14 yr old girl- flying alone to japan with a stop-over- yes or no?

[miku]

Im having kittens. Father and daughter say its fine. I want her accompanied. Shes independent, but even so........

I'd be too anxious about if it doesn't go to plan ie flights being cancelled, adverse weather so stuck in a hotel for a few days. I'd be anxious if she was 17 tbh

I did Canada with a friend on our own at 15. Brief stopover but that was in London. We were treated as unaccompanied minors though and had a designated lounge to wait in. I’m guessing that now costs extra? My mum did us a total step by step printed out so, go to this desk, go through security etc. Plus what to do in various scenarios! YANBU to worry at all...

I flew alone at 15, and I had an overnight stopover in Hong Kong (going NZ to Dubai). That was before wifi everywhere and cell phones that work overseas, too.

I say do plenty of planning -- look at the transit airport, make sure she has a phone and it will work, and get her a credit card (supplementary card on your account) in case anything goes wrong and she is delayed. Make a plan of what she would do if there was a delay.

If she is confident in doing it and has travelled before, it should be fine. You can always ask the airline about services to help unaccompanied minors (escorting them through the transit area etc), but at 15 I was definitely not having that, haha!

If it was in China, no way. Incheon is a different story altogether - the people at the airport are helpful and Korea is a very safe country (I live there.)

If you do decide to let her do it, feel free to PM me for my phone number and she could message me if she’s really stuck. I can speak decent Korean so she can put me on to someone at the airport if she’s in a pinch (most speak good English though.)

There are very few random creepers in SK especially in public places like airports.

Tell her that if she needs any help, find a women over 50-60 and ask her for help - women of that age are well-known for not taking any shit and not giving a damn about humiliating creepy guys or anyone not playing by the rules.

If she’s sensible, I think it would be fine.

No way. I wouldn’t want to do that alone and I’m 29 - that is quite alarming to me, tbh. I get that not everyone likes to do stuff alone but not being able to change planes???

I was going to say no as I thought the stop over was outside the airport - but a few hours in an airport? That's fine!

I flew longhaul by myself once, aged 10, the flight was diverted due to bad weather and I had to hang out in Frankfurt airport for several hours. The airline put me with a group of elderly people on the flight so I wasn't totally on my own, but still, I don't understand why all the fuss - we're wrapping kids in too much cotton wool these days and it's not good for them IMO.

My main issue would be sleezy men, so I'd have chats with her about not tolerating strange men speaking to her - but this is an issue any time she's out the house, not just at an airport.

Does she have a mobile? If so will it work in the airport? You can surely keep in touch while she's there.

(When I was in Frankfurt it was way before mobile phones!!)

Can you get her on the unaccompanied minors scheme?

Blimey, she’s 14. It’s in an airport. There isn’t much that could go wrong. I can do the solo Kilimanjaro story if you want, but I really can’t see why this would be an issue.

'I have said to him that he either pays for an accompanied flight or she doesn't go. I cannot afford to pay for it.
He basically will do what he wants. And now my daughter is arguing with me that she can do it. I go from thinking yes its fine ( because of her) to NO ITS NOT because she is 14! and all the 'creepy men', other crap that 'may' happen......'

I would insist.

Oops a previous poster said mt Everest not Kilimanjaro, still my sarky comment still stands 😂

Yes, she'll be fine. Incheon airport is a good airport and Koreans are v helpful if needed. It'll give her chance to be a bit independent too. Would not only let her do this but encourage her.

UPDATE: we all live in Britain, she is visiting her Grandpa.
We have all travelled to Japan many times, her with her father only too. This time- she has been booked on flight to Japan via Incheon Seoul, where she will change planes- about 3 hours lay over. Both her father and DD say its fine. I am saying she is still 14. she is independent, acts like an 18 year old, and thinks she can sort out a cancelled flight.
Im sure she can, and she wants to.
Im just nervous of.......err, snatching, creepy men in general, her being alone.......in the 3 hours of her being without people 'actually' looking out for her.
She has said she will stay with the group of people, make herself known to staff etc, and her Dad has said he will ask staff on the plane to look after her. But it is Incheon that is worrying me. Her Grandpa will sort out the return flight- but even so........My friend who is Japanese has said yes it would be fine for her, and I was feeling a bit undermined tbh, so have come to you all for your opinions. Thank you for opinions so far.....
I had already said accompanied or she doesn't go. I don't know what to do.
Sorry for long post. Its just making me very anxious.

What happens if ongoing leg cancelled? It's happened to me before to me before in Thailand. We are taken to a hotel in the middle of the night.

