Last week, an unaccompanied 15-year-old traveling from London to meet his grandparents in France was bumped from an oversold easyJet flight and essentially treated as an adult, left to deal with rebooking on his own, according to a report by the BBC.

Though the incident ended with the boy taking a flight 10 hours later, it underscores a weakness in a system designed to care for children unaccustomed to advocating for themselves.

Experts emphasize the importance of educating children before their trip.

“Even if it’s an older teen flying to soccer camp, they need to learn to speak up and explain that they’re 16 and on their own and can’t be stranded in an airport,” said Eileen Ogintz, who has the syndicated column and website Taking the Kids. “Play the what-if game. What if you’re canceled? What if you’re diverted? What if you’re stranded?”

Even when children are adequately prepared with those answers, the protocol for flying solo is not uniform. Because there are no Transportation Department regulations regarding travel by unaccompanied minors, airlines create their own policies, beginning with who can fly. Here are tips for familiarizing yourself with guidelines established by airlines.