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/

Exiguous.

It is not you and me we are talking about though! Your post made me smile. Thanks.

But in reality I think we would all like to be seated next to our children on a flight for lots of reasons, painful as it may be!

Sounds safe enough to me as long as she's taken as far as possible and met as soon as possible. Will teach her great independence!

"Sounds safe enough to me as long as she's taken as far as possible and met as soon as possible. Will teach her great independence!"

Well, not much independence if she's taken as far as possible and met as soon as possible. She's 14!

It's no problem at all, especially if they've flown already and know what to expect.

Yanbu to ask

Depends on the child whether she’ll love it or hate it though.

I think I would’ve been fine, would’ve loved it in fact, but my sister would not. In fact she regularly used to miss her flight when she was in her late teens (our dad moved to an EU country, it was a short flight away) and I think she found the travel really stressful.

From age 16 I used to travel by train to different parts of the UK to visit online friends, although I was older than DGD I think that’s much riskier than a flight, especially with the tight security at airports these days.

If you stayed at the airport until departure you could "talk" her through various points. You would be able to see the departure board and gate numbers. You could download a map of the airport in advance so she would know roughly where she would likely need to go and how long to expect it would take to reach the gate.

I think she'd be fine and Paphos has just that one arrival area so she'd hardly be able to go missing on arrival too.

DD1 travelled with a same-aged friend age 12 and 13 to visit another friend and her family in spain. The first time, we had agreed she could go and between agreeing and booking the flight, BA stopped their unaccompanied minor programme (although did still allow them to travel from age 12).we did have to think quite hard about it then, but agreed in the end and her and her friend loved it and found it completely fine (and did it again the next year). The airport they were flying to was small which helped and they were met by friend’s mum.

Looking forward to DD2 turning 14 so they can fly to visit BIL and his family in France for a week or 2 in the summer (no flights to his airport which permit under 14s without an adult)

Some airlines do the ‘Unaccompanied Minor’ thing. The kids wear a giant UM sign round their neck and are escorted to and from the plane. Mine did it from age 10.

Would have thought they would be fine - particularly as such small airports at both ends. I used to fly with my two younger siblings to the states at that age.

Why are parents getting so hot under the collar for not being able to sit with their kids on a plane without paying for the privilege?

And at the same time, kids travelling on their own is a no brainer?

I think the difference is age. A five year old a couple of rows away is quite different from a teen travelling by themselves. And for holidays it is quite nice to sit with your travelling companions (the opposite is true on biz - I always book away from my travelling companions).

I flew on my own every year from the age of 4 to 13
I have only positive memories of it
and the same airline let me back year after year

And at the same time, kids travelling on their own is a no brainer?

This is a 14 year old girl not a 5 year old.

Mumsnet has millions of members. Why assume that the people posting on this thread have also posted about not sitting next to their children on other threads? Generally people traveling together expect to sit together. If they have to pay to do so then they can decide if they want to do that or not. People who fly relatively frequently tend to now how it works, what might happen etc and would I expect make sensible decisions about seating. My children have both flown independently and sat away from us on a plane. Both were fine, although the second happened when they were quite a bit younger and wasn't ideal.

14 is a very sensible age for most. I flew back and forth to the US from that age and also long distance trains from much earlier. Also commuting to school on the tube from 11. You handle the responsibility you are given IMO, though that's obviously assuming no fears and issues. Those came later for me haha. As long as you are well prepared, it's a lot safer than walking home alone in the countryside and suburbs, especially on dark evenings, I think.

My DD1 flew from Boston USA to Glasgow Scotland, via Heathrow unaccompanied at 14 for the first time. She was chaperoned every inch of the way and her aunt had to sign for her . I had to tell the airline who was picking her up and they had to produce ID before she was allowed to leave with them. I had to produce ID before they would give her back to me on the return journey too. She was the oldest of the unaccompanied children on that flight.

They are both small airports - Bournemouth & Paphos and the flight times are not very early or very late.

Ha e you actually looked for flights? Because at he moment there are no direct flights between those airports.

I wouldn't let my dd fly on her own she's 14.
I know she could manage it but I'd be a nervous wreck.
I know some children who do this several times a year from dd school.
There is no reason why they shouldn't and I wouldn't judge somebody because of my insecurities.

I have special needs and flew alone from 9 Florida to UK and back. There was a sky auntie service though. I was a stubborn teen though and remember not wanting assistance at 16, so I did it alone from Gatwick to Orlando {or Tampa} cant remember. I got lost in Gatwick but a passenger told me the right way

DW's best friend regularly flew alone from the Middle East/UK from age 12 so I would let her. Frankly I'd worry more if she was going to take a late night rain journey alone.

I flew on my own for the first time at 12. There was a lady from the airline who directed me through customs and would check up on me throughout the flight. Do they still provide this kind of assistance? My parents sent me off to the airport, and a family friend met me on the other side. I was a very shy child and not street smart at all, but I don't remember the flight being particularly scary. Of course, that was almost 25 years ago, and times were simpler back then.

Dh used to fly to/from mainland Europe from Heathrow 10 times per year from the age of 11. No mobile phones in those days either.

It depends on the child but I'd say flying alone is safer than getting buses alone and 14 year olds do that.

It’s perfectly fine to ask what she/they are comfortable with. I flew alone at 14 without a family member even meeting me at the other side (I was going to a summer programme, just got there and got a taxi to the school where it was held and another back at the end). I also visited universities on my own at 16 (my mum was a single mum and had to work and couldn’t afford both of us doing it). I flew several places alone, got a taxi, mum pre-booked me a hotel and I spent several days there on my own. I was pretty street smart though and not phased by it. But it’s worth asking.