Would you let you 5 year old fly unaccompanied overseas?

[Anonymous]

I'll tell you my experience when I was 7. Direct flight from Rome to DC.

I get on the plane. 30 minutes later, the flight ends up having issues - I end up in a queue to get on a new plane to JFK instead. I've got a big unaccompanied minor sticker on my shirt but during this entire time I simply got off the plane, followed a crowd, asked what was going on, and got a new ticket.

I get to JFK. For reasons I still don't know my connecting flight is out of LGA. A ticket agent directs me to get on a bus to get there. I do. Again, all of this is despite my being a UM. As it happens, I got on the wrong bus - this wasn't a shuttle between airports it was merely going back and between terminals.

Eventually I figure this out and get off. By now, my parents in DC have freaked out - and the airline is desperately searching for me. But, because they believe me to be at LGA they've mobilized teams in the wrong airport.

I find a new ticket agent who after some digging is able to get me on a plane from JFK leaving some hours later. I finally land in DC at about 10pm - roughly 7 hours after I should have.

At 7, I found it all fairly humorous and I was proud of having solved it all on my own. Looking back, the airline fucked up hard.

The entire thing was made much harder by the fact that I didn't own a cell phone, so it wasn't easy to reach my family. That was exacerbated by the fact that I didn't have money - my grandparents hadn't given me any in Rome as I was boarding a direct flight - what would I have needed any for?
Once I reached DC I was able to have a gate agent call my parents who picked me up.

If you do this with your kid give them money and a cell phone

My verdict based on my experience: no fucking way would I do it at 5 years old, but at 7 or 8, yes.

[Anonymous]

I used to fly solo from age 5 from California to New Jersey every summer and then from Hawaii to New Jersey from age 8 after that. I liked flying and traveling and I think it helped that I could read fairly well at 5 and could use a map. I also wasn't afraid to speak to adults and ask questions.

I would be concerned on an international flight with a layover due to the customs issues and potential mechanical problems. I once spent a night in Japan on my way to Korea for that reason. Hopefully, someone can meet your child at the end of the first leg if you think he can handle the trip.

[Anonymous]

Anyone that has ever flewn to Europe knows how exhausted they are upon landing because of the time difference. And anyone who has travelled with a five year old knows in what state the child is upon landing. and he'd had to catch yet another 8 hour flight at that point. No op, I wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

The high fees airlines charge for watching over Unaccompanied minors imply that the service provided is much more that it actually is. They do tag them and show them to their seats but they are on their own most of the time - seated next to strangers.

[Anonymous]

Here's a recent news story.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/08/18/mom-says-united-left-her-young-son-alone-at-airport/

Here's a couple more.

"Children 5 to 11 years of age who are not accompanied on an aircraft by a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age are considered unaccompanied minors and are subject to specific restrictions.... Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express."

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-spot-20150111-story.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/burbank/2014/10/15/unaccompanied-minor/17297561/

[Anonymous]

I am a single mom, and have a son who will also be 5 around that time, and I understand your struggle. I vote no.

What I'm considering for DS when the time comes, is friend escorts. I have friends who occasionally travel to the same country, and I could see myself letting him travel with them. But not alone even with a flight attendant escort.

Forget all the safety issues, it's a long flight, he will be scared and anxious and tired and have no one he knows to help him. Just not fair mentally to the kid.

[Anonymous]

Although my now 8 yr. old flew by himself - assigned a chaperone at the gate - to the Midwest once when he was 6 and once at 7, I don't think I'd have him fly overseas without me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll tell you my experience when I was 7. Direct flight from Rome to DC.

I get on the plane. 30 minutes later, the flight ends up having issues - I end up in a queue to get on a new plane to JFK instead. I've got a big unaccompanied minor sticker on my shirt but during this entire time I simply got off the plane, followed a crowd, asked what was going on, and got a new ticket.

I get to JFK. For reasons I still don't know my connecting flight is out of LGA. A ticket agent directs me to get on a bus to get there. I do. Again, all of this is despite my being a UM. As it happens, I got on the wrong bus - this wasn't a shuttle between airports it was merely going back and between terminals.

Eventually I figure this out and get off. By now, my parents in DC have freaked out - and the airline is desperately searching for me. But, because they believe me to be at LGA they've mobilized teams in the wrong airport.

I find a new ticket agent who after some digging is able to get me on a plane from JFK leaving some hours later. I finally land in DC at about 10pm - roughly 7 hours after I should have.

At 7, I found it all fairly humorous and I was proud of having solved it all on my own. Looking back, the airline fucked up hard.

The entire thing was made much harder by the fact that I didn't own a cell phone, so it wasn't easy to reach my family. That was exacerbated by the fact that I didn't have money - my grandparents hadn't given me any in Rome as I was boarding a direct flight - what would I have needed any for?
Once I reached DC I was able to have a gate agent call my parents who picked me up.

