Would you let you 5 year old fly unaccompanied overseas?

[Anonymous]

I am thinking of sending my son to stay with my parents over the summer in 2016. He will turn 5 in Feb'16 and some airlines allow children his age to travel unaccompanied. A flight attendant would be assigned to him for the entire duration of the flight (there is a connection in Europe and the flight is 16 hrs total - both legs and back). I am a single mom with no family close by, so I am trying to save on the cost of both of us flying there, and then me going back to pick him up at the end of the summer.

I have friends who have done what I am thinking of doing, but in light of all the airline disasters in recent months, I am a bit apprehensive. What are your thoughts?

[Anonymous]

You cannot be serious. Never in a million years.....

[Anonymous]

No and I am sympathetic to the cost of visiting overseas family (we have parents abroad), but NO NO NO

[Anonymous]

No way.

[Anonymous]

You know your child best. Some can do it and some can't. I went cross country to stay with my grandparents for the summers starting at 7. It was nbd and I felt VERY grownup.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I would let my 5 year-old fly unaccompanied on a domestic flight with no layovers, but not on an international flight. Too long, too much potential for confusion on the other end, too much of a drain on the flight staff.

[Anonymous]

No way in hell would I ever do this.

[Anonymous]

Hell no

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You cannot be serious. Never in a million years.....

+1 never

[Anonymous]

Never. What a terrible experience that would be for a five year old. The flight attendant isn't assigned as a nanny or caretaker - s/he is just there to make sure your kid makes it to his destination alive.

[Anonymous]

Can a grandparent fetch him? Or maybe a responsible teen or college student to accompany? That way at least you don't need to take time off work.

[Anonymous]

Do you know anyone, anyone at all, that would be flying at the same time? Coworkers, neighbors, anyone in your religious organization at all?
I would get the word out and exhaust all options before I would consider that.

[Anonymous]

No way, sorry, OP, not a good idea. Too many factors that could go wrong. You would never forgive yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am thinking of sending my son to stay with my parents over the summer in 2016. He will turn 5 in Feb'16 and some airlines allow children his age to travel unaccompanied. A flight attendant would be assigned to him for the entire duration of the flight (there is a connection in Europe and the flight is 16 hrs total - both legs and back). I am a single mom with no family close by, so I am trying to save on the cost of both of us flying there, and then me going back to pick him up at the end of the summer.

I have friends who have done what I am thinking of doing, but in light of all the airline disasters in recent months, I am a bit apprehensive. What are your thoughts?

How are layovers handled?

[Anonymous]

Could a grandparent at least meet him at the stopover city and fly with him to their city? Then at least he'd have you dropping him off at one end and the grandparent meeting him at the other end.