13 Year old flying alone

[restingbitchfarce]

Would you allow your 13 year old plane adoring child fly Gatwick to Edinburgh and back in a day without an adult?

For context he's done this flight accompanied many times and often flys to places and back in the same day accompanied but he's never gone solo, airline happy to take over 12's unaccompanied.

I said no and he's very upset so AIBU?

Yes of course

Yes, i would

Yes I would, they’ll make a massive fuss of him.

He would get train to airport as I don't drive and stay in the airport alone till flight back

Of course . What do you think will happen to him? not like he can get off at Crewe is it ?

Yes

Yes, I would let mine do this (assuming there are no SEN that would make the journey more challenging for them).

From a young age, I regularly flew long-haul unaccompanied (supervised by cabin crew until age 11, then I just travelled as an adult). I wouldn't feel comfortable with stop-overs until they were mid-teens, but a single flight is fine.

They usually let the staff know there an unaccompanied child and take responsibility for them. I know they do this with frail or elderly people as well.

But what would happen if the flights cancelled?

Just make sure he has contingency plans for different situations e.g. what should he do if the return flight is delayed or cancelled.

I flew to France and back unaccompanied at age 8, and I was fine! The airline crew make a lot of fuss of unaccompanied minors.

Is he a sensible child? Is he used to travelling on buses or trains himself?

It's impossible for anyone to answer as they don't know your child. Of my three teens I'd allow two to do it without a though, whereas the third will be lucky if we stop worrying about how easily distracted (and bloody gullible) there before they hit 30!

I would.

Will there be an adult who will be responsible for him, or could assume responsibility for him in Edinburgh if there is a problem with the return flight?

My own son has been flying alone since he was 12 to see family abroad. No issue.

What is your DS doing in Edinburgh. I'm not sure if I understand properly. Just hanging out in the airport?

Of course. Why is it anymore dangerous than getting a train or bus?

@Riverviews He just loves flying so he's flys to somewhere and gets the soonest flight back usually a few hours later never leaving the airport.

Don't the airline staff hand over to a responsible adult at the destination? I've seen it done many times while waiting to collect at the airport.
I'd check the airline would be happy with this.

The only time I felt out of my depth was on a stopover in a foreign country when the connecting flight was overbooked and the airline asked those travelling alone and not on business to stay overnight in a (paid for) hotel. I did not know anybody living within 2000 miles of the airport.

I went to the airline staff to point out that I was a minor, and they got me on the connecting flight.

@lyralalala he is very sensible but my worry is what he'd do if the flight was cancelled as there is only that one flight there and back that day on this airline with availability. He does short notice flights to get them cheap so flights are often fully booked at other times of the day

In that case, I would let him. Definitely.

For everyone talking about airlines accompanying minors, that's not so usual any more. BA stopped it and budget airlines like easyJet never did it

my worry is what he'd do if the flight was cancelled
Yes, there would need to be a plan in place for this eventuality.

Sounds expensive? Fly there stay at the airport and fly back? By himself... Even if last minute flights are cheap still seems unusual hobby!

I am pretty certain at that age he needs a flight booked as an unaccompanied minor, only possible in my experience with certain airlines (not the budget ones). Someone will need to hand him over landside at departure and arrangements and documentation completed for someone to pick him up landside at the other end. I have done this with DD several times to see relatives when I am not flying with her. I have never just been able to wave her off through security and leave her to it. She is a pretty frequent flyer and has no issues with flying but I would not want to due to the levels of security needed these days, last minute gate announcements and then the trek through the airport to board. I think from memory the minimum age to fly alone is 14 for several airlines.

@restingbitchface Do other airlines fly that route? I'd want to have a good look at the rough cost of a flight last minute with another/all airlines that fly that route so you'd know how much it would cost you to get him on a different flight, or get you to him.

How would he cope in the airport in a long delay? Is he sensible enough not to drain his phone battery playing games for example?

My main worry would be - does he have the confidence to speak to airline staff in the event of delays/cancellations and the likes? It's all very well knowing what he should do, but would he have the confidence to actually do it?