If you do this with your kid give them money and a cell phone

My verdict based on my experience: no fucking way would I do it at 5 years old, but at 7 or 8, yes.

+1. We flew at age seven to grandparents and loved it. Always non stip flights of about four hours. The scenario in this post is the first thing that went through my mind when I read OP. Its too much to put on a five year-old.

[Anonymous]

^^^^^^
It occurs and I should add, we were seven and flying before airline deregulation. Air travel was far less chaotic an experience and the airlines were better staffed (more people) and better able to cope with UM children.

So really, no way on this propsal. Wait several more years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a recent news story.

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/08/18/mom-says-united-left-her-young-son-alone-at-airport/

Here's a couple more.

"Children 5 to 11 years of age who are not accompanied on an aircraft by a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age are considered unaccompanied minors and are subject to specific restrictions.... Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express."

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/la-tr-spot-20150111-story.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/burbank/2014/10/15/unaccompanied-minor/17297561/

All these stories describe UM horror stories on a single airline - UNITED. Noted.

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

This post has to be a joke

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll tell you my experience when I was 7. Direct flight from Rome to DC.

I get on the plane. 30 minutes later, the flight ends up having issues - I end up in a queue to get on a new plane to JFK instead. I've got a big unaccompanied minor sticker on my shirt but during this entire time I simply got off the plane, followed a crowd, asked what was going on, and got a new ticket.

I get to JFK. For reasons I still don't know my connecting flight is out of LGA. A ticket agent directs me to get on a bus to get there. I do. Again, all of this is despite my being a UM. As it happens, I got on the wrong bus - this wasn't a shuttle between airports it was merely going back and between terminals.

Eventually I figure this out and get off. By now, my parents in DC have freaked out - and the airline is desperately searching for me. But, because they believe me to be at LGA they've mobilized teams in the wrong airport.

I find a new ticket agent who after some digging is able to get me on a plane from JFK leaving some hours later. I finally land in DC at about 10pm - roughly 7 hours after I should have.

At 7, I found it all fairly humorous and I was proud of having solved it all on my own. Looking back, the airline fucked up hard.

The entire thing was made much harder by the fact that I didn't own a cell phone, so it wasn't easy to reach my family. That was exacerbated by the fact that I didn't have money - my grandparents hadn't given me any in Rome as I was boarding a direct flight - what would I have needed any for?
Once I reached DC I was able to have a gate agent call my parents who picked me up.

If you do this with your kid give them money and a cell phone

My verdict based on my experience: no fucking way would I do it at 5 years old, but at 7 or 8, yes.

That is a great story and I'm so glad that you got home safe and sound. You were a very enterprising 7 year-old! Your experience was an epic fail for the airline.

[Anonymous]

I know this is an old thread but I'm adding in my two cents since it has been resurrected.

I would not do it. My story is nowhere near as good as 609's, the 7 year-old ... I was almost twice as old as him/her and it makes me really queasy to think about all the things that could have gone wrong.

Flying alone from Orly (Paris) to LAX via planned plane changes at Logan and Minneapolis/Saint Paul at the age of 11. Frequent flyer. Boarded fine, got to Logan, got through Customs, got to new terminal, found gate and got on the right plane to MSP. Take off was fine but bad weather at MSP meant we were diverted to Detroit. Sat around for 4 hours until the airline said it was no good. A herd of adults raced to the gate for vouchers for hotels but I was reading my book and made the end of the line. The vouchers were 'out' by the time I got to the front. A kind man said, 'that's okay, she can stay with me'. Stewardess had a look of horror on her face and worked something out but because of the way she did it apparently it wasn't 'recorded' anywhere in the flight system so no one knew what happened to me. Took a shuttle by myself to the hotel, no money for dinner because I had spent it on a book to read, so I went to bed hungry. Didn't call home because I didn't have a credit card and I didn't think I could make an international collect call to my folks in Paris and I didn't want to 'worry' my grandparents, lol. My grandparents, meanwhile, were going beserk in LA. I was ravenous because the last time I had eaten was breakfast in Paris (I didn't like whatever lunch it was that they served on the plane) and still no money but I loved the book. Got on the shuttle in the morning, got to the airport and I just about got run over by the mob of adults racing towards me (because they 'found' me) as I walked to the gate. Got on the plane and arrived at LAX about 24 hours late. That portion of my trip was first class. Think they wanted to keep an eye on me.

[Anonymous]

Would I do it? No way. Is it likely to be okay? yes. However, the "not likely to be ok" part terrifies me. On 9/11 planes were grounded for days in off the wall places. Would you want your kid in some strange city with strangers? Likelihood small--but not impossible.