Australian carrier Jetstar will introduce new measures to handle unaccompanied minors after a 12-year Australian boy stole his mother’s credit card and took himself on a four-day getaway to Bali.
The boy from Sydney, known only as Drew, became angry after he was told by his mum he couldn’t go to the Indonesian holiday mecca.
Drew searched the internet for airlines that allowed 12-year-olds to fly unaccompanied and booked himself a ticket and a hotel room.
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In early March, he caught a train to Sydney Airport where he used a self-service terminal to check in and flew with Jetstar from Sydney to Perth.
He then boarded a Jetstar international flight to Bali where he had booked himself into the All Seasons hotel, according to the story broken by the Nine Network’s A Current Affair.
The Network reported he was only quizzed once at Perth Airport when staff asked him for his student ID and passport to prove he was over 12 and attended a secondary school.
This was despite the fact he had previously tried to book flights with Qantas and Garuda and was on an Australian Federal Police watch list.
The attempts to book with Qantas and Garuda failed after the airlines said they required a letter from Drew's parents.
His grandmother said the AFP told her he would be unable to get through border security if he tried again and succeeded.
In Bali, Drew told authorities his mother lived in Bali and she was waiting outside the airport.
He checked into a hotel and over the next four days, drank beer on the beach and traveled around the city on a rented a motorbike.
Drew’s escapade ended when he posted a video online.
His shocked parents, who had reported him missing and had been frantically ringing his mobile phone, headed to Indonesia but also had to fly through Perth because direct flights from Sydney were full.
Ironically, they were challenged before they boarded their Jetstar flight because they didn't have a return ticket and were told they would be unable to fly without one.
"That's when my former partner said: 'Well how did my 12-year-old son get on a flight without being questioned?'," Drew's mother said.
She is also asking how her son was able to sneak through airport security in both Australia and Indonesia.
“It’s too easy, way too easy,’’ she told A Current Affair. “There’s a problem in our system.”
Jetstar, which says it has similar procedures for unaccompanied minors to other carriers, is now looking at ways to tighten up its checks.
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A spokesman said this was the first time the airline had heard of a 12-year-old traveling overseas without their parents’ knowledge.
“We were concerned when we heard about this and will be introducing new measures to prevent this happening again,’’ a spokesman said.
“We will consider several options before introducing a new solution to ensure its practical for parents.”
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