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

@CrickeyJane thats well over £1k in flights. As I say, people have no idea how expensive it is to get to the Scottish islands. Far cheaper to go abroad.

Glasgow to Machrihanish is SO beautiful! You could take a taxi and have lunch in Campbeltown! It would be a beautiful run xXx

I think my route might be
Edinburgh to London City
Possibly a trip on the Cable Car
DLR into London (if the Scottish curriculum is the same as the English one & he’s learning about the Great Fire of London, do a quick trip to Pudding Lane & Monument)
Jubilee line to Westminster to see Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, down to the Thames to look at river & the London Eye, then stroll up to Buckingham Palace, a run & a play at St James and then head up to Paddington station and get the Heathrow Express out to Heathrow for a bit of plane spotting (once you’ve checked in and got airside, some of the restaurants overlook the runways) and then home.
That seems to tick off some of the sights as well as a variety of transport options whilst focussing on planes

If he’s into trains as well, from Southampton airport you can walk to the Lakeside miniature railway and there’s a playground half way round. Just a different suggestion for a nice short day trip avoiding the hustle of a city.

Wherever you go, I hope he has a wonderful day 😊

No passport needed for a domestic flight.
Recommend Edinburgh to Gatwick (easyJet cheap) then the railway into London which is cool for a 7 year old too. Bus round London, lunch. Flight back same day. I did it for work regularly.

How about Manchester? They have a great runway cafe/playground/museum where he can watch the planes. They even have a concord and flight simulator that he could see

I paid £36pp for our flights to Belfast last year with Ryanair, he would need a passport but I reckon he’d love the early flight out, a visit to Titanic museum, some dinner and then home!

I second this. I know Belfast and Bristol well and the latter airport (for easyJet) is quite a schlep.

Bristol has a bigger history of aerospace than Belfast

Presumably the approach and landing at Belfast would be interesting seeing the sea. Is there a museum or commentation of Shorts of Belfast? (Seaplanes).

Oh don't sweat the environment thing- Taylor swift and lots of slebs in private jets don't care.

I was also going to say edinburgh

could you go to London and spend a day there or even as PP said go somewhere like Paris if you can get away for a couple of days

Newquay, you can go straight to the beach for the day!

This is such a cool thread - even the really expensive suggestions like Barra and Orkney are posted with the best of intentions. I hope your little lad has a lovely birthday, OP!

If you decide to go London Heathrow, don't bother with actually going into London. Check out which terminal you will be flying back from and spend some time on the viewing deck - I think T3 has none...
Or check out the Heathrow Academy building that has a covered area overlooking the runway. If he likes panes he might get some joy watching the big jumbo jets take off / land for half an hour or so...

Just about to post this idea. We've done it, it's incredible.

OP, get yourself to Glasgow airport and then fly to Barra. He will remember it for the rest of his life.

And you can track the flight on flight radar for free! I hope you have a great trip.
I would second the suggestion of a local private flight. We got to choose where to fly and because they are able to fly lower we could see local landmarks and flew over our own house.

I’m sure he’d much prefer a small plane, more exciting in the air etc, how about going to one of the islands? Shetland, Orkney, Lewis etc.

Or Barra and land on the beach!

Southampton is the pits. Don't come here for a daytrip!

I'm close to Edinburgh and would probably pick Belfast or Bristol.

Could even walk across the Clifton Suspension Bridge and see the SS Great Britain too.

This is lovely ❤️

What’s your budget? And how much time will you have?

Perhaps fly to Luton, go to Harry Potter world and fly back in the evening?

Whatever you decide I hope he has an awesome time - my DS did his first plane trip when he was 6.5 and the lovely stewardess took him to meet the captain, make an announcement and sit in the pilots chair - he is now 18 and hasn’t forgotten it
(I was quite envious that my DH went with him and not me, although DH said he was more worried about all the buttons DS kept touching 🤣)

Ohhh- Barra is stunning too!

with no passport??

Belfast could be a option as well