Reply to Have you/Would you let your children fly alone?

Forum Index » Travel Discussion

Reply to "Have you/Would you let your children fly alone?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.[/quote]

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. [/quote]

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. [/quote]

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. [/quote]

+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.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics