Has NE1 let their kids fly alone....

coasterqueen wrote: And if so what age?

ETA: If you ever flew alone as a kid, what age?

lisar replied: I never flew alone until I was an adult. And no my kids have never flew alone. I havent had a reason though. Arent there someone you can hire with the airline that will take your child from one plane to the next and all that? I am not sure I just remember hearing that.

coasterqueen replied:
Yes, there are attendants that you pay $25 extra for to watch over your child. I was just curious if others have done this and what age it started. I remember asking a long time ago and there were a few on here that actually did fly alone at a young age.

Bamamom replied: I know that if they are an unaccompanied minor (I think under 13) then you walk them to the gate with a special pass, hand them off directly to a flight attendent, they sit in a special seat under the watch of the attendent, and are walked off the plane and handed off to whoever is recieving them. That person also has a special pass and must sign for them. However there is a fee for them flying alone on most airlines. But it's always seemed pretty safe to me.

HTH!!

Boys r us replied: I would never in 100 million years even consider letting my child fly alone. I know all of the possible dangers out there in the world that I fear when I AM in charge of my child's safety..there's no way I would trust my child and a stranger make those decisions!

coasterqueen replied:
Thank you for your opinion, Nicole, although I did not ask for it. I was trying to find out from those who HAVE let their children fly alone and at what age. OR if they have flown themselves as children and at what age.

Kaitlin'smom replied: My DH flew alone when he was a kid I think he was 12ish, I will ask him but that was years ago. he used to go to FL to his grandparents.

Boys r us replied: NicHole sorry, Karen, I'll try not to disobey your rules again! Forgive me for my opinion, most people don't mind them..as I'm sure you wouldn't have either had my opinion been favorable towards your thoughts! It actually seemed to me that you were trying to figure out when other people were or would be comfortable letting their kids fly alone, again forgive my misunderstanding of your intent!

danahas4monkeys replied: My oldest dd who is now 13 has flown several times by herself. She has went OH to FL, OH to TX and OH to OK she went the first time when she was 5. I just make sure that its a direct flight and she has plenty to do in her back pack the flight attendants have always been super helpful and friendly.

coasterqueen replied:
My apologies. I'm so used to seeing and spelling it the other way, sorry.

No, opinions are fine, that's why I thanked you. I just wasn't wanting to know if anyone would ever let their children fly. I feel comfortable with my decision if I choose to do that with my child. I was just wanting to know when those parents who let their children fly at what age they did. So I just found it odd.

Boys r us replied: AS odd as I must find it that you chose to reprimand me as if I were a child for giving my opinion! I have never known that opinions weren't welcome, now I know and I'll file that away for future reference!

luvmykids replied: I flew alone all the time starting around six. I think depending on the kid these days I'd let mine do it on a non stop or non change flight around 8 or so. When we went to Orlando there was a seven year old flying by herself....her mom stayed with her until she boarded, and an attendant stayed with her until the person picking her up showed their id. I think they're pretty careful, I know things can happen but they take a HUGE liability so I think the airlines take it pretty seriously.

coasterqueen replied:
You edited why I was replying. NO, um I wouldn't mind opinions either way if I was asking for them. Did I ever say my opinion was that it's ok to let them fly alone? NO. And no, I was simply asking what age. I would have added the question for those opinions if needed them. I'm very comfortable making that decision on my own. Again, thank you for your opinion, though, I will consider it if I ever need to feel uncomfortable with making my own decisions to let my daughters fly.

coasterqueen replied: BTW, the reason I asked the question is because we ARE letting Kylie fly alone late this summer. I'm VERY comfortable letting her fly. I was NOT comfortable last year when my SIL asked, but that was when she was going to fly alone, alone. . She will not actually be flying alone. She will be with 3 of her cousins who fly all the time back and forth between here and Georgia.

Dh and I were just curious at what ages others flew. My Dh flew at a very young age. My niece started flying alone at age 5. He asked me last night if I knew anyone else that did and I told him I'd ask on here.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: No one in my family, but I've seen lots of kids fly alone. I think 7 or 8 is the norm for my friends allowing their child to fly solo. I think if your girls are okay with it, then let them! I was such a shy child...I wouldn't go anywhere without my mommy. Where are you planning on sending them?

Boys r us replied: So help me understand then..just for curiosity sake. If you weren't asking for opinions of some sort, why would you care when other parents let their children fly? Were you not in a round about way asking when other parents felt comfortable putting their child on a plane alone? I don't know..jsut confused as to the intent of your post if not for opinions. Again, just curious..so I don't make the same mistake again.

Boys r us replied: You answered my question while I was posting my last response.

coasterqueen replied:
No, I would have asked if others were comfortable. I don't need to fish for opiniobns without being straight forward with what I wanted.

My Dh and I were talking about it last night and were honestly curious of those who let their children fly alone - what age they did fly alone. Is there any harm in wanting to know that.

I honestly don't care if others are comfortable or not. *I* have to be comfortable with my child flying and knowing whether othes are comfortable or not is NOT going to help me feel comfortable with my decisions

coasterqueen replied:
Georgia My niece and nephew will be here for a week visiting us and their grandparents. Then they will be flying back and my little BIL will be going back with them to visit for 5 days. My SIL invited Kylie to come back with them and spend 5 days there. My niece and Kylie were discussing it when she was here so they had their little hearts set on this. You know how little girls are.

