12-year-old boy uses parents’ credit card, goes on Bali holiday from Australia

A 12-year-old Australian boy travelled alone to Indonesia’s Bali after he had a row with his parents when they cancelled a holiday to the tourist island, BBC news reported on Tuesday.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said they will review the circumstances of the case to make sure similar incidents do not happen again.

The police were alerted of the boy’s presence in Bali on March 17. He was taken into protective custody before being reunited with his parents.

The boy, from Sydney, booked flights and accommodation online using his parents’ credit card. He flew to Bali presenting only his passport and school ID.

He had used a self-service check-in terminal in Sydney to board a flight to Perth and then a connection to Bali.

He said he had checked into his hotel room in Bali by telling staff that he was waiting for his sister to arrive.

The boy said he was questioned once by airline officials in Perth, reports the BBC.

“They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I am over 12 and that I am in secondary school,” he said. “It was great because I wanted to go on an adventure.”

The boy’s mother said she was left “shocked”.

All airlines have procedures that allow minors to travel on their own, but requirements vary between carriers.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

First Published: Apr 24, 2018 11:44 IST