Have you/Would you let your children fly alone?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could let our kids fly to CA to see their grandparents alone. I’m still waiting for the younger one to outgrow airsickness. Even though she could probably handle it on her own, I’d hate for her to have to if something went wrong and she puked all over herself or something.

Do you give her Dramamine? I still pop some before every single flight (and if it's a long flight, I take another dose while in the air). I grew out of car sickness right before turning 13. I'm fine on a ferry, and on a train or bus as long as I sit facing the direction I'm moving. Dramamine is my life saver. I can literally feel my body WANTING to get nauseous and the Dramamine being like, "Not today, Satan!"

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone! They would be flying nonstop, and have done that exact flight many times with us to visit their grandparents. If the kids feel good about it, I'll let them. If they're hesitant, I won't push it.

I think this is a good way to decide. Fwiw, I think this scenario is probably fine. I happen to think anyone who sends children alone under the age of 10 is insane. A five year old? Come on.

I'm the "insane" parent of the five year old who flew alone--DC wanted to do it and was completely fine, grandparents met him at the gate there and I met them at the gate when they returned. Watched an iPad the whole flight, had a snack and a soda. They loved the one-on-one time with grandparents and asked to do it again the next summer. We did have to pay $200 (each way, I think) for an unaccompanied minor although maybe with older kids they don't require that.

Completely depends on the kid though--I have another kid who would not have been ok traveling alone at that age.

Just because nothing bad happened on one or two different occasions doesn’t mean it was a smart or safe decision. Five year olds want to do all kinds of things. That doesn’t mean we automatically indulge them in their every wish. They have no way of knowing all the things that could happen. They can’t even read the airport signs if they get lost in most cases! I also would never give a five year old soda (and I’m pretty lax about food in general). You are free to live your life, but you don’t really sound like a great parent if I’m being honest.

Np.

They basically can’t get lost when they are flying unaccompanied minor unless the parent or guardian looses then. Unaccompanied minors on a nonstop flight are escorted to the plane by their parent, to their seat by a flight attendant, then from the seat to parent/guardian who is waiting for them right after they get off the plane. There is no need for the child to have a clue what’s going on.

I’ve known about unaccompanied minors who flew on a flight my friend happened to be on and they were sick and vomiting and didn’t know what to do. The flight attendant didn’t help but my friend did because she was a nurse. My niece who was 12 flew unaccompanied last year and my mother in law didn’t park and go get her and she just waltzed out of the airport. I myself have been at the airport and my flight has been canceled due to weather while we were boarded and on tarmac and getting reassigned and figuring out the next flight was chaotic and difficult and I am not a five year old with out a phone. And in case of emergency the flight attendants are there to manage the entire plane, not make sure Larlo takes off his headphones and puts on his oxygen mask. You can do whatever you choose to do. But don’t kid yourself into thinking everything always goes as it is planned to go.

+1 While I did let my kids fly to grandparents for an hour nonstop flight years ago (multiple kids, multiple times), my calculus would be different now if I had young kids. I feel air travel is less predictable, and it's not worth the risk barring a really pressing reason. Not just for fun.

[Anonymous]

My kids flew alone often at a much younger age. No connecting flights until they were teens.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't put my kids on a plane alone at that age. Too much chance for a problem (from minor, kids scared after a delay, to major, abuse from the whacko sitting next to them).

[Anonymous]

I flew alone starting at age 6 throughout the 1980s. Supposedly I was an unaccompanied minor but no one ever paid any special attention to me boarding or disembarking. I always walked right off the plane, and could have gone with anyone/gotten lost. Luckily I never did and luckily my parents/grandparents were always there, and luckily nothing ever happened on the plane that I needed assistance with on any of the flights. I do recall feeling lonely and unattended. Perhaps there is more oversight now with the UM program, but based on that experience and also the experience of having many flights diverted/grounded for a variety of reasons (once I woke up from a nap on a plane to hear that the plane was losing fuel and we were making an emergency landing), O would never send my child unaccompanied. I’m not sure what my age is, but definitely not now (10 & 12) - and actually, my 10 year old is special needs and will likely never be able to be unaccompanied, but still wouldn’t send my newly 12 year old.

[Anonymous]

I am the immediate pp. I also remember being on a plane in my teens and there was a 6 year old UM who sobbed the whole time. Passengers were trying to help since the flight attendants couldn’t sit with her, but it was heartbreaking. Another reason I won’t let my kids fly alone. They may not always tell you how they felt on the plane. I didn’t tell my parents how I felt about it; rather I internalized it.

[Anonymous]

At 10 and 13, yes I would do this. Especially together.

Younger than 10, no I don't think so. I also don't take the whole idea that because people did this in the 80s and 90s that it's ok today. Airline travel was completely different in the 80s and no one really cared if kids felt emotionally ready to do things and damn are we seeing that now! Ask Gen X how their anxiety is treating them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish we could let our kids fly to CA to see their grandparents alone. I’m still waiting for the younger one to outgrow airsickness. Even though she could probably handle it on her own, I’d hate for her to have to if something went wrong and she puked all over herself or something.

Give your kid some Dramamine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks everyone! They would be flying nonstop, and have done that exact flight many times with us to visit their grandparents. If the kids feel good about it, I'll let them. If they're hesitant, I won't push it.

