Maybe she should have read the conditions?

[Philip76]

She certainly did read the conditions attached to the purchase - all four pages of them - and there was no mention of this.

It all boils down to Qantas wanting to make more money out of child travellers and so charging them adult fares. It would be very simple to add text to the booking page to inform customers that a 14 year-old 'adult' is not allowed to escort a 'child', but to do that would draw even more attention to the high cost of buying an adult ticket for a 14 year-old.

In order to remove any such inconsistencies, Qantas simply needs to increase the child fare age limit to 14 years. How much profit could this possibly eliminate?

[dajop]

Babysitting in a home is one thing, having them chaperone the child on a flight is completely different in my view.

TG

Apart from a diversion to another airport and emergency evacuation hazards, there are lot more realisable hazards for a 2-3yo in a typical home than in an aircraft.

[NYCguy]

Hi there

What happens if the 14yo is the parent of a 1yo (It happens)

Cheers
DJ737

There may be different conditions for flights from New Plymouth or Palmerston North.

[NM]

In order to remove any such inconsistencies, Qantas simply needs to increase the child fare age limit to 14 years. How much profit could this possibly eliminate?

Is there any major airline that sets the child age at anything above 12 years old? I don't believe this policy is unique to Qantas.

By the way, at Disneyland a 10yo has to purchase an adult ticket!

[yo yo ma]

It would be very simple to add text to the booking page to inform customers that a 14 year-old 'adult' is not allowed to escort a 'child'...

Common sense should have told her this...

In order to remove any such inconsistencies, Qantas simply needs to increase the child fare age limit to 14 years.

Maybe they could eliminate child fares altogether? I recently took the kids down to Sydney on Jetstar and paid the same price for both kids and adults. They are taking up a seat, so I can't see the problem here.

[serfty]

... Maybe they could eliminate child fares altogether? I recently took the kids down to Sydney on Jetstar and paid the same price for both kids and adults. They are taking up a seat, so I can't see the problem here.

"Child" fares (or Child Discounts) don't exist for domestic red e-deals in Oz nor NZ.

[Dave Noble]

In the land of logic, given that the 14 year old was accompanied by the 3 year old, then how could either be logically classed as unaccompanied

Dave

[Driver]

I have no doubt about who is responsible. The greatest responsibility I have ever taken on in my life has been having someone else's life in my hands. I took on that responsibility when I had children. I've never liked the idea of children caring for children - it is the parents responsibility. I have great respect for the youth in question - he is obviously very responsible (for a 14 year old) and clearly loves and cares for his sibling. However, he should never have been placed in such a position. You can argue the rules and regulations on age limits till you are blue in the face, it won't change my mind on who is responsible for a 2 year old.

[medhead]

Not at all. Qantas allows children aged between 12 and 15 to travel either as an individual passenger with no special services, or as a registered unaccompanied minor at the request of their guardian. If not registered as a UM, a 12 to 15 yo child can travel (on an adult fare) as an individual passenger. So the 14yo boy was quite properly permitted to travel alone on the flight. He was not old enough to be considered the supervising adult for a child aged under 12 years old.

Not according to the T&C. Don't you read the bit that I quoted. It is quite explicit.

As for the age cut off of 15 that applies in Aus and NZ.

[drron]

All I know is that QF,DJ and JQ have all allocated me a seat at the back of the plane when I have flown unaccompanied and every time I have had a lot of under 15 year olds as my neighbours.The under 4's though have always been with their mothers.
I'm sorry but i just feel the woman was thoughtless.