AIBU to let 17 y/o dd fly back to the UK while dh & I are abroad?

[Belgrovia]

DD is 17 - she's in Year 13, so finishing school, but she won't be 18 until August.

Her German exchange has invited her to stay with her over the holidays. They've met up almost every summer since the initial exchange, taking it in turns to stay at each other's houses, and get on really well. Dd has a pretty packed summer, and only has an 8 day free window in the middle of the summer to go to Germany.

Our problem is that dh and I are going away during that week, and we will be in another country when she gets back to the UK. This means there'll be no-one to pick dd up at the airport. She's a very experienced traveller and is perfectly happy to get the bus to the train station and then travel two stops home by herself.

Would this be alright? She won't home alone during the time we're gone, as her 20 year old brother is there - he just can't meet her at the airport as he will be at work.

And when the official at the border asks her who is there to collect her, is it better to tell the truth and say she's travelling home alone, or to say that her parents are? (I means, she's practically 18 - she'll only be a month away from adulthood at the time.)

She'll be fine. She is not a young child and I doubt they will bat an eyelid. I travelled alone before I turned 18 and don't remember ever being questioned about it. That was in the dark ages though! I imagine if they do ask it is probably more to check she is not being trafficked.

What an amazing experience for her.
You are raising your daughter how I aim to raise mine.
Technically as soon as they finish school it's common to do a gap year. My SIL went to Borneo on her own at 18...getting home from a British airport will be a breeze.

I hope she has a fantastic time

She's perfectly happy to get the bus to the train station and then travel two stops home by herself

^ There you have your answer. You're overthinking it way too much. I started travelling abroad on my own at 17, certainly never had anyone at the border ask me who was collecting me. I believe the experience didn't scarf me for life.

There may be foreign students younger than her at University come September. I can not see why border control would be bothered by her travel plans.

I went to magaluf on a girls holiday when I was 17 it's fine.

I started travelling abroad on my own at 17, certainly never had anyone at the border ask me who was collecting me. I believe the experience didn't scarf me for life

I think they've got a lot more cautious about it in recent years, because of trying to clamp down on human trafficking - dd first flew by herself at 15, and while no-one cared about her leaving the country, when she arrived back in the UK the border guard asked her why she wasn't carrying a letter signed by us (her parents) giving her permission to travel alone. I had no idea that was even a thing!

She'll be fine and as long as you're confident she knows what she's doing, there won't be a problem. I regularly got flights alone at 17 to Europe and the only issue was that it was a bit boring sitting around on your own.

The officials won't care if she isn't being picked up at 17. If I remember rightly, I think the guideline for being considered an adult while flying is 16.

She's fine. Make sure shes carrying a letter of consent from you to travel alone and your contact details but they don't usually question over 16 unless there's other concerns, dd travelled through the border separately from me (I was in a different queue) and they didn't ask where her parents were. Mine stayed home alone the summer after a levels

Totally fine. If they ask, which I would be very surprised if they do, she should not lie. She should say her brother, who is 20.

My dd was flying back and forth to the uk alone from 15 there was never an issue.

I flew to Magaluf alone at 17 for a holiday with friends (not recommended). She will be fine