AIBU to plan a domestic birthday flight for my seven-year-old?

[Edinburghwomenonamisso8n26]

My ds7 birthday is coming up in June. He has asked to go on a plane ( he's obsessed with them ) Due to his brothers severe disability he hasn't been overseas or on a plane. Life is hard and his brother unfortunately is at the centre of everything we do due to the needs and appointments etc
Despite this ds7 is such a lovely boy who understands more then he should at his age tbh.

Anyway I really want to take him on a plane for the day. I have made peace with the environmental impact as we use public transport and haven't flown in 10ish yrs and won't for a very long time after.

Any ideas where obviously he doesn't have a passport so has to be domestic only. tia

flying from Edinburgh

As you are in Edinburgh you could do Birmingham or Belfast easily in a day - out in the morning, mooch around the city, some lunch and evening flight back. Look at Ryanair and easyJet / Skyscanner for other UK flights.

Think it's a great idea ! Belfast might feel even more especially as it's technically travelling over the sea to another country x

Looking at Skyscanner in June, Belfast looks like your best option for best flight times. Dublin also available
The “London” flights look to take you into Stansted.

Belfast city airport is by the sea so it’s a great landing provided it’s not a windy day.

you could go to w5 when in Belfast. My kids are 6 & 8 and are obsessed with the place - it’s an interactive science museum, different floors exploring different areas including, the body, nature, physics, construction & there’s loads of play areas too.

its indoor so you don’t need to worry about the Irish weather.

as much as Belfast is a great city, I don’t think there’s much for kids there to have a mooch around.

a taxi from the airport to w5 would be £15

I was just coming on to suggest Barra as well! Far more exciting than London and so much easier.
Wherever you go I would pick a small airport so you don’t have to spend ages in security etc

You could fly to the Isle of man from Edinburgh. It has a great approach to the runway at ronaldsway.

I flew to Dublin for the day for my 21st, would highly recommend. London is also a winner, so much you could do to make the most of the day. Fly to City Airport, it’s small so you don’t get the queues you get with the big airport and can be in the centre of London much quicker

Belfast would be great. You could do the open top bus tour around the city. Not sure if he’d like it or not but my son loved the Titanic museum too.

BA only require photo ID for those 16+.

Some great suggestions. logan air would be great but its very ££££. Belfast does seem like the most suitable place. Love the idea of a passport as a gift. He would definitely love it. He won't need id for easy jet etc only Ryanair requires a passport for all flights.

You can fly to Dublin without a passport (check airline rules as Ryanair are the exception) but I would recommend London, fly to Heathrow, take the tube into London, see famous sights on foot, lunch in a proper restaurant that he would like the food, museum in the afternoon (choose a South Kensington based one) before jumping on the tube back to the airport. I recommend eating in South Kensington actually as not as crazy busy as the centre. The normal public buses are free for kids remember too

This sounds like a lovely plan

Guernsey/jersey would be my choice as they feel like abroad.

Southampton and you could take him to Solent Sky which is a lovely museum with lots of different aeroplanes

Definitely check what ID the child needs for domestic flights. Although I seem to remember my ex being an arse about handing over passports and I definitely still managed to fly the kids on a domestic flight

Another option is Bristol, there’s multiple flights a day so you can jump on the airport flyer and got to the museum, take a ferry across the harbour, visit as Great Britain or whatever, eat and head back to the airport. Shame it’s June as I’m away otherwise I’d offer to pick you up and show you around

A flight sounds great. What about a stay in a converted plane as a future trip? There are a few different sites in the UK and some still have the cockpit area overhead panels and instrument panels in place.

You'll find them online. I saw one on a B&B programme on TV but can't recall where it was. A campsite in Stirling has a helicopter B&B.

This converted plane is in Wales. Apple Camping

Another vote for Barra Outer Hebrides plane lands on the beach

My dad this for me when I was young, we didn't even leave the airport. If you arrive early for your flight you can watch other planes set off, get a cheap domestic flight, explore the airport at the other end and then fly home again!

They cost an absolute fortune even from Scotland I looked into it and they were over £200 a flight.

Op you could fly to Belfast do the titanic museum buses leave from the airport and then back home same day? Some airlines ask for a passport though.

I was doing to suggest Belfast too. We flew from Glasgow and it's half an hour and very quick easy to get into the city centre. Titanic museum is good too.

Also look at the Morayvia museum in Kinloss: https://www.morayvia.org.uk/ Closest airport is Inverness, or a drive up the A9 from you. You can climb into all sorts of planes military and civilian and talk to the pilots. Best day trip we did last year. It's not open every day as run by volunteers (usually 2 days a week through the summer) but if you contacted them and explained your situation you might be able to arrange something with them.

Any London Airport, the city one if possible. I think it would be a lovely idea seeing as he is such a good boy. Please don’t mention about Climate when China is doing more damage than the whole world put together, and we are helping by buying everything off of them and NASA has launched a space ship.

What a lovely Mum, the nicest thread I've read on here for a while 🛫🛬 wishing him the best of birthdays

I’d go to Belfast or the Isle of Man so he feels like he’s gone to another country.

That was my thought too. There’s the Titanic experience there which has enchanted everyone I know who’s been.

Because that is what you would be doing lol

I think Belfast too as it would be another country but Bristol also would be lovely, bus from airport to city centre and there is an aquarium there if he likes that type of thing and also a free museum called M Shed he might enjoy there. Similarly though you would have Titanic in Belfast or W5 is an interactive museum definitely geared for his age.

You’ve had loads of suggestions so I hope your son has a fantastic birthday.

I’ve been where you are and felt so guilty thinking my son wouldn’t experience holidays as his peers. My husband took him on a cheap low cost flight to Treviso, Italy and he loved it. He’s now a grown up and has been on plenty of overseas holidays as an adult, but still fondly remembers that first flight.

I’m sure you’ll both make plenty of memories.