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.

It's sometimes more about parent's comfort and fears than children's.

I (EU) went for 4 days residential as 5 yo at pre-school and for a week with unknown people at 7, it seemed normal to me.

I'm not sure why should those options be preferable.
If the girl is fine with not sleeping at home, the camp can be much more fun and she will learn more than by being babysitted.

And a camp will have staff that have had criminal records checked etc. whereas a random university student is an unknown risk.

I would never.

A friend's child's flight got diverted due to bad weather. They ended up halfway between their departure airport and their arrival airport. A place where they knew nobody. They had to spend the night in a hotel room alone, with cabin crew in the next room.

It might be a small risk, but it is a risk.

That is not going to happen on a flight from UK to Switzerland.

They can see what the weather is like before they set off.

Not sure but I think I mentioned that possibility in passing way back..yes is unlikely (especially in the short haul world) but it can and occasionally it very definitely does happen.

With a properly functioning scheme there will be an airline policy for looking after the UMs in the event of a diversion and unscheduled night stop.

As you mention it may well be that least one of the cabin crew being detailed to stay with the UMs at whatever hotel they end up in.

Happened to me many years ago - flight from Qatar to the UK was diverted to Turkey because of a bomb scare. I was nine. Loads of UMs on board. No passengers knew the reason for the diversion until we were in the airport terminal.

We were all put in a hotel overnight. All the UMs in the same hotel, probably some of the other passengers in different hotels.

BA let my grandparents who were meeting me know, and all in all did an excellent job.

Not a chance I would do this and my DS is 10!

I suspect most of the shocked and horrified have never used UM services or summer camps. Paying for a UM service is no different to paying for any other form of childcare - children are met and fully escorted before boarding, on board and IME will only hand over to the named person (with ID) at the other end.

Similarly summer camps are regulated and common in some countries from age 5, most common for 7/8 to 10/11. They are also common for children on programmes for sport, dance, music and doubtless other specialisms. The children go to where the camp is, which may be in the home country or abroad or in a neighbouring state. Abroad can sometimes be closer and easier to get to than a distant part of the same country.

Some children are ready at 7 others at 10, some never. Since the OP and her sister both experienced UM flights and camps and enjoyed them they are probably better placed to judge the child’s readiness than any of us. As the PP upthread said - its three consideration, readiness for UM flight, readiness for the type of camp and general readiness to be away from home. Only the child’s parents know her state of readiness.

BA Website is, indeed, very clear

"For safety, we require children age 5 – 14 traveling alone to use our unaccompanied minor service

Unaccompanied minor service
Our service includes:
Early boarding to allow extra time to get settled and meet the flight attendants
Kids-only lounges in our hub cities for flight connections
An airport escort to help your child to the gate for flight connections
Escorting the child to the authorized adult picking them up when they land"

I have used summer camps. We love them for our quirky child because she gets to hang out with children who share her interests and those children tend to have similar personalities. I travel and take my child to the camp myself. I’m just not ok with unaccompanied minor travel.

Since I can work remotely, I often just book a hotel and work from there for the duration of the camp. It’s just less hassle than traveling back and forth and often not much more expensive.

I recognize this is pretty much one of the most privileged things anyone has ever written on mumsnet.

@snowmichael

I might be mistaken but what you've posted looks a bit like the American Airlines rules to me..(which you can get to from Ba.com because American are in the same group)..so that would apply on AA aircraft.

As far as BA mainline aircraft are concerned, again from ba.com

"We allow young persons aged 14 or older to travel with us on domestic or international British Airways flights..

Children under 14 years old cannot travel alone with us".

No mention of BA having a UM service currently, they definitely scrapped it about ten years ago.

I’m in the market for camps that suit the interests/personalities of quirky kids, if you have any recommendations!

@Ponderingwindow that's a brilliant solution, and so much gentler.

And every one of these people would be strangers.

You cannot be serious!! This has to be a wind up....

My DD is 7 too, birthday in August and I couldn’t imagine doing this. She would feel scared and unsettled not seeing her parents for a week and she’s used to attending breakfast/after school club and local holiday clubs during the holidays, so she does have some experience of being away but nothing on that scale.

How does your niece feel about this OP? Is she excited and wanting to go?

This was a domestic flight within the UK. But tech problems can cause diversions too.

As I said it might be a small risk, but it's not one I personally would be willing to take.

True about tech issues leading to diversions and in any event you do get diversions due weather on short haul flights..

Whatever the reason the airline would look after any UMs.

Yes they would absolutely take care of the child, because they are contractually obliged to.

That doesn't mean it won't be a stressful experience for both the child and the parents. Nobody would willingly send their child off to stay in a hotel with a stranger, but that's the risk taken. And having seen my friend go through this exact situation, it's not something I would choose to do.

I wouldn't argue with that, but the point remains that over many decades countless thousands upon thousands of youngsters have succesfully travelled as UMs, and some have even survived the odd diversion.

Some here may have a resistance to the idea, I get that, but it's the way some are painting the use of such schemes as being close to child abuse, child neglect or sonehow being massively risky that I have a problem with.