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Original poster

Anyone sent a child as an "unaccompanied minor" on a flight? Thoughts appreciated

41 replies

TheDullWitch · 11/06/2008 11:05

My 12-yr-old has been invited to stay with relatives in Barcelona. Someone will pick him up from the airport. I realise the cheap airlines (EasyJet, RyanAir) don't take kids under 14. So it will have to be BA or the like. Has anyone used the unaccompanied minors service? Did it work out?

OP posts:
ShrinkingViolet · 11/06/2008 11:13

I've done it with both DD1 and DD2 and it was fine - they're accompanied from handover to handover, and well looked after on the plane (DD2 usually manages to score a handful of Kitkats by smiling sweetly).
The service has got more expensive now as you need to pay the fee for both parts of the journey, and annoyingly you can't book the flights online, and just do the other forms at the airport.
For a fairly confident DC, I'd say go for it (and at 12 they shoudl be used to dealing with school stuff by themselves anyway, and woudl know to ask about anythign they were unsure about). Quite often there are other unacompanied children on the flight anyway (or at least in the waiting area at the same time).

rebelmum1 · 11/06/2008 11:16

I did when I was a minor, there are very nice people who collect you at the airport seat you on the plane and make sure you are greeted at the other end and in safe hands. I went with Swiss Air. Absolutely wouldn't send on Ryan Air flight, it's painstakingly frustrating, with delays, lost luggage hopelessly unhelpful couldn't give an arse staff. I wouldn't let my parents fly on these cheap airlines anymore.

mamablue · 11/06/2008 11:33

I went on my first flight aged 14 to California!! Nine and a half hours but my parents used the unaccompanied minor handover. Much to my disgust (I thought I would be fine!) but I was very grateful in the end. They were lovely, I bypassed all the queues to board the plane and on the arrivals in the U.S.A. The flight attendants really looked after me too. My DH travels alot abroad for work and has seen alot of unaccompanied minors on board always comments on how well they are looked after.

ladybouf · 11/06/2008 12:07

I travelled loads as an unaccompanied minor from the age of 6, including several transatlantic flights. It is a big adventure carefully accompanied by people spoiling you rotten! Let him go, he'll have a blast!

TigerFeet · 11/06/2008 12:12

I travelled as an unaccompanied minor from the UK to Hong Kong a few times between the ages of 11 and 13 - my dad was posted there and I was at boarding school over here.

I was signed over to the care of a specialised air hostess at the start of the journey and signed for at the other end - like a special delivery parcel . My journey included a change of flights which was handled in the same way. We got priority at customs etc and were well looked after.

I'd have no problem sending a 12yo as an unaccomanied minor at all.

Louise2004 · 11/06/2008 12:30

I travelled from UK to Asia and to the States lots as an unaccompanied minor from when I was 9yo. I really enjoyed it, as we had a separate waiting area full of things to do - games, books etc. - and the air hostesses did tend to spoil us all! It was also fun because a lot of our friends also travelled that way and we met lots of new friends.

I only had a problem once when the person who was supposed to be meeting me in the States (a family friend) didn't turn up at arrivals on time. I was 12yo by then and used to travelling as an UM. The airline and airport staff kept me in their staff room and looked after me until they arrived, calling my parents and the friend to find out why they weren't there to meet me - basically they had got my arrival time wrong, but it all worked out fine and I was well taken care of whilst waiting.

So, yes, if you use a reputable airline who are set up for UMs and your child's OK with the idea then I'd say go ahead (especially if they're used to air travel anyway).

Sawyer64 · 11/06/2008 12:36

My DS now aged 12 yrs flew to Isle-of-man as unaccompanied minor last year,and they were excellent.he went with Flybe who seem very cheap to me,and had to wear a vest,had someone with him at all times,myself and ExH had to sign for him either side.This year as he's 12 you have to pay for and specifically ask for this service,so am waiting to see if ExH thinks this is worth paying extra for....

Original poster
TheDullWitch · 11/06/2008 12:38

You're all wonderfully reassuring. Thank you so much. Does anyone have experience of BA or Iberia for this service as this will probably be the airline he flies with.

OP posts:
ShrinkingViolet · 11/06/2008 12:40

we've done it with BA - a very positive experience - go for it!

webchick · 16/06/2008 23:04

Im using BA this summer for my dd (6). Its the first time as an UM although she's flown several times before. It is £25 plus adult flight with BA.

bogwobbit · 16/06/2008 23:07

I did when I was a minor visiting my pen pal in Germany. Nearly ended up in Warsaw (but that was probably just me ). It was with BA but I'm sure their level of supervision which was pretty non-existent in the 70s is much better now.
Seriously, I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine.

Piffle · 16/06/2008 23:15

ds1 flew to new Zealand via qantas aged 12
they were fab just well as he got sick on way over! Was met by his daddy. All perfect! Airlines were ace!

suedonim · 16/06/2008 23:30

Dd1 flew UM to the US when she was 12 with BA. They were great and she got to chat to Sean Connery, who was on the same flight (but not in Economy ).

She also flew UM with KLM and she was fine with them as well.

emkana · 16/06/2008 23:32

I once endured a 400 + posts AIBU thread on just this topic, was great fun

Def go for it, shouldn't be a problem at all.

BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 16/06/2008 23:36

Ha Ha ..... saw the title and said as I clicked.....has Emkana come back for round II.

emkana · 16/06/2008 23:37
Grin
willali · 17/06/2008 11:38

My 2 (then 9 and 6) went BA Gatwick to Glasgow last summer - fantastic experience, a real adventure for them both and great to jump all the queues etc!! Will dfinitely use it again

finallypregnant · 17/06/2008 12:54

I did it with BA when I was little and I always remember it being a big adventure. I think I was about 11 at the time and went from Edinburgh via London to Jersey.

Go for it!

Original poster
TheDullWitch · 17/06/2008 18:43

Emkana do post a link. Was it a bunch of "how could you do this to a tiny child" freaks?

OP posts:
emkana · 17/06/2008 20:06

here we go. I thought the link to terrible Lufthansa crashes was a particularly nice touch

Blu · 17/06/2008 20:09

Emkana - did your dd go?

emkana · 17/06/2008 20:13

No she didn't in the end, not because of the flying unaccompanied, but because she suffered from terrible homesickness for dh even when I was with her in Germany in February, so we figured being away from both of us would be too much.

Might try next year.

farfaraway · 17/06/2008 20:24

I posted on and remember well your last thread on this. As said last time DD1 flew alone age 6 and was absolutely fine. It is all above board, they are all signed and accounted for. If the child is happy then let me go.
Will now sit back and wait for the horrified reaction of the 'what will happen if there was crash?' posts.

willow · 18/06/2008 21:23

My nephew - then 9 - flew to and from Oz by himself this year. Had an absolute blast and got upgraded to club each time.

nicolasmum · 12/07/2008 15:24

My two boys both flew as UM from Heathrow to Montreal at the age of 8. We handed them over at Heathrow and they were met at Montreal by my sister. Edward, now 30, was put in first class for landing in London and sat by a lovely lady who walked through with him at London, who told us what a well behaved young man he was!!!!!