sending a nearly seven year old alone on a plane to Germany...

[emkana]

... for a holiday with her grandmother, for five nights?

Dd1 keen to go and not scared. Have never done this before, but as I understand it airline will look after child?

MIL so upset at the thought that she can't even talk about it.

Have to go now, but will check back later.

I mean, of course, hour and twenty minutes on the plane.

I flew UC transatlantic from the age of 7 I'd have no concerns at all about a 7 yo on a short European flight - she'll be fine

You know what? Not only do I not worry about plane crashes I also don't worry I'm going to die everytime leave the house. Honestly the anxiety that some people live with must be absolutely awful.

(my dh is a ATC, my father a CAA safety officer & my brother a pilot - flying is safe!)

if she's ok with it then fine.

just seen this , my ds,now 7, and dd now 12 have done this loads, on much longer flights - in fact they prefer it to travelling with us! And yes, know all the risks, am from a very 'aviation' family.

KKM, that was not what I was saying. I merely pointed out that it was apparent your claim to "recall" that the airline had a history of spectacular crashes was a little exaggerated.

I could trawl through the internet and find links to thousands of road crashes as an argument for you not to use roads or pavements. Or links to school shootings to say that kids should be home educated. Wouldn't really be constructive though.

Flew to the USA as an unaccompanied minor for the 1st time at 7 and loved it! DD1 has just flown to Dubai to stay with her aunt and uncle and family for a week.
Parents drop child off with air hostess, air hostess takes all unaccompanied minors onto the plane before anyone else, I got to see the cockpit and chat to the pilots but I doubt that happens now...
DD1 did have to wear a bright green tag round her neck... but I was bumped to 1st class almost every time I flew and DD1 told me she flew in the front (we normally go business class) so i reckon she was upgraded too!

No no I have seen the error of my ways now. In fact I am cancelling the dd's school trip for tomorrow. How could I possibly have contemplated letting them go on that? Leaving them in the care of people I have never even met (parent helpers)? And the coach driver - what if he's over the limit, I bet he spends his waiting time on a swift pint in the pub. Everybody knows how often coaches crash. And then the walk from where the coach stops to the theatre - what if there's paedophiles hanging around? Unthinkable.

emkana - please don't joke about drink drivers....I lost my Dad to a drink driver.

I'm very sorry to hear that.

emkana...that's ok and thanks for the apology. xxx

My mum's German and I got packed off on my first flight when I was 5. There are some nicely fading photos of me with my Opa at Hanover airport. Always flew with Lufthansa who were great. I loved it, you get loads of attention and I remember feeling really grown up.

Great experience and one of my first memories - what are you waiting for!

[sigh]

I didn't mean to offend and I apologize.

kerry, whilst what happened to your family is truly horrific, and you are understandably angry about it. It chilled me and made me feel sick to read, what a horrendous thing to have happened.
Whilst these are my true sentiments, I think you can see the point that emkana was trying to make, to which she has already apologized.

Now you are being hysterical. I lost a very close family member to a drunk driver too not so long ago. But I am not remotely offended and totally get Emkana's point that I don't let even that harrowing personal experience prevent me driving with my kids in the car or letting them go on school trips or be driven by other people. As she says, her kids face all sorts of risks just going on a school trip, much greater risks than on a flight as an unaccompanied minor.
If someone posted to say, 'My kids are going on their first school coach trip to a museum' I think posting links to fatal coach crashes would be appalling behaviour.

You know, you sound extremely silly, ranting on like this.