The child was going to camp. Is it reasonable to expect the parents to spend the money and time to fly to and from the destination? When I was eight years old I flew unaccompanied between Butte, MT and Los Angeles. It involved two different airlines (including United) and stops in Spokane, Portland and San Francisco. I got there and back without a hitch. My parents couldn't afford the extra tickets or the time off from work. Airlines have been dealing with unaccompanied minors for a long time. It's really not hard.