OP - is there any way to do the connection in Europe instead (and you could potentially do that leg with her?). All the times I have flown to Japan I have done the short flight first (I.e. to Frankfurt/Paris etc and then on to Tokyo). Or is it that she isn't flying to Tokyo that's the issue?

That said, my limited experience of South Korea and Incheon airport was that they are very helpful and it's well signposted.

I know some airports do a meet and greet service for connections (We did it in Dubai airport recently for a connection from a flight from Tokyo - they picked us up at the gate, provided a buggy for worn out DD2, and brought us to a lounge). It cost about €100 in total for the 4 of us, but if they offer something like that in Incheon it might put your mind a bit at ease, and not be quite as expensive as the accompanied flight?

What's the airline op? Definitely makes a difference if she is going accompanied?

Agree with others that depends on maturity of the child in question. Personally I'd have thought a mature 14 year old would see it as an exciting adventure and would take a massive sense of accomplishment from having done it themselves. You can always be at the end of a mobile phone to give reassurance / encourage her to ask for help if needed.

Something like this is what I was thinking

koreafasttrack.com

Depends on the child. A sensible regular flyer would be fine. Especially if its just changing planes with a matter of hours... not overnight stop.
Id let her go. If she thinks has the confidence to do it then it should be fine. I take it she wont be out of either a plane or an airport unsupervised so I dont think she will be much at risk... these places are heavily policed.

Airports are about the most heavily protected places on earth aside from military bases, how exactly do you think someone could be 'snatched' from an airport without anyone noticing! There are police and security in large numbers at all major airports, not to mention thousands of people.

Op, if your daughter does do this, please help her understand how vulnerable she is if she sleeps on the plane. Make sure she tucks the blanket right around her, think about how accessible her clothes make her etc and before everyone jumps in, yes I know she shouldn't have to.

I fly very frequently with work long haul, and have witnessed some terrible things and also been targeted quite a few times. Even though we only fly business or above where it's more open and obvious, it still happens.

The only times it doesn't happen is when I'm flying with my DH, boss or dad, so i haf not really noticed it was a thing till i started flying alone a lot around 10 years ago. My views have now changed a lot.

The cabin crew are helpful and know it happens, openly acknowledging it when you point it out but by then it's too late.

Not trying to scare, but it's something I simply wasn't aware of as a danger and was pretty scared and tearful the first time I felt a wandering hand.

I really wouldn’t worry about creepy guys at the airport. Koreans are very scared of public humiliation so even though privately there are plenty of creepers, in public spaces, it is very very very rarely an issue. If she was going out at 3AM to a clubby area, of course it would be different - but the airport? It’s very safe there.

In 10 or so years of living there, I have far safer than in the UK. No cat calling, no random groping (not that it never happens but far less than in the UK), no guys staring at me, no random people chatting me up (maybe happened once the whole time I’ve been here.)

Yes she is younger and more vulnerable but a loud ‘leave me alone’ or ‘bee kyuh’ (go away) will get rid of even the most persistent guy in a big crowded place like an airport.

You will need to check if unaccompanied minor service is an option - I know BA has stopped offering the service.
If she does it, one thing i would be worried about it that the battery could run out on her mobile during the first part of the flight (playing games etc). Some airlines having a charging port in each seat but not all. Worth having a contingency for this (portable chargers etc).

OP -- I think you are fine to worry. They shouldn't undermine you.

But I do think it will be fine.

3 hours isn't long -- she'll need to be on the plane not long after she arrives! Get a coffee, go to the loo, then board.

One option could be to make sure there is WiFi there and essentially insist she chats to you on WhatsApp the whole time she is there so you know she is ok.

If she is sensible and you talk about it before hand, and talk about her staying safe, it will be fine.

As I say, have a plan for if flights are cancelled (see if there is a hotel in the airport, they have this at a few places I have been, as I agree venturing out would probably be a bit much).

I think you should let her go.

catalpatree Really?? That has NEVER happened to me and ive flown many places alone in my early twenties.

thetriangle can we not act like victims of sexual assault are all liars, please.

Never happened to me either but it doesn’t mean it never happens.

Catalpatree - You must be exceptionally unlucky as I have never had this despite flying by myself hundreds of times! Maybe all the creeps are in first class.

Another NO here. I’ve experienced flights arriving too late resulting in missing the connecting flight and having to be shipped off to a hotel overnight. It’s a bit nerve wracking and I wouldn’t have coped with it at 14. At that age they think they’re invincible: they’re not!