AIBU to not want my parents to drive immediately after a 24-hour flight?

They are renting a car for their trip, not for the drive from the airport.
If you read properly things will make more sense.
Even if they wanted to waste their own money it’s no one else’s business.

I get your anxiety, and you're only being sensible. I've only recently put my foot down about not driving when too tired. Before that I would.

However, I'm sure they'll be fine! The adrenaline and excitement would keep them awake anyway.

The mixed replies on this thread show that some people may be ok driving after a 24hr flight (plus faffing at airport either end) and some aren’t.
The OPs parents can’t accurately assess this because they’ve not done it before.
People who are blithely saying it’s fine may or may not feel the same way when they’re 60.
(DH and I are 65, used to do business travel and think nothing of long flights followed by car hire - we wouldn’t do it now).

I’m with the OP - she’s right to urge caution. But at the end of the (very long) day it’s their decision. I hope they get away with it.

Well, your argument seems to be that they will not be fine because you are not. 🤔 Bloody stupid is as bloody stupid does.

Perhaps people feel fresher generally when they are not flying long haul all the time.

My argument is that people can make their own judgement call. Most people have a long flight to get to Aus or NZ. Should they not have car hire at the airport then, just in case everyone is as incapable as you?

Do you do many fly drives? It's normal to hire a car from the airport and therefore it's normal to decline a pick up - what isn't normal is the amount of fussing the OP is doing over someone else's choices.

When was the last time you saw them @DancingBeanz ?

You’ve lived there for a couple of years, so you can’t be jealous that they’re making the most of their visit and visiting different places.

I would be hurt that they hadn’t offered to visit these places together though.
Even if you had seen them all, it would still be a good excuse to spend time together and you obviously know more about the country than they do.

I wouldn’t think anything of a 45 minute drive, although I admit I’ve never been on a long flight.

It seems easier to just get the car at the airport and drop it back there, rather than get you to pick them up and then you drop them to a car hire place. Then on the way back both having to drive to the car hire place, dropping the car off and then you driving them to the airport.

Oh well that’s ok then, they’ll be fine because you were!

What a bloody stupid comment.

we travel long haul regularly and would NEVER drive after getting off the plane. In our case it was made worse by having to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road.

not sure what you can do, apart from offer to drive the hire home for them? So get a lift to the airport and drive home, then at least they will have the car at your place for when they’re ready.

I think you are overthinking it! We went to Japan on a 22 h flight, both early 60s and we were absolutely fine, no jet lag, arrived at lunch time and had a quick nap then had a drinks party in our hotel room and went out for dinner, went to bed and woke up at 8am... not everyone suffers from jet lag! Also by the time you reach 60 you are used to dealing with lack of sleep.

I would let them do what they want to do, they know their own capabilities

I think driving from the airport is fine. I think they do need to be mindful to take it easy in the days that follow. You come to them to minimise driving. Do easy local days out or lunch at their rental.

FFS.

Hyperbole much.

Sometimes it's a lot cheaper to hire the car at the airport on a deal than to
a) hire it at another location
b) book it separately from flights
c) travel back to the airport at a different time to get a hire car another day

Personally if I was wanting to visit family/friends, I'd want my own transport if staying more than a couple of days so we didnt get on each others nerves and so we could make the most of the holiday without being a pain in the arse.

Staying longer than a few days is different to just a short visit.

And whilst you might be visiting family, this doesn't mean you want to spend 100% of the time with your family either. This isn't controlling not is it disrespectful. It's about recognising the need for time and space rather than an ultra intense experience for both parties. Everyone usually ends up having a much better time with a degree of moderation.

If the drive was over an hour, I would say it's probably too far. But 45min with the buzz of being in a strange country? That's be ok for me.

I would be MUCH MUCH more concerned about the return journey in familiar surroundings when you are already mentally winding down rather than having that kick of "wwwoooo new place". You are more likely to have an accident in that scenario than on arrival.

Insurance doesn’t prevent you from driving after long haul flight.

But they’re not staying with the OP.

"Near us". They're still staying close by and presumably going to spend time with their own children. The level of hair splitting by people who have no experience of healthy family dynamics is incredible

If you had read all OP's posts you would know that OP has a very distant relationship with her mum, which is totally her mum's choice, not OP's.

They fly 24 hours to see their own children for 2 days? Well that all makes sense.

They aren't staying at the OPs home:

The most worrying thing is that they've booked a car hire from the airport and are planning to drive to their accommodation near us

This.

On landing you are in a buzz. You rarely can just settle and go to sleep because you have so many "ooo moments". In a way it's different to going home (I note you haven't considered the reverse when they return to the UK).

You tend to crash and burn a couple of hours later instead.

Two wrongs don't make a right. Both situations are selfish, dangerous and irresponsible. There are other ways to get around than by putting yourself in control of a fast, heavy, metal machine. Yes it might be more inconvenient for you but I don't see why people think driving while exhausted is more acceptable than driving drunk or driving high or driving while texting. It could be someone else you kill, not just yourself.

Nah it's definitely not normal to decline a pick-up from a loved one whose home you'll be staying at.

It sounds like some sort of weaponised hyper independence to prove you don't want favours from anyone so they can't expect or demand anything from you in return. Incredibly toxic behaviour if it happens within the family.

They’re visiting OP for two days and then travelling around - so of course it makes sense for them to rent a car!

I would be anxious on their behalf. It seems like I in the minority. I am your parents age. I live a three hour flight from UK. I hate driving the 90 minute journey after a red eye flight. Lack of sleep is not good for me. Google Maps makes things easier.

At the end of the day they are grown ups.

My husband is ex raf and they were not permitted to drive if they spent more than 13 hours travelling, until they had 8 hours rest, for safety reasons. Still rhe same now hes MOD.
they're BU

Renting a car is a gigantic waste of time and money if you can get a ride home for free. It makes virtually no sense unless you actively dislike your children and do not wish to see them at the airport.

As mentioned, I don't know of a single family across any culture or religion that would refuse a pickup by loved ones after an ultra long haul flight. There's something very weird with the dynamic here and the people normalising it.

And OP has a very valid point about tiredness. It sounds like a classic case of narcissistic family control where the parents do something deliberately risky to make their children worry and they refuse to compromise in the face of common sense. The subtext being if anything happens to them, it's still the children's fault.