Flying as an unaccompanied minor at age 7

[CrispyClo]

I’m posting on behalf of my sister as she is looking for some external views on the matter.

My niece is 7, birthday was in August. She started a new school in September, which closes for Christmas a week earlier than most state schools. There don’t seem to be a lot of options for childcare during that week as not many schools here close that early so there aren’t any holiday camps.
My sister has booked my niece onto a week long camp abroad for the week. The camp is well reviewed and offers a pick up service for children flying as an unaccompanied minor. My sister initially felt this was a good idea, and booked it.
Now she is having some concerns and is unsure it’s the right choice, mainly as she appreciates 7 is quite young and while the flight isn’t particularly long, they don’t actually have someone sat with them, just cabin crew checking in. She has admitted herself she was fine with it until other people seemed to think it was a reckless parenting choice. I think it will be fine, my sister and I flew as unaccompanied minors often as our dad lived abroad, we were a bit older (maybe 10 the first time) but managed it fine.

AIBU to think my niece will be fine? She’s looking forward to the camp and doesn’t seem phased by the thought of it.

Agreed....that was an absolute no when I was at a company that ran a UM scheme.

They were usually pre-boarded and as you also point out the (often multiple) UMs were grouped together, usually in a row or rows immediately adjacent to a galley.

But just saying of course they wouldn't is a bit wishy washy. Do airlines have actual specific policies which state they won't do this? Or is it a vague, try to sit them together or by women? Because if I was sending my child off on a plane by themselves i wouldn't id want an absolute cast iron guarantee/written policy

Look at post above yours

kids go to boarding school from the age of 6,

Where? My understanding is that virtually no boarding schools in the UK take children as young as 5, 6 or 7 nowadays, and thank god for that. Children as young as that need to be with their families.

You'd need to check with the specific airline but we certainly had a policy that was available to the public and was also clearly laid out in crew orders and associated manuals.

Christ, what is it with rich people neglecting their children?!
Boarding schools for 7 years ? That’s child abuse.

I maybe totally wrong, but camps seem to depend on your nationality , I don’t know that manyBritish people who send their kids to camps, seems more an American/ Canadian thing. Fairly sure people will say if my thoughts are wrong.Not saying there’s any problem with camps though

regardless of the flight, a week alone aged 7 abroad with strangers? No way!

It’s a big ask for a stranger to look after a child in an emergency on a plane. A big ask. For that reason we don’t even sit apart from our kids on a plane, certainly wouldn’t sit in a different class from them and would only send them unaccompanied if it was absolutely unavoidable.
Sending a 7 year old abroad for a camp on their own is insane.
Can they parents not spend that money on getting a temp nanny for a week instead?????

My 10 y/o great nephew flew back from Gibraltar yesterday using BA's (paid) UM service

@snowmichael

OK, well TBH that's a puzzle.

BA mainline most most definitely binned the UM service well before Covid hit - there was a fair bit of controversy in the company over it going.

According to BA.com right now "Children under 14 years cannot travel alone with us...must be accompanied by someone over 16.... ".."We're unable to accept parental responsibility for young persons travelling alone"..and no mention of an UM service.

Either the rules changed very recently or I guess there's a possibility it was one of the partner airlines with a code share...

Be interested to hear more detail..

BA website is quite clear that they don’t allow under 14s unaccompanied in any circumstances.

I am sure there is an unofficial way round it by paying for an adult escort though

Iberia do it and they are the same part of the IAG group

Last time I looked as far as BA goes GIB was a mainline route, and AFAIK Iberia don't operate there.

Unless as @Clearinguptheclutter has mentioned there was a privately hired companion I remain puzzled.

you’re right they don’t, only ba and easyjet do and neither allows UMs

I wish @CrispyClo would come back and answer a few of the questions

Which questions do you want answered?

@CrispyClo thanks for coming back.

I think the main one is to get a bit of context about your's / your sister's upbringing to understand why your sister is completely comfortable about sending her 7YO DC alone and abroad for a week as the answer to her childcare issue.

Also did she look at any more 'normal' solutions e.g
Her or her DH taking time off work?
Asking a friend or family member to help?
Hiring a nanny?

Was the cost of the week's camp and the flight (and accompanying adult?) really cheaper than hiring an agency nanny for a week? This seems really unlikely.

I'd assumed they chose this as they thought (rightly or wrongly) it was something the child would enjoy/benefit from rather than the cheapest childcare option available?

Well professional agency nannies aren't cheap and you can also ask them to take the child to museums, activities, theme parks and the like which Im sure the child would also have enjoyed. Or take them to wherever the nearest holiday camp is running in the UK (as PP pointed out there will be some, not as many as.during state holidays but some, in local private schools)

I think my sister decided on the camp as it would be an activity my niece would enjoy, that was the main driving force, not just sending her away as everything else is less convenient.

As for our childhood, I’m not sure what parts exactly will contribute. My sister boarded from 11, me from 10, we’ve both been to camps abroad from 9, we’ve both flown as unaccompanied minors. I can’t speak for everyone else but I certainly don’t relate to the camps or boarding is traumatic, I adored my childhood and while I wouldn’t have my own children board (less because I think it would traumatise them and more because I don’t need and would miss them too much!) but I do think there is a lot of merit to camps, if the child is interested that is.

I think, camps may be more common on the continent, not just America. Particularly in France due to the longer school holidays. So our dad being Swiss may also just being changing our view of “average”. I do understand where people’s disgust at the thought is coming from we are all shaped by our own experiences and I get the prospect of a camp or boarding feels very wrong to many. I guess to us it’s just normal, a part of childhood and at least for me something I really enjoyed as a child.

My 2 went to PGL at when DS was 8 but his 10 year old sister was there too. MIL lived nearby so could have could have got there quickly if needed. He also Cub camps from 8 alone but that is a group and leader you know well. They only went for max 4 days too. I the 7 is very young to cope with all of this.

There is no way I'd send my 7 year old on an unaccompanied flight and go to camp with a bunch of strangers I didn't know. Just because the service exists doesn't mean that you should use it!

So why did you post? You claimed that your sister wanted alternative views but it's quite clear that minds are not going to be changed here. Isn't this just rage bait?