It was funny because Dh said we should ask if Megan could go too. I told him I was DEFINITELY not comfortable with her going. Kylie understands what she will be doing, Megan will not.

Boys r us replied: Hmm..okie dokie!!! I hope your day gets better;)

luvmykids replied: What part of Georgia?

coasterqueen replied:
Thanks I don't think my day could get any better. Gorgeous outside, very warm weather, hubby took me to work this morning so I didn't have to worry about traffic and my girls were happy this morning. I could ask for me

coasterqueen replied:
Alpharetta.

Where is your hubby at again? I remembered that he was there.

We went to Alpharetta for Thanksgiving last year. It was gorgeous there.

cameragirl21 replied: On a flight to Los Angeles, I sat next to a 7 year old girl flying alone, she said it was her first flight and we flew thru Vegas so not a direct flight. There were other children on the plane (separately, none were together from what I could see) and the youngest appeared to be 4 or 5. We entertained Maria (the 7 year old next to us) and the other children sat together in the row next to us, across the aisle. The stewardesses checked on the kids occasionally and when 2 boys started fighting over an armrest, a stewardess came over to break it up right away and gave them cookies so I'd say they were pretty well taken care of on the plane. When it came time to get off the plane, Maria wanted to come with us but a stewardess was assigned to take all the kids and she sat with them during the layover. Then she helped all the kids back on to the next plane so it seemed pretty safe to me.
This is totally irrelevent but as a side note--I saw Maria whip out a little card of the Virgin Mary as we took off and in talking to her, she mentioned that her mom is a housekeeper so I took her number because I do use housekeepers sometimes. Anyway, about a year later, my godson was finally getting baptized and I went out in search of a Catholic bible. I wanted a precious moments one and at the Christian bookstore I visited, there was only a precious moments Catholic bible in Spanish so I purchased it. My gs's mom told me she preferred one in English (even though she and her dh were both born in Cuba and speak Spanish in the house) so I found another one in English sometime thereafter. I still had the Spanish one and didn't feel comfortable returning it but had no use for it so I dug out Maria's number, concluding she's a Catholic based on her Virgin Mary card and also, she said she's from Peru so I figured the Spanish one was fitting and called her and offered her the bible. Her parents (with her in tow) came to my house within the hour to get it. Turns out she'd just had her Holy Communion and didn't get a bible because her family didn't have the extra $$$. So they were all very happy and I was so pleased that she got the bible and that it made her happy. It may not seem very important but her parents could not get to my house fast enough to get it when I called and offered it (I was surprised she still remembered me one year later too) and none of that would have happened if her parents hadn't let her get on that plane.
This is not to take either side, I'm not sure if I'd let my child fly alone or not so I'm not saying anyone here is right or wrong, just pointing out that good things sometimes come when they're least expected, not just for Maria and her family but for me too because I was so happy that something so simple that I did made her and her family so happy.
Btw, she was flying to visit her grandmother in California in case anyone is wondering why they'd put her on a plane by herself.

luvmykids replied:
Cordele, about two hours south of Georgia. Alpharetta is a little north of ATL, right? I want to fly in there next time and spend a day or two. I've never been to ATL (other than to change planes lol)

kimberley replied: my sister flew as an unaccompanied minor since she was 5yrs old due to my mom moving clear across country after the divorce. my dad works for air canada so the crews always took extra good care of her. she was spoiled rotten actually lol.

coasterqueen replied:
I'm not sure where exactly Alpharetta is at. We have been to Atlanta, as well on another trip Dh and I took a long time ago. We did not like it, but my SIL says it's really changed from when we had been there and said we'd like it better now.

coasterqueen replied:
I thought you were one that I remembered from when I talked about this subject a couple of years ago. Then I was not crazy about letting her fly alone at all, but now she's older and more mature. I told Dh that I thought you or someone you knew did at a young age, but I couldn't remember. I was hoping you'd respond.

holley79 replied: The three of us having been flying alone since we came to the golden age of 5. The attendant we were handed over to by my mom stayed with us the entire time. Out of 10 times 8 of those were alone, meaning no siblings traveling together. Her sole job was to take care of "unattended" minor travelers. I have also by train alone since I was 12.

MyBabeMaddie replied: My mom worked for USAir so flying was second nature to us - We flew to Chicago alone when we were like 6 to visit cousins.

luvmykids replied:
I'm not sure where it is either That just sounded sort of familiar

:.Mrs_Mommy.: replied: The only time I flew alone was at the age of 13 or so. I had a couple layovers, a cpl hours each time, and just stayed close to the gate I was supposed to be on.

I don't think I am of much use as your daughter is 5.

Calimama replied: I flew alone at 8. I had to wear the tag around my neck and my mom walked me back there. Then I sat up front and I had a flight attendant near me and walk me to the person picking me up. (They had to sign for me and show ID)

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Alpharetta is near ATL. It's a great town and is really growing!!! I know a lot of people who live there actually.

It sounds fun and I'm sure Kylie will do great! She'll make some wonderful memories with her cousins.