Anyone ever had problems at the airport travelling without other parent?

[Amateurish]

I took my kids on holiday a couple of weeks ago travelling from Birmingham airport. DP was travelling separately a couple of days later.

I got challenged at airport security: how do we know that's your child? Well, I have his passport and he shares my name. Not sure what else they were expecting?

Then stopped again at the gate! They took away DS passport, came back about 20 min later and gave it back to me. No reasons given.

Then on the plane, more oddness. One of the crew came over, checked that my child was with me (?) then phoned someone and confirmed we were together.

I found the whole experience mysterious. And they were only interested in my son (1 yo), not my daughter (3).

my parents took my ds away and they got stopped coming back from Spain and both them and Kieran were asked a couple of questions. sounds to me like they have been put on alert regarding a boy approximately your son's age , could something to do with a residence battle/prohibited steps or the like.

No I regularly travel with the two children ( spend summer/ easter and christmas in Europe but live in Dubai) Dh is usually working so I meet him wherever.

Have never been asked,perhaps due to the sheer amount of stamps the just can't be bothered.

If dh flys to the USA he always gets ushered to a side room for extra questions.. Immigration get twitchy as he's in Iraq a fair bit.

Never. I suspect countydurhamlass has got it right

I had a mildly embarrassing moment in France - I was flying back with DD, but somehow she was not booked on the flight. DP had dropped me off, but was not flying with us. I got out my and DD's passport - she has a different surname to me and handed it over to passport control. Forgetting that I had put my english money tucked into my passport for safe keeping...It looked very dodgy. DD saved the day by clinging to me like a little monkey and saying 'Mummy' a lot