Has anyone's child travelled as an unaccompanied minor on a plane?

[Natsku]

What was it like? Did they feel secure the whole time? Did they get checked up on during the flight or just left alone unless they called for the flight attendant? Planning on having DD (9) fly back alone this summer so she can spend an extra week with my parents.

No but I did frequently from the age of about 7. You are escorted to and from the plane but not babysat on it.

Not many airlines offer it now, check it's an option first. It's not something I would do personally, they are escorted through airport formalities but essentially sit alone on the plane with crew checking on them occasionally. In the event of disruption (even just bad weather and the plane diverting for example) they can end up overnight in a hotel room with a stranger (crew so safety approved but it would freak my kids out).

Yes mine has
He was escorted onto the plane and left with an activity pack. They checked on him a couple of times. He had a kids meal and as he has his iPad and snacks he was fine. Then he had to wait on the plane until everyone had got off and he was accompanied to passport control where he was taken to the front of the line (he hated this, as he said people were commenting!) and accompanied to get his bag, then handed over to me at an agreed place. The baggage took ages to come off the carousel one time and the attendant phoned me to let me know.

As @FenellaMaxwell said. I used to fly from around 10 onwards and was given drinks and a magazine on the flight. Checks occasionally and felt secure enough. Usually sat in the front row.

I did this a fair bit when I was a kid and loved it. I always got extra chocolates from the cabin crew (in the days when you got a free meal). Is it relatively short haul?

I also did from about 7 and I remember being checked on lots so I suppose it depends. It was British Airways but I think they recently stopped their unaccompanied minor service.

Check that the airline allows this- I know BA no longer has an UM service and kids have to be 14 or over to travel unaccompanied.

Oops cross posted with everyone!

EasyJet flatly don’t allow it until you 14. Dd 13 and pal did an exchange to Madrid but fortunately a friend flying out who we could put down as accompanying adult and we picked her up as part of our summer holiday

It's Norwegian Airways and I checked they have the service. Only a 3 hour flight. I figure on the flight out I can show her how to put the tablet on airplane mode and connect to the flight wifi so she can be entertained for the journey back but would be much happier knowing if she'd occasionally get asked if she's OK.

Depends on the child. Mine would be stressed out.

Whenever I travelled alone I was checked on plenty by cabin crew. Pretty much every time they went past!

My dd used to do this regularly from age 11. We didn’t have any issues and I know they asked a man to move seats on a ba flight as they preferred my dd to not be sitting with a male stranger. This was a surprise to me and luckily the man was happy to oblige.

My 12 yo nephew flew unaccompanied this Christmas on Swiss. Not UM. Just alone. I took him to City Airport in London as it’s so small and he phoned me from the gate to say he was boarding. He flew to Zurich. At both ends he was grilled about why he was alone, which we hadn’t really prepared him for. He’s very at ease with people and took it in his stride. Zurich to London is shirt and there are loads of flights. We declined UM service as it was expensive and, we thought, unnecessary, but I think doing it again we would pay for UM. Swiss allow UM from 8 and travelling alone from 12.

Mine did it every summer for years. The stewardesses were always kind & attentive.

No but I have (admittedly a while ago) when I was a boarding school. Used to fly unaccompanied (sometimes with my younger brother, sometimes alone). It was fine. Felt very grown up the first time and exciting. Soon found it tedious. I felt safe, I felt looked after.

Should probably add the flights were long haul (usually Cathay Pacific, British Airways or Singapore Airlines).

I used to do it Luton to Wildenrath when I was 11, but that was only an hour or so. The Flight Sergeant who acted as chief steward (MOD charter) would keep an eye on us.

I don’t think the staff will have time to be showing her how to use her own tablet - you’d be best off putting on downloaded content ahead of the trip and showing her how to do things herself?

They will ask her if she's ok but if she's not, they may not be able to do much. You know your child and if they can manage this. Mine did it first when he was 10, and he's soon turning 12 and will be ready to fly with no UM service. He's travelled a LOT though and isn't nervous about it.

I said I'd show her on the flight out so she knows for the flight back by herself. We're flying out together but I'll head back a week earlier with toddler DS (on the balance think I might be worried about flying alone with him than DD flying alone!)

Personally I wouldn’t fly on Norweigan again myself and definitely wouldn’t put a child on alone.

I’ve flown a fair bit with various airlines but the one I went on with Norweigan was horrendous. None of the stewards spoke English to any kind of ‘reasonable’ degree which I’ve never experienced before - to the point they didn’t understand the words ‘First Aid Kit’ when one of our party burnt themselves quite badly.

When they did understand what I was asking for after several minutes, they couldn’t find it and brought us a box of (dry) tissues instead with a bright breezy smile, completely ignoring the (obviously upset/injured) passenger. It was the most bizarre experience.

I was a nanny for a girl who flew unaccompanied from about 6yo. It meant she felt confident flying and it fostered her independence - I never heard her say anything negative about it.

DSS did this regularly. One night was diverted and spent the night with cabin crew (female) and loved it! Depends on the child.

One of my dds flew as an UnMin to Australia at 11. All fine.
A nephew has flown UM from Singapore. They are always handed over at both ends so with any child who’s at all used to flying I honestly wouldn’t think it’s a problem. On one occasion the person who was due to meet the nephew hadn’t been informed of the flight/date so wasn’t there to meet him. Luckily they lived not far away and the airline staff looked after him very well until they turned up.

Some airlines used to have an ‘auntie’, i.e. an accompanying adult, service for children below a certain age - maybe 8 or 9 - but it was very expensive and I don’t think they do it any more.