<p>I always pack a change of clothes and a toothbrush in my cabin luggage if I check other pieces.
Will he need to do some studying? in which case he needs to bring books and notebooks.
Don’t forget the ticket, unless it’s an e-ticket. My taxi driver had to stop by someone’s house to pick up the passport she’d forgotten to bring along. She did not discover this oversight until she was at the airport.
Does he have a health insurance card? He should be carrying it all the time.
Some cash. He’ll want to buy something at the airport.
Bon voyage!</p>
<p>last time i went on a trip (this summer), i registered my baggages once i got to the airport. for the actual plane trip i had my laptop, $$$, a book, phone, ipod, passport stuff, and sweater. thats about it.no need to bring extra change of clothes or toothbrush. just bring some gum or mints instead of the brush and u can survive with just one tshirt/shorts/socks for a 4 hour flight. you wont die.</p>
<p>What time is his flight? What is the chance that like most kids he will stay up all night before and then fall asleep and miss the flight??? I could tell you a story about that.</p>
<p>To make the reservation now if he needs a shuttle to the airport.</p>
<p>Also to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to get checked in. With United you can put in the airport and they will tell you how long ahead you should plan on arriving. For my D’s airport it is 90 minutes and I did remind her of that and will do so a few more times since she is used to our little airport with 1 terminal and 4 gates that you walk right up.</p>
<p>The change of clothes and toothbrush is important if you miss your connection and you have to stay overnight somewhere while your luggage goes on its merry way (it happened to me) or your luggage goes one way and you go another. My family and I were going on a long cruise and our luggage nearly did not make it to our point of embarkation. On the return trip to Boston, our luggage went to Ottawa before being sent back to us. I have plenty more such stories to share. I learned the hard way to BE PREPARED, as the scouts might say.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I’m going to ask him where his camera is…And oh the knife problem! I hadn’t thought of that. He owns a leatherman. </p>
<p>Denison has a really good airport shuttle arangement. It’s free (that’s the best part), they’re real chartered buses, they require that kids sign up for a bus that is at least 2 hours prior to their flight (it’s a half hour to the airport), and they send out flyers at sign up time. So as long as he doesn’t miss it that should work out well.</p>
<p>hazmat: yes I am concerned about him staying up all night tonight! They are driving someplace a half hour from camus to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter! And he has classes in the morning. Oh it’s better to not know what they do.</p>
<p>My son had to throw one pocketknife away at security. He paid less for it than the $12 it would have cost to mail it home. If he’ll want a snack, bring it with him as a lot of flights don’t serve anything - not even peanuts or pretzels. Also, I always carry a bottle of water and something to read.</p>
<p>Great thread!!! Going through the same thing right now… let’s see…</p>
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<p>We don’t trust his friends to drive him to the airport. We are probably going to arrange for a cab from here!! It is such a short weekend you would hate to miss a flight or a connection and cost yourself a day.</p>
<p>No shoes, only sandals
no belts or Suspenders
No change only bills
No beards or mustaches
No shifting eyes
make sure he knows how to raise his arms to shoulder height for prolong period
and not to be ticklish
All makes a strip search fast and fun.
And gate so much closer.</p>
<p>having picked up S1 from the airport from numerous travels, here’s my advice for boys travelling alone:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>No one wants to sit next to your boxer shorts. Please wear pants that cover your underwear. (Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. He claims that everyone under 30 loves to see boxers).</p></li>
<li><p>Please do your laundry a few days ahead of time so that you are wwearing clean clothes on the plane. Again, no one wants to sit next to trousers that have been crumpled under your bed and worn ten times.</p></li>
<li><p>Please get to the airport on time. Take all factors into account; ie all the taxi drivers are saying prayers (muslim country) etc. If you miss the flight, go to the agent FIRST before you call mother.</p></li>
<li><p>Check and re-check your reservation to make sure you know the departure time…and date.</p></li>
<li><p>Please wear semi-decent shoes; ie ones that do not smell to high heaven (S1’s solution: flip-flops).</p></li>
<li><p>Look up!!! All the signs and monitors are at ceiling level in airports. You will not find anything if your eyes are cast downward.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>From experience, I can tell you that no matter what–he will EVENTUALLY arrive. Even if he ends up in Timbuktu, hotels are very kind about allowing parents to pay for rooms via telephone. He’ll be fine.</p>
<p>if coming home for Turkey Day, make sure that the bus leaves for the airport in PLENTY of time – a normal 30 minute ride could turn into 90 minutes during the Wednesday pm crush if it’s a major airport. Also, assume that security will be backed up out the door and down the street. Better to spend an extra hour wandering the airport trying to find something edible…</p>
