Does an airline's Unaccompanied Minor service include customs and immigration for an international flight

Does an airline's Unaccompanied Minor service include customs and immigration for an international flight?
My 15 year old will be making an American Airlines flight connection in Miami, proceeding on to Central America on the same airline. Will paying for the Unaccompanied Minor service ensure that he will be accompanied through customs & immigration? Is the paperwork filled out in advance? Where would he stay during this connection after getting through customs?
Air Travel - 2 Answers
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1 :
From what I gathered on the AA website, the paperwork will be filled out by you before he gets on the flight: "Please plan to arrive three hours before departure. A check-in agent will ensure all documents are in order and assist in completing all forms prior to boarding. The agent will ensure that the parent or responsible adult delivering your child to the airport completes all necessary Customs and Immigration forms before American Airlines or American Eagle takes custody of your child." The website also says that "American Airlines remains responsible for the unaccompanied minor from the origin city to the final destination." I assume that includes any connecting airports. If you have any more questions, I suggest contacting the airline, since they will have more detailed information.
2 :
I'm a former Flight Attendant and I used to have a lot of unaccompanied minors on my flights. I didn't work for American but I imagine that it works almost the same on most airlines. I used to do the paperwork and keep the passport with me, which I handed to the agent. Please tell your son this so he doesn't get annoyed. We keep it and he doesn't have to worry about the paperwork. I used to take the passport to them to sign the customs form entering the States and that way, they had confirmation that I still had it (not sure if everyone did this though). He can ask nicely if they will. But the real advantage of the UM service is that he'll go through the "fast lane" through immigration. He might be with the wheelchair passengers but there wont be much standing in line, if any. Depending on the airport, Customs is less cooperative but the airline rep will stay with him and help with the bags. If there is a long wait, sometimes there is a room where the UM's can stay, away from the other passengers. Sometimes though they'll just wait in the gate area with the customer service agent. It depends on the facilities in the airport and how much time they have. At no point will your son be left alone without some sort of supervision. Just be sure that the person picking him up is named. They can't switch ("grandma is stuck in traffic") and they will ask for I.D., even if your son is all over them calling out "grandma" or whatever. The other big advantage of the UM service is that if anything goes wrong like a cancellation, delay, etc. the airline will take responsibility for him, including getting a hotel room if necessary. The is a real plus because many hotels wont rent to teenagers alone. The UM service is taken very seriously by the airlines. Most of mine, since I mainly worked long haul international were the children of divorced parents. Many were not happy about making the trip so you may want to mention this to your son. The agents might seem kind of strict and this is why. Not all UM's are cooperative! They also wont treat him like a child. Most UM's have done this route many, many times and the airline staff know this. Please let the airline know if there is any language barrier or by contrast, if your son is bilingual or not. On a practical note, make sure all his electronical gadgets are fully charged and make sure he brings the recharger with him. Usually, it's not possible to recharge them in air but if there is a delay on the ground, he wont run out of juice. I would also recommend a converter for the destination as well as any connecting countries. Also pack him some snacks and consider ordering a special meal if he's a very fussy eater or has any eating restrictions. I've never sent any of my children as UM's but I wouldn't hesitate to do so if there were a reason for doing so. It's safe and reliable. Hope it goes smoothly!