Unaccompanied minor on international flights - anyone know the rules? ex-H wants DD age 7 to travel around the world to visit him

[buzzybee]

My ex-H has announced that he's moving to the other side of the world and wants DD1 (now aged 7) to visit him for 5 weeks every year. He thinks she can travel unaccompanied even though it will involve at least one stop-over transit point and a total of about 26 hours in the air.
Anyway, completely setting aside my emotional reaction to this proposal for the moment (!!!) can anyone tell me which airlines would even allow this? I have a feeling I read that she could not transit via the USA? I'm really hoping I can tell him this simply isn't possible!

Oh and by the way its UK to NZ so there are no direct flights!

Like you, I would be thinking: "why are you moving to the other side of the world when your child lives here?"

And: "Do you not like her?"
would probably be another question.

Message withdrawn

Is ex-H planning a permanent emigration to AUS or NZ?

I know that before DH and I met, DH looked into doing this, and was told that neither country would accept him while he had dependent children under the age of 18 in the UK.

So might that scupper his plans?

agree with silverfrog on a technical note (ie the rules ref UM's) and agree with KerryMumbles as a mother!

Many airlines do offer a good service, in particular Emirates who I was actually looking at a few days ago. Pretty sure it was UM's from 5 to 12 years old although no way I'd let a child of 7 fly as an UM. My DD 13 has flown on her own (UK to Middle East) since she was 12 (so technically not an UM)
My friend let her DD (then aged 10) fly from UK to Australia to visit family and she was fine and loved all the attention

I am taking ds to the UK from NZ when he is 7. No way would I expect him to do that alone.

I know boys at boarding school who go home but there are two differences - they usually travel with another child (sibling or child from same country) and they only fly to Asia.

Sign out in NZ, sign in in Thailand or whatever - no chance to lose one.

I would also imagine it costs a fortune.

I have seen my lawyer today and as I suspected thre's very little I can do to enforce any sort of agreement between us internationally. But she also thought there was no way a court would order an 8 year old to fly internationally unaccompanied so I guess I know the bottom line now. At the moment my view is that she needs to be accompanied the first time at least and we'll take it from there. The scary spectre she raised for me was what happens if a plane is delayed in transit and she is shunted off to an hotel? Point to point I can cope with.

I think it really depends as much on the child rather than the airline. As you've found out, most major airlines have unaccompanied minor policies.

And Clumsymum, if ex-DH is a Kiwi or Australian there's nothing to stop them from returning as a resident.

Buzzybee - good luck and hope you find a solution that works out. I'd say that she should be accompanied by a family member until everyone including her feels she could do the trip alone.

Why is he moving?
Can you imagine travelling 26 hours at seven to see your Dad that you see once a year.

Whilst I am sure the child is very well looked after by the flight attendant there's no way I'd be allowing my dcs to go as an unaccompanied minor. I travelled to France alone at 13 which was great.

Travelled a 24 hr flight with my 7 & 8 year old last year, and they struggled with the length - pretty boring and constricting. I personally would feel uncomfortable with it.

I put my 8 year old DD on a flight from the UK to Belgium (and then cried all the way home from the airport ). She found it quite exciting but had to sit next to a fat man she didn't like the look of.

We flew to NZ via LA a year ago. On the return journey one of the engines caught fire just after take-off and we had to go back to LA. They shunted us round the airport for several hours before packing us off in coaches to various hotels, where we all had to check in individually and find somewhere to eat- in the middle of the night. I don't suppose that happens too often but it was quite terrifying for 2x 40 year olds. Not sure how well an UM would cope.

Deep breaths, buzzy bee.

Is he really, really moving abroad? Or is he just trying to freak you out/threaten/you/boast about the possibilities of his new, single life?

has he got the points to emigrate?

No point getting worked up yet, it could be years before he goes, if ever.

Budget airlines such as Jet2 or whatever don't allow unaccompanied minors under the age of 14, but most real airlines do have a policy. It is possible, and as a veteran of long haul solo flights as a child, I don't think they cause any harm!

Elvislives, that possibility has occured to me and I think is what scares me the most.
However the plot thickens as apparently he has now talked to DD about it (no communication with me still ) and she is busy contemplating a holiday to "visit dad" being accompanied by her nana. Two things struck me about this turn of events (i) that she was not nearly as upset about his moving as I thought she'd be (but I guess it has hardly struck home yet) and (ii) a profound sense of relief that at least he's thinking along the lines of someone accompanying her.
Prettyponies, he has the relevant permits to move countries and I don't think there's any doubt that he's serious. We've been separated/divorced for over 6 years now and he's remarried and had another child. I don't think this is malice towards me, although his unwillingness to talk to me properly about it is appalling.