I think this is a good way to decide. Fwiw, I think this scenario is probably fine. I happen to think anyone who sends children alone under the age of 10 is insane. A five year old? Come on.

I'm the "insane" parent of the five year old who flew alone--DC wanted to do it and was completely fine, grandparents met him at the gate there and I met them at the gate when they returned. Watched an iPad the whole flight, had a snack and a soda. They loved the one-on-one time with grandparents and asked to do it again the next summer. We did have to pay $200 (each way, I think) for an unaccompanied minor although maybe with older kids they don't require that.

Completely depends on the kid though--I have another kid who would not have been ok traveling alone at that age.

Just because nothing bad happened on one or two different occasions doesn’t mean it was a smart or safe decision. Five year olds want to do all kinds of things. That doesn’t mean we automatically indulge them in their every wish. They have no way of knowing all the things that could happen. They can’t even read the airport signs if they get lost in most cases! I also would never give a five year old soda (and I’m pretty lax about food in general). You are free to live your life, but you don’t really sound like a great parent if I’m being honest.

Np.

They basically can’t get lost when they are flying unaccompanied minor unless the parent or guardian looses then. Unaccompanied minors on a nonstop flight are escorted to the plane by their parent, to their seat by a flight attendant, then from the seat to parent/guardian who is waiting for them right after they get off the plane. There is no need for the child to have a clue what’s going on.

That’s when they are five, anyway, since at that age they can’t do connecting flights.

That is wrong. Most airlines allow unaccompanied minors to fly/connect starting at 5. You pay a $150 fee, and they are escorted through the airport by someone who has a background check. There is a kids-only lounge for layovers, usually pretty great.

My kids started this at 7 and 10. They did really well and love flying without us. But they have been flying since they were babies and are perfect on flights.

I mean if a kid is five, they can only do flights that don't have connections. For most airlines they can't do connections until they are eight. So a five-year old will never be anywhere but the plane without a parent or guardian seeing them. 100% no need to be able to read an airport sign.

Hmm, I know my kids did connecting flights when the youngest was 7 with Delta, connected in Detroit. Both grandparents and we live near regional airports, so nonstop isn’t an option. This would be 2 summers ago. DTW is an “easy” airport to negotiate and if needed we could drive 4 hours there to get them. It was fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll never forget that Air France plane that crashed with like a 12 year old alone on it. Man I'd never forgive myself if my young child had to go through a horror like that alone. Nope.

Stop it. Chances of dying in a plane crash are like .00000000001 percent. There hasn't been a deadly crash of a US carrier in over 13 years.

Then we're probably due. Just kidding. I understand it is unlikely but the mere thought of my child plummeting to earth alone is not a chance I'm willing to take. Having kids is inconvenient sometimes. It isn't forever.

[Anonymous]

Prior to 9/11-- my dd started flying alone at age 5 to visit my mom at Christmas. She loved it. The unaccompanied minor (UM) badges used to be very affordable. Airlines no longer allow 5 year olds to fly as UM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll never forget that Air France plane that crashed with like a 12 year old alone on it. Man I'd never forgive myself if my young child had to go through a horror like that alone. Nope.

Stop it. Chances of dying in a plane crash are like .00000000001 percent. There hasn't been a deadly crash of a US carrier in over 13 years.

Then we're probably due. Just kidding. I understand it is unlikely but the mere thought of my child plummeting to earth alone is not a chance I'm willing to take. Having kids is inconvenient sometimes. It isn't forever.

Sure hope you don't send your kids to school, where they are at risk of bleeding out on the floor alone during a school shooting.

[Anonymous]

We are planning to do it this summer when our kid comes home from sleepaway camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At 10 and 13, yes I would do this. Especially together.

Younger than 10, no I don't think so. I also don't take the whole idea that because people did this in the 80s and 90s that it's ok today. Airline travel was completely different in the 80s and no one really cared if kids felt emotionally ready to do things and damn are we seeing that now! Ask Gen X how their anxiety is treating them.

And the flip side is that kids now are completely unable to cope when they finally go to college and are on their own because they have been hovered over and micromanaged their whole lives. Teaching kids some independence is a good thing. Mine have traveled unaccompanied a few times—to sleep away camp and to relatives—and the entire process every time has been carefully controlled and managed by the airline. And my kids report that the flight attendants on every flight have paid attention to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At 10 and 13, yes I would do this. Especially together.

Younger than 10, no I don't think so. I also don't take the whole idea that because people did this in the 80s and 90s that it's ok today. Airline travel was completely different in the 80s and no one really cared if kids felt emotionally ready to do things and damn are we seeing that now! Ask Gen X how their anxiety is treating them.

And the flip side is that kids now are completely unable to cope when they finally go to college and are on their own because they have been hovered over and micromanaged their whole lives. Teaching kids some independence is a good thing. Mine have traveled unaccompanied a few times—to sleep away camp and to relatives—and the entire process every time has been carefully controlled and managed by the airline. And my kids report that the flight attendants on every flight have paid attention to them.

Just because kids aren't flying alone at age 9 does not mean they won't be able to do so when they are adults. I never flew aps a child but was totally able to fly when I was in college.