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Original poster

OMG. DS 12 flying off to NZ next saturday as unaccompanied minor. He will be alright, right?

21 replies

Piffle · 04/12/2006 16:19

He is nearly 13 of above average intelligence but with 0% common sense
Airline rep is helping him through changeovers and keeping tabs on him in flight.
He is over there for just over 3 weeks with his biodad (who flew two wks ago)
I have been calm abut it, now am getting abit erm antsy on his behalf
please tell me he will be safe
He is flying Qantas if that makes any difference.

OP posts:
bluejelly · 04/12/2006 16:20

He'll be fine, I'm sure
12 is quite old.
ALso it's in quantas' interest that he make it in one piece!
Where does he need to change?

7swansaswimmingup · 04/12/2006 16:21

aw bless,id be worried sick also. im sure he'll be fine,the worst bit will be getting him on the plane.presume youre allowed to go to boarding with him then hand him over?get him to ring you the minute he steps off that plane!

7swansaswimmingup · 04/12/2006 16:22

just reread and see hes got to do changes!

ParanoidSurreyHousewife · 04/12/2006 16:28

He'll be fine - it's just the right age for an adventure like that!

poppynic · 04/12/2006 16:29

I'm sure he'll be fine. Make sure he has a good strap-on wallety thing to keep his documents in.

Can you do some role-playing with copies of the docs that he will get? I remember the first time I flew international at a tender age (25 lol) I had no idea the boarding pass was the important bit and promptly forgot where I put it.

Make sure he knows who to talk to if he gets confused.

If he's a bit "vague" I would write his flight details on his arm.

Could the airline possibly seat him next to a family also flying through on his route - just as an added measure?

Original poster
Piffle · 04/12/2006 16:35

We'll ask about seating options when we check him in (early)
He is refuelling at Singapore - but not getting off plane. He is chaging at Sydney - now here is the NOT FUNNY thing
He has 45 mins until his Air NZ departure from Sydney to Akld.
I really hope that is enough time to get his bags off and him through the airport.
Next flight to NZ after that is 6 hrs later. So if he misses that I'll be shitting myself my ds will drive his minder quite mad no doubt

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suedonim · 04/12/2006 17:47

He'll be fine!! Dd1 flew longhaul as an UM when she was just 12, including a terminal change at Heathrow, and had no problems.

RTKangaSANTAMummy · 04/12/2006 19:20

this may be of some use - info of SYD airport

IMHO I would get his bags sent straight through to AKL

We get ours sent straight through when we fly

Although when we went to Cook Islands, in the summer we said goodbye to our bags in SYD and they went via Auckland to Cook Islands

But my bag was still in Sydney but it arrived during the first night

Take a photo of his bag and give it to him cos they need to know what it looked like to find it easily

Stick a symbol on the side of his bag with duck tape so it is easy for him to identify to get off the belt.

Photocopy his tickets and passport so that he still has his info if it gets lost

I agree with getting a bumbelt and write his flight details on his arm

In SIN imho and ime he will be taken off the plane and put into a holding room --- the womens toilets are very weird

I am sure he will have a deffo brill time

BTW his mobile will work in the airports - cos the signal is sent automatically as it roams

RTKangaSANTAMummy · 04/12/2006 19:22

STUPID ME

He won't go into the women's toilet in the holding room

moondog · 04/12/2006 19:34

He'll be fine.
We did this two or three times a year from the age of 11 all the way to Papua New Guinea and often had to stop off overnight alone in HK!!

The world wa a more casual place then.
There is stricter security now when my nieces and nephews come from France unaccompanied.

SueW · 04/12/2006 19:38

I flew aged 13 from UK to Germany all alone to meet a family I'd never met before (penfriend). I remember the horror I felt when I asked the man who checked my passport what I do next and he asked me where I was flying to and I said Frankfurt and he said, 'From Terminal 3?'

Fortunately it was a flight which went on east but broke at Frankfurt. I survived but I still don't know how my mum was brave enough to send me!

Don't bank on not his getting off at Singapore - we were thrown off last time, even though I had checked with the air crew inflight because DD was fast asleep. I had to carry her off the plane as she was sparko.

He will be fine though.

Who is his minder if he is unaccompnaied?

sibble · 04/12/2006 20:24

My step son has done the flight numerous times from a similar age. I agree with all the tips. He has always had a great time. If there are other unaccompanied minors they seem to seat them together and he's made friends this way. Boredom was more of a issue so packing a gameboy or whatever he has and is still allowed to take on the plane helps, some good books etc. Also a talking point if need be. They also get fast tracked through customs etc so make sure they are on time to pick him up, he will come through quicker than normal. He will have one big adventure but very scary for you though.

Original poster
Piffle · 04/12/2006 21:03

Apparently exp (almost if not more flaky brained than ds) has spoken to Qantas and the airline provide a member of staff to supervise him at stopovers and through checkins and transfers, also if he gets abiled overnight for any reason, I'm still wondering wtf happens
In fact I am about to ring Qantas and ask as I do not trust exp 100% to have organised it to MY satisfaction...
Ds has no mobile phone (guess what he has lost 3 [sigh]), perhaps I should give him mine for his trip.

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granarybeck · 04/12/2006 21:15

My brother flew to NZ from age 12 (is now 19)and was extremely supervised with every airline he used (inc Quantas). If anything, he used to say they didn't leave him alone! I know he had long stopover a couple of times and they really looked after him, he said the staff seemed to like it, perhaps makes their job interesting! The only thing I think he used to moan about was the boredom like others have mentioned. Overall, though my with my db its made him very 'competent' if that makes sense. When he's been to places like Paris with 18/19 year old friends who are clueless and not used to being independent he is so much more confident and independent.

granarybeck · 04/12/2006 21:17

Having said that, my mum (he was going to see our biodad too) would have kittens till she knew he'd arrived. Think was far worse for her than for my brother!

Original poster
Piffle · 04/12/2006 21:18

just realised it stops at Bangkok not Singapore...

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Original poster
Piffle · 04/12/2006 21:35

for 1.5 hrs they get back on the same plane.
this is getting em more nervous talking about it FGS Piff PULL yourself together

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binkacat · 04/12/2006 22:04

When I was 13 I caught a bus to the south of France by myself. This involved changing bus at London (7 hour wait so I caught the tube into Oxford St) I had no chaperone, etc but was met in France. I did fine. Put a sticker on the back of his passport with flight details. Give him a bum bag for boarding card/wallet/passport. I know its not cool, but beats losing stuff. I'm sure the staff will look after him well, he won't be the first to do it.

noddyholder · 04/12/2006 22:07

Wow that is really brave.Think I better sort ds out he is the same age and can hardly go to the shop for milk without panicking!

moondog · 04/12/2006 22:07

HGe will probably be forced to wear a large red and white UM wallet on a string around his neck.
We were,much to our chagrin.

Original poster
Piffle · 04/12/2006 22:44

noddy he is that child, he would go out to buy milk and come back minus the money with no milk, having fallen over and sprained his ankle or something equally impossible
He is that sort of child, hence my fear
I confirm I am not repeat not an hysterical person by nature

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