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On a recent inter-state flight, Emily Bouchard, founder of Blended-Families.com, had the pleasure of sitting next to a charming 12-year-old girl who was flying alone to spend a long weekend with her father. After she animatedly told Emily all the great things she was going to do with her father, she explained that she had been making this plane trip every month since her parents divorced.

It turns out this pint-sized solo traveler is like millions of other kids whom the airlines label, Unaccompanied Minors (UMs). These are youngsters who fly without an adult, both within the United states and overseas, usually to visit non-custodial parents or to spend vacation time with grandparents or other relatives.