12 yo flying alone?

[Cheryl in NM]

Dh's aunt has generously offered to fly ds to Louisville for the airshow during the Derby. Has anyone had experience with the escorts? I think the airline will make sure he gets on the right plane and makes his transfers okay. I'm extremely nervous about this. Ds is excited about seeing the relatives and going to the air show, but not sure at all about the flying alone part.

 

Any experiences or ideas?

[pqr]

I flew alone at 9. The stewardesses were superb and hovered over me like mother hens. They also gave me extra desserts and (in those days you could still do this) took me up to the cockpit while in flight. I really would not worry too much and it will be a nice experience for your son.

[Lady_Dulcinea]

My 12yr old flew alone last summer. Since he is a minor one adult (on each end) can get a gate pass to go through security with him. I was worried to death the whole time he was in non-family hands, but he was fine. I did require a non-stop flight, but if that isn't an option for you there should be a stewardest who will make sure the tansfers goes ok.

[Kris]

Considering air planes are almost armed camps anymore, I can't think of a safer place.

[Renee in NC]

My 15yo flew alone without an escort at 12yo, but I would not do that now. He got stuck in Atlanta on New Year's Eve for several hours because he missed his connecting flight and couldn't get more than standby on the next flight (he ended up on the one after that - the last one of the night.) He flipped out a little when he missed the first flight - I imagine it would have been worse at 12.

 

With an escort I would have ZERO worries with a 12yo.

 

ETA: Had he been "escorted" they would have held the plane for him and he wouldn't have missed his connecting flight. Just to clarify!

Edited January 7, 2009 by Renee in FL

[Tree House Academy]

My best friend's daughter just flew home from a visit with her dad in CA and she is 9. Everything went just fine. :)

[RoughCollie]

Two of my boys flew from Boston to Atlanta this summer. The airport gave both DH and me passes to go to the gate with the boys. Then the flight attendants took over. Everything went smoothly.

[Tracey in TX]

NO WAY! I've flown often and DH flies several times weekly (and is a former pilot). I'm very easy going and not particularly restrictive of my children, but there is simply no way they're allowed to fly alone for several years. Here are my reasons why:

1. Weather comes in unexpectedly and flight can be detoured.

2. Flight attendants are not thrilled with watching unattended kids anymore. (Just ask one who is not on duty.)

3. There is nobody who NEEDS to see my child so desperately that I'm willing to jeopardize his safety. Things happen and he needs to be old enough to have a contingency plan just in case...

 

My kids won't be allowed to fly solo until 14y/o. Ironically, they may learn to fly before they fly alone on a commercial aircraft.

[WTMCassandra]

I would be dubious about this due to delays/missed connections/craziness that are typical of today's air travel. I would probably allow it if I could get a nonstop flight somehow, even if I had to drive a ways on my end to make that happen.

 

We were forced to fly cross-country December of last year and December of the year before, and I remember during some delays seeing the room where the "minors" had to wait at one of the airports (Atlanta maybe?) and I felt really sorry for those kids. Once you get caught in a maelstrom of cascading flight delays and changes, you can easily get stuck for days. I wouldn't want my 12yo to deal with that alone, even with "escort." Fortunately, when I was delayed for 10+hours, I happened to be alone (there's a long story that I won't bore you with). I was soooo grateful the children didn't have to suffer it, never mind alone!

 

I have pretty much soured on modern air travel. It's a harrowing experience. Don't get me wrong, I like the actual flying part ; ), but the experience as a whole, blech.

Edited January 7, 2009 by WTMCassandra

[Starr]

Could you drive a distance to another airport and put him on a nonstop flight?

[Cheryl in NM]

Thank you all. I've found flights where ds will fly alone, no stop to Dallas and then his aunt will fly with him from Dallas to Louisville. I feel better about that. I'm still a bundle of nerves thinking about my baby being so far away though! I guess I'm just a big sissy!

[laughing lioness]

My older girls have flown alone for years. I think the airports are actually safer now than they used to be. My dad pointed out that the airlines are going to protect the escorted kids the most because it would be horrible publicity for them if anything happened. My dd's have loved the personal attention of the stewardess', haven't minded the "wait rooms" and love flying.

[jonesloonybin]

Yes, my daughter has had to fly cross country (Maine to Oregon and now NC to Oregon) for the last 3 yrs. She flies out for Spring break (on her bio dad's dime) and then during summer (our dime). She has always had a great experience. Once her bio dad "forgot" to give her money for food and the airline was nice enough to print her out a voucher that she could use at the food court. (we have since had her "hide" some money for the return flight food and such. She also has a cell phone that she takes with her (her dad sometimes does not have access to a working phone) and she calls us at every step. (With the distance and locations there are NO non-stop flights). I really am nervous every time but it always goes fine.

[Laura Corin]

Calvin flew several times for a couple of hours, then did one long intercontinental flight, all on his own. He was well looked after throughout, but felt lonely on the long flight.

 

Laura

[lynn]

My ds flew alone and had a layover. There was no issue what so ever. He was escorted right onto the plane. I think airlines actually required that an adult stay at the gate until the plane took off. When he arrived in atlanta he was escorted off the plane, given a food voucher, brought to the foodcourt to get what he wanted to eat then brought right to his gate for the his next flight where a Delta employee stayed with him the entire time and walked him on the the next plane. DH uncle and aunt were able to go right to the gate to get himin Milwaukee.

 

My middle son had a direct flight and same things. I was reqired to stay at the gate until the plane took off and my sister was able to go right up to the gate to get him. He was escorted off the plane by an employee who checked my sisters i.d.

 

All this to say relax. Kids fly by themselves all the time. Oh I forgot they are given a thing to wear around their neck that states that they are unaccompanied minor and has all their flight info and who is to pick them up on it.

[lynn]

Thank you all. I've found flights where ds will fly alone, no stop to Dallas and then his aunt will fly with him from Dallas to Louisville. I feel better about that. I'm still a bundle of nerves thinking about my baby being so far away though! I guess I'm just a big sissy!

 

 

 

Oh just wait until you are standing at the gate and watch the plane take off with you baby in it. It is unsettling until you get that call that they arrived but you'll be okay. My mom was more nervous for ds than I was. She called every 15 min from the time she knew his plane was to arrive in Milwaukee.

[laylamcb]

I first flew alone at 6--yes, you read that right--when my mom had to have back surgery and my sister and I were sent to the grandparents' house for the summer. In fact, I wasn't alone: My sister was 4, so I was "in charge." And although it was a nonstop, it was from National (DC) to LAX--all the way across the country.

 

For many years I looked back on that as my finest moment. I was so proud. :001_smile:

 

I think I turned out OK, but I'm biased. :D

[TeacherZee]

I flew alone from Europe to the US and back when I was 10. I had a layover and at Copenhagen airport they had a special lounge for the kids flying alone with a nintendo. I was escorted on to the plane, and off again by an airline employee. When we got to the US my aunt and uncle had to show two forms of ID to get their hands on me :D even though the airline employee said that she could see I was clearly in the right hands (I was hugging them like there was no tomorrow). I would have no qualms about sending a 12 year old on a flight inside their own country.

[SonshineLearner]

Your son should do just fine, you'll feel better if you can send him with a phone, even just a pre-paid one. My daughter has flown 3 times a year since she was 7...by herself. Even though it's scary, she could walk the airport...even if she was blind, she knows her path so well. She's kinda a show off that she is an "experienced flyer." And, safety wise...the airplane ride is probably more safe than the car ride to the airport.

Carrie:-)