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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Airline ticket sold to 14 yr old at 3am

52 replies

runawayteen14 · 08/12/2022 15:59

This is all so incredibly outing but I am curious to know what others think so I will keep it a little vague but I can't imagine too many kids did this (or maybe they did!).

When I was 14 I lived with my mum and step dad near Heathrow. I HATED it, but that is all another story. Most of my family are from another European country. After a big fight I waited for them to go to sleep. Packed up a school bag of clothes. All the money I had access to and climbed out my window.

I walked to Heathrow, a few miles along a dual carriage way, under the tunnel and into the airport. So dangerous it makes me cringe, I had a man stop and offer me a lift.

I then went to the desk and asked for a 1 way ticket on the next flight. This was approx 3am. I was told the price, counted out my money, including a huge pile of change. I also had to leave the desk and go change some Euro's.

They sold me a ticket and I flew home. I had just turned 14 a week before, now that I am older I really don't think they should have sold me a ticket. This was 2006 by the way.

YABU - they should have sold the ticket
YANBU - they should not have sold the ticket

I get that the person at the desk may not have known what to do, but I wasn't questioned at all.

OP posts:
Mariposista · 08/12/2022 16:13

Many airlines will accept unaccompanied minors from age 14 so may not have been doing anything wrong.
This aside, I hope you were ok. Did you get to your family safely? And did your arrangements get resolved so you could enjoy the rest of your adolescence with people you loved? How terribly sad.

Endwalker · 08/12/2022 16:16

Only children under 12 are considered to be unaccompanied minors, children over the age of 12 can travel without an adult (although some airlines will recommend and offer an optional unaccompanied minor service up to age 14/15).

They wouldn't have been breaking the rules allowing you to travel.

CourtneeLuv · 08/12/2022 16:19

They can't really tell you they won't let you buy a ticket if they charge adult prices for you, can they.

SantasGrotty · 08/12/2022 16:24

Allowing you to tavel unaccompanied is one thing, but purchasing a ticket should have been questioned.

ILoveeCakes · 08/12/2022 16:25

It's up to you and your parents to look after you. Not others.

I get annoyed with the various handholding governments and businesses are forced to do these days because some people abdicate responsibility for their own actions. eg "Are you sure you want to transfer this money? Has a stranger emailed you and asked for it?" "Just give me my f ing money"

FTY765 · 08/12/2022 16:26

I would think (hope!) that these days, they would ask some basic questions, but who knows?
I think legally/within their guidelines they likely did nothing wrong, but morally I would say they definitely shouldn't have sold it to you in the circumstances.

Ponoka7 · 08/12/2022 16:26

It wouldn't have flagged up then, as it would now. It's taken sex trafficking, historical child murders, recognition of grooming etc etc to have the change that we have today. It was around 2006 when we had local safeguarding boards.

Ponoka7 · 08/12/2022 16:28

You don't agree with safeguarding for children, then? You think that we should leave children completely at the mercy of the adults around them and not get involved (as no-one did in Arthur's case)?

AngelDelightUK · 08/12/2022 16:31

What happened when you got to the other end?!

TidyDancer · 08/12/2022 16:35

I'm sort of impressed at how resourceful you were tbh.

I think if you'd been any younger it would've been reasonable to expect someone to have asked questions but since you can fly I accompanied at that age I can understand why you didn't get asked (unless you were visibly distressed).

SantasGrotty · 08/12/2022 16:35

I don't believe for a second that previous posters wouldn't lose their shit at the airline if their child had been allowed to run away to another country without anyone questioning it

Hawkins001 · 08/12/2022 16:35

@runawayteen14
Mi5 needs your services.

TidyDancer · 08/12/2022 16:35

TidyDancer · 08/12/2022 16:35

I'm sort of impressed at how resourceful you were tbh.

I think if you'd been any younger it would've been reasonable to expect someone to have asked questions but since you can fly I accompanied at that age I can understand why you didn't get asked (unless you were visibly distressed).

unaccompanied

ouch321 · 08/12/2022 16:36

This sounds like one of the Home Alone storylines.

CremeEggsForBreakfast · 08/12/2022 16:37

ILoveeCakes · 08/12/2022 16:25

It's up to you and your parents to look after you. Not others.

I get annoyed with the various handholding governments and businesses are forced to do these days because some people abdicate responsibility for their own actions. eg "Are you sure you want to transfer this money? Has a stranger emailed you and asked for it?" "Just give me my f ing money"

Fine, but you are, presumably, an adult.

A 14yr old legally cannot buy alcohol, have sex, live alone, smoke, or get married. Are those laws 'handholding"? Is that "abdicating your responsibility" as a parent?

14yr olds also should not be flying abroad without their parents knowledge (and preferably not without their consent). I would be deeply concerned and suspicious if a young teenager was alone and buying a plane ticket at 3am with scraped together cash. I might sell the ticket if it was the airline's policy but I'd probably also be calling social services for advice.

IncessantNameChanger · 08/12/2022 16:38

ILoveeCakes · 08/12/2022 16:25

It's up to you and your parents to look after you. Not others.

I get annoyed with the various handholding governments and businesses are forced to do these days because some people abdicate responsibility for their own actions. eg "Are you sure you want to transfer this money? Has a stranger emailed you and asked for it?" "Just give me my f ing money"

Like it or not that's not how duty of care eprks for minors in England. You might hate it and think responsibility lays with child but for example education, occurring to KCSIE it's the law.

hauntedvagina · 08/12/2022 16:40

OP, I can't comment if it's right or wrong. What I can say is you were one fierce teenager!

ancientgran · 08/12/2022 16:40

My kids have flown alone younger than that but, and it is a big but, selling a child a ticket at 3 am, the child counting out change would ring alarm bells and someone should at least have had a chat with you.

I'm hoping it all worked out OK for you.

SomeBeings · 08/12/2022 16:43

Which airline desk? I don't think any of the desks would be open at 3 am?

FTY765 · 08/12/2022 16:46

SomeBeings · 08/12/2022 16:43

Which airline desk? I don't think any of the desks would be open at 3 am?

I would think they would be. For flights leaving at 5/6am, you'd need to check in by that time.

Obki · 08/12/2022 16:51

At 14 you were more than old enough to know better, bar any SEN.

You had a roof over your head but ‘HATED’ the town. 🙄 A town is what you make of it.

Maybe ruminate on why you were a brat, not some poor airport staff member doing their job.

ILoveeCakes · 08/12/2022 16:56

Anyone else got an ancient AIBU they want to get off their chest?

Were the senators BU when they killed Caesar?

toomuchlaundry · 08/12/2022 16:56

DS wasn't able to buy football tickets a few months ago as he was under 18. Does depend on the venue/match. I'm surprised you were able to buy a ticket

unfortunateevents · 08/12/2022 16:58

This was 16 years ago, what is the relevance today?

UneFoisAuChalet · 08/12/2022 17:01

My friend and I flew to a major European city (think a six hour flight) for the weekend (after telling our parents we were going to another friend’s house). When we got to immigration we told them we were there for some shopping. Off you go, they said, have a great weekend. We were 15.