In the UK many years ago, it used to be generally accepted that the coming of age was 21. I remember as a youngster going to big family parties celebrating the 21st year. As I got older, the age dropped to 18. Now, at 18 you can do basically whatever you want (so long as it is legal) and you are pretty much an adult. At 17, you can drive a car legally. At 16, this is generally considered these days to be when you become an adult. You leave school, get a job, pay tax and pay full fare on public transport. You cannot however get married without parental consent, nor drink alcohol, so therefore you can't really be an adult can you?
How is it then that airlines treat everyone as an adult from 12 onwards (a minority allow up to 14)? My 11 year old (12 in August) can't go out alone on the streets of Leeds, he has to go to school (compulsorarily) for another 4 years, he can't drive, he can't drink, he can't work and contribute to the tax/ benefit system, he is treated by adults as a child, he behaves like a child (god help us when he becomes a teen).
I realise that he is taking up a seat, but in that case, so is the 11 year old in the seat next to him and the 5 year old 3 rows in front! This isn't a rant (as such), just trying to work out why the Government say you have to be at least 16 to be an adult but airlines believe adulthood begins sooooooooo much earlier!!
Mark