An unaccompanied minor mishap nearly delivered a North Carolina teen to the wrong country in the latest incident to highlight airlines’ unaccompanied minors policies.

Last August, unaccompanied minors were housed in hotel rooms and fed a meager dinner after a storm caused a Frontier Airlines flight to divert from its original path. Now, United Airlines is in the news after nearly sending a 14-year-old to the wrong country.

According to WRAL, Anton Berg was flying Raleigh–Sweden to visit grandparents. The initial Raleigh (RDU)–Newark (EWR) flight went smoothly. Then, airline employees escorted Berg to the wrong gate and seated him on a flight to Düsseldorf, Germany.

The teen alerted flight attendants of the mistake after he realized many passengers were speaking German. The attendants told the captain, and the plane returned to the terminal. It was next in line for take-off. Berg missed his original flight, but United placed him on the next Sweden-bound route.

United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other major carriers offer unaccompanied minor services for children flying solo. In United’s case, children are only eligible for the service between 5 and 15 years of age. The program costs $150 each way. In addition to a free snack and early boarding, minors are escorted to their flights and get to meet the pilots. Costs and services offered are similar among the major U.S. airlines.

In terms of strict rules regarding who can and can’t fly alone, the Department of Transportation offers no regulations regarding unaccompanied minors and largely leaves policies and guidelines up to individual airlines.

Before planning to send children on a flight without adult supervision, make sure to investigate the airline’s policies and standards to keep everyone on the same page.

Have you ever sent your children or grandchildren on a flight alone? Would you still do so today? Tell us. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.