To those of you who pay, how many times per year is your mother/father/etc visiting? My mom flies out to visit about every 7-8weeks.

If you want her to come visit, and if it's more convenient for her to come to you, then yes I think it's nice to pay for her ticket. My brother and his wife always pay for her family members to come visit them. If they didn't, they'd never see them because they can't afford the flights. And for my brother/SIL it's much easier to have a weekend visitor than packing up the kids for a weekend away. So it's a win-win.

Most of the time, but they are often coming to help out with or visit with the kids during vacation periods, so I would feel bad not doing so.

Yes, but we pay a majority of their expenses anyway.

No. But we are not in any way doing financially better than them (I'm in school, kids in daycare...) If I was easily able to, I would.

Nope. Why? They are adults, just like we are. We pay to go see them, and them pay to come see us.

My parents are local but if they weren't we would not pay. But they are well off. My mother in law is much less well off, so we pay. She wouldn't be able to afford it (or it would be a serious hardship) otherwise.

My parents are better off than I am. I don't pay for their plane tickets. If I were better off, I would.

Hell no.

Yes, have been doing so for years. Otherwise they will get in the car and drive and stay at a motel and all that. Prefer to get them in and settled rather than on the road for a day or two.

My parents are in far better shape financially than my husband and I are. They live on the west coast. They never come out just to visit us, but sometimes they "stop over" on their way to another destination, like Europe. They've done that twice in the past year---in June on their way to London, and in September on their way to Italy. In January they are going to Australia so the won't have an East Coast layover. They take long (3+ weeks) international trips 3-4 times per year, whereas we are currently trying to figure out if we can afford a day trip to Hershey park.

So no, we do not pay for their plane tickets.

Yes if the tickets would be a financial strain for them.

I pay for my parents tickets and give them money to spend while they are here. I want it to feel like a paid vacation.

Plus when my mother comes she cooks, cleans, does the laundry, drops and picks up my son. That is not why I give her money to spend while she is here, but it a great bonus.
She drives me nuts sometimes but she doesn't come visit expecting so be waited on hand and foot like some of the awful stories I have seen.

My dad is a bit worse off healthwise but he still loves to pitch in. He'll do laundry and cook a meal or two.

I don't need this help but I love it and it makes them feel good to do it.

My parents and ILs would never accept it.