding your children! Every country has its own set of changing laws.

I travel often into Mexico and Central America with my shoulddaughter as the sole custodial parent and carry such papers with us for every country we visit. It was a hassle to put it together, but it works!
I had a bad experience a few years ago, not in Mexico but close enough. Thus I follow the letter and the stamp of law.


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Last Oct. my wife and 12 yr old had a terrible experience. :no:Unknowing about child travel requirements involving children under 15 yrs, the two were attempting to fly to Loreto via San Diego. They were warned about boarding the first flight only to be denied by Alaska Airlines in S.D. that they said would happen.
So after driving 3 hrs in the pouring rain they turned around and drove 3 more hrs home.
In the meantime I was waiting at the airport in Loreto for my family on the plane. I eventually left and went back to Mulege. I finally got a hold of them late that night. My wife told me they needed a notarized note from me allowing the trip. The next morning I tracked down a translator and had a notarized letter made up at the notorios office(yikes) in Sta. Rosalia. OK I did that and then I faxed it to my wife who went to the airport again the next Thurs. Now she has a copy of my letter to give them. Their reply:"Mexican (notarized)docs are no good in the U.S." so my wife asks "how can I get my son down to Baja". The (new) girl at the counter says "no prob, just track down the resident notary lady at the S.D. Airport. Oh, ok. So she gets to the S.D airport and finally after much runaround she is able to find the notary gal. What she did was: just sign a simple avidavit swearing you are not kidnapping your son and that it's ok with the father. Barely made the flight.
How freakin' ludicrous! "I swear , I ain't kidnapping the boy" That was $30, my translator(for the ignorant Notorio) was $30 bucks, and the Notorio ripped me off for another $60.
It was literally the trip from Hell, but we managed to have a great time down there, finally together. That is until they ran them through every conceivable security system they had on the way home.
My advice is to call the airlines and find out the current requirements....they change without notice. I would not bother getting docs in spanish, although if you get an idiot it might help. The whole thing is a mess and airline workers don't know squat about current requirements.
I would/do get a notary now.
I would not present those docs unless aked to show them en route. The security scutinized my wife and son at every point at which she thought she should show them the letter.

According to one airline, children 8-10 can be flown from one destination to another within the U.S. alone with prior arrangements, but not into Mexico alone and not without an adult guardian.

I heard earlier this year they abolished the requirement for the notory letter but I really don't know. All the internet searches pull up old info.
Check it out, the airlines should and I stress the word should know.

thanx

mulege marv - 5-16-2005 at 05:00 AM

thank you for all your help

follow up

mulege marv - 5-16-2005 at 09:37 AM

thanks again Rodger nice to meet you also, and for anyone with any concerns this is what Alaska Air sent me.

http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/faqs/ChildrenTravelingAlo...