DH wants to let 7 & 9 year old fly alone to NY...can they fly alone that young?

[Sarahbee3]

Even if they can fly alone that seems so young to me. I guess if it's direct maybe, hopefully Granny will be at the other end (yikes!). I'd love feedback from anyone who has let kids this young fly alone!! THANKS!!

Personally I would say no way! Would the airline let them fly alone?!

You'll have trouble finding an airline that will take them that young IME and I wouldn't be comfortable letting them!

they are too young! can you imagine???

Of course they can, as unaccompanied minors, but the airline need to know they are alone and will need them registered as unaccompanied. They will then get escorted from check-in to the plane, have someone keep an eye on them on the plane, then escort them from the plane through immigration to Grandma. It happens all the time. BA and Virgin, for example, will take unaccompanied minors from age 5. DH and his sister used to do it all the time from about 8 & 10.

Yes unaccompanied minors can travel, it's very secure and safe ( it will be on the website somewhere with all the requirements). I used to organise it for the son of my boss.

I meant the airline website

I think they can but will have air line chaperone .
But personally i think they are way to young .I have children same age and i know they would like the idea at first but when it actually came to the crunch ...they would be in tears ...and so would i .
such al long flight to cross Atlantic ...

The thought of putting my 9 and 7 year old on a long flight without me or dh makes me want to weep

yes they can

we had an unaccompanied 8 year old on our last flight back from Joburg (11/12 hour overnight flight) - they put him next to us as our children a similar age

he was so brave bless him

From England? Isn't that like a 24 hour flight with stopovers?

I th ikn you're mad personally

That seems incredibly young to me. I'd want them accompanied at least - if something went wrong I'd like to think there was an adult comforting them.

Uggh I know!! Bathroom trips etc...watching any rated R movie they like..It's madness.

He also suggested sending them in a taxi on their own for a climbing class. Taxis/cars don't stop out front of the climbing center as it's under a bridge so a 5 minutes walk on their own in a dodgy area. I just don't understand men sometimes.

The airlines are very good at coping with this. All sorts of dear little minors being sent from Hong Kong to England for boarding school 3 x a year.

My sisters and I flew all over the world from 11, sometimes even staying in hotels on the way.

It was great, we loved it.

You couldn't get lost if you tried-they would be well looked after.
I took my niece and nephew to the States at that age and they flew back home unaccompanied.

never mind bathroom trips and r rated movies what about turbulance/air sickness

I have NEVER heard of chaperones..which airline would pay for that extra cost!

No way would I consider this-far too young !

I think it's fine, it's only 7 hours max, get an overnight flight and they can sleep. They will be chaperoned, with each other and met the other end.

What is the alternative?

I flew alone as an UM at about 8, from London to New York and I was fine, it was an adventure!

The airline doesn't pay for it, the customer does!

I wouldn't care what set-ups are available to facilitate such young children flying unaccompanied

I would just never consider it, full stop

yeah they get to wear a label and there's normally an allocated air hostess who keeps an eye on them on the plane

I should know as I had to do it myself too (as an unaccompanied minor)

sarahbee 3 , may i ask are they your children or DH/Dp are they going to visit someone in NY ?

only 7 hours? what about if they are delayed, plane is diverted, etc?

best thing is being fast tracked through passport control

I was a little bit older- 11 onwards but used to fly to Hong Kong a lot on my own as an unaccompanied minor. It was fun . If it's around the school holidays/half term there will probably be a few others.
If there are two of them and they have flown a fair bit before I don't think it's a problem. (But if they didn't want to it wouldn't be fair on them).