AIBU to ask if DGD would fly alone at age 14?

[rizlett]

Is it too unsafe?

The airline will allow it but there's no 'chaperone' service. Will it be too difficult for her - to dangerous?

Would you as a mum think it's not appropriate? I don't want to open a can of worms or raise hopes that might be dashed.

I'm quite surprised at the young age children are allowed to travel without adults.

www.opodo.co.uk/blog/unaccompanied-minors-rules-by-airlines/

My daughter flew alone from 13.

My mother would have kittens if I even mentioned the idea to her - she was always warning me of the white slave traders - whoever they are!

Grown women are manipulated into being taken so I worry [perhaps too much] about a 14 year old.

When my daughter was 11 a man came up to her in Sainsburys and told her I'd left [i'd actually asked her to get some bananas while I was queuing at the till] and that he would take her to me.

At the time she thought he might possibly have confused her with his grandaughter so she ignored him but she didn't tell me for some weeks until we were watching a tv programme about it. I was horrified that I hadn't prepared her enough about what to do in that situation.

I totally get the point of it being safer than a bus or train journey too. Thats good to know.

Maybe I'll start to get a bit excited about the idea becoming reality.

My DD's went to a school that had boarders. They all flew home alone from an early age. They are all very independent young people now.

I was all over the place at that age but my DSD1is 13 and I can’t imagine her doing this within a year although my DD would have.

My little sister did it last year, aged 9, and there was no drama (except her losing her passport before getting to arrivals) - but even that was fine, as chaperone was there to smooth things over!

Kids love it - if they are strong independent types. Wouldn’t do it unless she had wanted to.

It will be fine, although some might need a Landrover 4x4 to drop her at the gate, and pick her up from the landbridge other side. Ha ha, school run!

But to be sensible here, some airports (but maybe not the smaller ones) have greencap services where they will escort you to the gate and from the arrivals on the other side. Maybe you could check this out?

Have you spoken to her, and does she know the basics of air travel so that she knows the drill?, and the layout of the airport also.

I think as others have said, it depends on her level of maturity and how sensible she is. But it could be the adventure of a lifetime.

Maybe check to see if anyone can accompany her to the gate etc.

You sound like a terrific DGM!

In the US a minor can be accompanied to the gate by a parent as long as the parent gets an 'escort's pass' from the airline. You and the child show the boarding and escort passes to TSA and go through security screening. The UK doesn't allow this?

As far as the OP's question, my DS1 would have been fine at that age as he was very confident and would have been comfortable asking for assistance in the airport if he needed it. DS2 was very shy and wouldn't have asked for help if he needed it and so I wouldn't have been comfortable with him being in the airport alone.

Depends on the child, but should be fine at that age.

Easier than getting a train - once you are through security you sort of get swept along don't you? Airports are incredibly safe places (security everywhere!) and its not possible to get on the wrong plane unless you are Macauly Culkin

If she is dropped off and picked up at airport, the worst thing that is likely to happen is she gets distracted in duty free and misses her flight somehow. And even that is not terribly likely.

I was a fairly useless, nervous 14 year old and even I would have managed this I think!

I flew to Switzerland on my own at 12 (I'd never flown before).

Perfectly safe.

I flew without adults from the age of 12. Assuming the child is NT, I can’t see the problem.

I caught a flight last weekend and saw a child (pre teen, don't know how old exactly, maybe 10) being helped through security by a member of the airport staff - so some airlines do allow much younger children than 14 to travel, and provide chaperone services.

Ask her see what she thinks. it will be perfectly safe

Eggsonhead US domestic travel has not been that way since post 9/11 but I do remember when it used to be. Now you have to go through security and be a passenger domestic or international.

And Bournemouth to Paphos is definitely international.

She could be accompanied though

I'll definitely ask her - and update you all. Thank you for your views.

My DS1 flew back from France to Heathrow on his own age 14. His friend's parents got him through check in and up to security. He managed fine and he wasn't at all street wise.

UK airports were very different from US ones before 9/11. We had had Lockerbie and were very security conscious. There are very few domestic flights in the U.K. So all flights tend to go through the same procedures, check in, (public) security, (only with boarding pass) duty-free and then boarding gates. I was really surprised in the US pre 9/11 how lax security seemed.

Just to put a spanner in the works, I was thinking there (and that's a dangerous thing!) if I were really worried I would get a dirt cheap flight to somewhere, anywhere, just for someone to get through security and accompany her, same on the way back. But obv don't board your cheap flight.

But I have no idea how easy it is to get back out if you haven't boarded your flight! Has anyone done this?

I am just thinking out loud here. Apologies if it comes across as over thinking things!

Just bear in mind that different parents and different 14 year olds will vary wildly with this. My friend still has palpitations every time I tell her I let my 14yo dd get the train from Bristol to Cardiff with a group of sensisble friends. And I probably would feel happy with the scenario you describe, but not all would. Can you ask the parent first?

I think it’ll be good for her independence and self esteem. I would have loved to have flown alone at her age. I’d have felt so mature!

I doubt there are creepy guys at the airport waiting to snatch up unaccompanied minors. Way too many people around.

Don't worry about snatching. Take her to the furthest point you can go as a non passenger and watch she goes through. Then get someone to meet her at the arrivals gate. It is safer than getting the bus to school.

And she can have her phone with her to ring in case she has any queries. But as she has flown before, it is all pretty straightforward.

A 14 year old who has flown regularly and is familiar with the steps: getting through passport / security / departure lounge, check Gate number, get to gate on time / remember to collect checked bag etc, will be FINE.

If she does any trips with an adult in the meantime she can learn by taking charge and leading, as if she was on her own.

That's what I have done with all mine before they did buses, tubes, trains on their own.

I waved my godson off at the bottom the steps up to departures at Gatwick and his mum picked him up at larnaca at the age of 14. He was just fine.

HoppyHannah Its definitely possible to leave once you have gone through security in some airports - there are often one way revolving doors etc (I have seen people go through them by accident!)
But doing this is not only unneccessary but would be incredibly annoying for the flight staff and passengers on your flight, putting out anouncements for the missing passenger to turn up....

I flew alone from 11 to 16, about a dozen times a year. It was drama-free unless my parents happened to have forgotten I was coming home.

DSD flew alone at 13 or 14 to stay with family. The flight was fine, but she got terribly homesick, they sometimes need their parents and their own bed more than you’d think at that age. Just something to think about.