Would you let you 5 year old fly unaccompanied overseas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about a 12 year old on a direct flight, being picked up by family on the other end?

(considering this for next summer)

That I would do, no worries.

[Anonymous]

OP- have you considered driving him up to NYC to get him on a direct flight? I would probably let my 5YO fly unaccompanied if the grandparents would be there on the other end. The layover makes it much less appealing.

[Anonymous]

I don't think airlines allow a 5 year old UM to make a connection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- have you considered driving him up to NYC to get him on a direct flight? I would probably let my 5YO fly unaccompanied if the grandparents would be there on the other end. The layover makes it much less appealing.

OP never said what the final destination is - so there is a possibility that there are no direct flights from US to there at all. From the connecting airports she mentioned and the price range I'm picturing something like Iran or Ethiopia - but I guess that she decided that the thread "would you let your 5 year old fly unaccompanied to Iran?" would not be taken so seriously

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think airlines allow a 5 year old UM to make a connection.

Depends on the airline I think.

"Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express®."
" If the minor is connecting though another city, the child will be assisted by a Delta or business partner employee."
"Children 5 – 14 can travel as an 'unaccompanied minor' on nonstop flights only and must have our assistance. - US Air"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think airlines allow a 5 year old UM to make a connection.

Depends on the airline I think.

"Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express®."
" If the minor is connecting though another city, the child will be assisted by a Delta or business partner employee."
"Children 5 – 14 can travel as an 'unaccompanied minor' on nonstop flights only and must have our assistance. - US Air"

Someone op page 6 of this thread looked this up for the international airlines - very interesting info actually (thank you PP for educating us!) Indeed some airlines allow connecting flights for 5 year olds - I kept thinking who are those parents?

[Anonymous]

No. Kids have gotten molested flying alone. Actually, it is not uncommon.

[Anonymous]

I would do a direct flight at 7, a layover at 12.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Kids have gotten molested flying alone. Actually, it is not uncommon.

Um, yeah, it is.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't anyone care that this 5 year old is going to be away from his mother for the summer - - is it all summer? If it's more than a week, I think that's cruel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Kids have gotten molested flying alone. Actually, it is not uncommon.

Um, yeah, it is.

Says the clueless person

[Anonymous]

hell no !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't anyone care that this 5 year old is going to be away from his mother for the summer - - is it all summer? If it's more than a week, I think that's cruel

No, it's cultural. My 6 year-old goes to her grandparents for at least a month over the summer, and we have friends who sent their toddler (they flew with her and then came back) overseas with grandparents for the whole summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I would not. Maybe at age 7 or 8, definitely not 5. I let my just turned 6 year old fly unaccompanied to Florida to meet my mom, there was really bad weather and turbulence and he was terrified, plus the plane had to be rerouted to Hartford, which caused all kinds of confusion. Plus the man sitting next to him completely freaked out and kept screaming that they were all going to die. It was a bad experience for him, although he obviously survived it.

This happened to me on a non-stop domestic flight. We were re-routed and the kid who was 5 or 6 didn't understand that it wasn't a big deal. The poor kid freaked out and cried. We couldn't call someone to comfort him. So no way even though I understand it's expensive. Also, I know Americans are overprotective of their kids, but this kid was not American and the disruption of routine was difficult for him. So no way in Hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't anyone care that this 5 year old is going to be away from his mother for the summer - - is it all summer? If it's more than a week, I think that's cruel

Actuslly it is a cultural thing - in many cultures children of all ages spend their entire summers with grandparents and extended families and actually many of them when they grow up count those summers as the best childhood experiences ever. So, no, spending summer with grandparents is not cruel - but sending a 5 y.o. unaccompanied on a 16+ hour flight with a connection - totally different matter.