I was 6 years old and my brother was 4, and we flew from Idaho to Texas by our selves to visit our father one summer.
Most airlines charge $150 each way now to have a flight attendant assigned. I did it for 3 years with my oldest and thatās what I paid
I was 9 and flying alone from maryland to puerto rico and back and did it till i was 13. Its scary for a child, but the airlines did take good care of me at the time. Big difference now is that my mom could wait at the gate with me. My mom made sure it was nonstop. Call the airlines and double check everything to see what peace of mind you can give the mother.
Just call the airline and find out what their age REQUIREMENTS areā¦some airlines may have different ages
My daughter has been flying with an attendant to see her dad since she was 6
Tho her flights arenāt more than two hours
12 is plenty old enough to be flying with an attendant.
They have precautions set in place when children fly alone, the staff pay extra attention to them. My brother flies alone to Arizona every summer to see his dad, from ohio. He has been flying alone since when was 10.
I did it when I was younger. Just pay an extra fee and they will make sure they get to the right locations
Unaccompanied minors can only fly one way. My daughter has been doing it for years now. Her father lives in Michigan and I used to have to fly back n forth with her every other month which adds up. So sheās been flying unaccompanied since she has met the age requirement. She is always well taken care of and even gets to tour the cockpit and sit in the captains chair almost every trip! Sheās now 10. Just talk with your daughter see what she is comfortable with. The parents have to pick up and drop off at gate so yāall will get to walk back with her just not onto the plane!
Dont leave your daughter alone. To many bad things can happen. Millians of kids go missing a year! You really wanna risk it? I would never do that to my daughter at any age! Shes ur responsiblity until shes 18!
My daughter people live outta state sheās 7 been flying alone since she was 5 every summer lol her mother is bitter and tripping if my 5 year old could she can
I think sheās old enough! My girls are 15, 14 and 8. I believe the 50 lookout would suffice
I wouldnāt ever let my child fly alone.
Southwest Airlines will let you fly at age 5 unaccompanied.
My SD started flying at that age unaccompanied and sheās now 12. Weāve never had issues with her flying multiple times a year unaccompanied.
Southwest is great with unaccompanied minors and communication and safety.
Find an airline that has someone accompany her the moment you check her in to the moment she is picked up almost like a guardian.
Iāve flown alone since I was 10. We had to drive to the further airport that allowed it (the closer one to use age requirement was 15.) My flights were straight threw in that I didnāt need to get off the plane when it stopped and picked up the next flight. Up to 12 years old, the flight attendants had us sit in the first couple rows and we stuck with them until our parents met us at the gate to pick us up. They were also allowed into the gate until we boarded the plane and it took off. At 12, they stopped doing the straight thru flights that I needed so I started navigating airports for my layovers by myself as well. It was pretty easy to follow signs, especially with the first couple airports being on the smaller side.
Maybe have someone with her a couple times until sheās comfortable doing it alone.
Put her on a flight thatās either non stop or only 1 landing but she stays on the same plane. Also, you can usually get an unaccompanied minor pass to take her to the gate thru security and also be waiting at the gate when she deplanes. If sheās a typical 12 year old, Iād say this is within her scope of ability.
Mine started when they were like 11,12,&13. My daughter flew alone at 13.
Um no. No way would I ever let my kids fly alone like that. This world is full of crazy ass people.
My mom use to stick me in a plane as an early teen
First I would ask the child is she is comfortable. Then proceed with making sure so will have the safety she needs from getting on the plane to off the plane. Non stop flight is best bet. Have her escorted onto the plane and then off the plane to you. Make a safety plan with her as well so in given situations she has an idea of how to go about it. Make sure she has a device to contact and if she has a phone set the gps before the plane until she gets to you and same for home. Just to ease all
12 is old enough. I did this from the age of 8 out of hartsfield Jackson to Hartford every summer. The flight attendants donāt take an eye off you and watch you like a hawk
No way my baby would be traveling alone. Their safety is way more important to me.
Sheās way beyond old enough to fly alone. They donāt allow layovers for unaccompanied minors and require ID and documentation when she gets off the plane to be released from the flight attendant to the parent so I donāt see why sheās having an issueā¦.
I flew alone in elementary school. My parents just paid the extra fee to have an attendant accompany me. There was no problem.
My daughter started flying when she was 6 years old unaccompanied but the flight attendant my daughter always got was amazing and kept a close eye on her
Nope. That plane goes down Iād never forgive myself.
To many creeps out there for me.
I flew down to Florida from NY at about 11/12 alone. I was nervous but I had a flight attendant assigned to me and she checked on me the entire 2 hour flight. When everyone got up she told me to sit and wait for her to come get me after everyone else got off. She then escorted me to the gate where my grandparents were waiting with all their papers they needed to prove she could hand me over to them. It saved my mom money and anyone else in the family since they didnāt have to go with me. Quite honestly they take it very serious, I had an ID tag that had my name and specific info I canāt remember. If it helps her any they will not let your child run around by themself, they were on me like a hawk. I even had to tell my attendant when I was going to the bathroom so she knew where I was at all times. It was a great experience for me.
My daughter has been doing it since she was 9. A flight attendant stays with her.
My daughter started at 5
You trust for your daughter to fly alone in this day and age? Nope, not me. Iād rather pay all the money in the world to travel with my kids and know theyāre safe.
I would talk to your daughter and her Mother and see what they say.
I mean sure sheās old enough to fly by herself but you do whatās best momma. If you feel she should not which I also think that due to safety concerns (you just never know these days) then you make that judgment call.
My daughter is 18 and still not flying alone. Times are scary now a days. I donāt care the age.
She can fly alone at 13, I believe.
But I did this with my daughter. She was traveling as an unaccompanied minor from age 6-now. Itās $50 fee each way. And worth it.
The airline will make sure she safely gets from gate to gate. A parent can get a mock boarding pass, escort her through security, and sit at the gate until boarding and/or arrival. Unaccompanied minors are boarded and deplaned first.
So the only time they are even unaccompanied by a parent would be in the airā¦ then, they are checked on frequently by staff.
My daughter is 13 now and she prefers to travel alone.
My sons dad is also military and my son has been flying by himself since he was 7 as an unaccompanied minorā¦ he would board the flight first and flight attendant would escort him on and he was first off with flight attendant escort and I would sign a paper to pick him up with an ID. I think if the child is comfortable then by all means do it. My son is 13 now.
My son flew first time by himself over the summer.hes 16 and went back to michigan to see a friend from ca.he did this twice.the first time it was good the second time he got to losvegas and they wouldnt let him board the plane because the wildfires.we are aprox.8hr drive from there.no other flights leaving that day.luckily his father had a friend from vegas that picked him up and let him spend the night.i bought another ticket for the next day.you can pay a bit more for an unacompanied minors ticket.but id make sure layovers are still short and you have a plan for situations like that i aged about 50 years that day although it did work out in the end.i dont personaly see a problem with her flying by herself now.
2-3000 per visit definitely look into airlines who offer military dis discount, build points with one airline to offset the cost and price line or Expedia are a big help. We used to be in a similar situation with military life. I flew as a child at 12 alone and I was fine but now days itās different. They do have a flight attendant with underage children. Pay for internet on flight so yāall can message and be right there to pick her up as soon as they land.
They are more likely to be injured in a car accident, imo. Flight attendants take great care of unaccompanied minors, as long as the child does as they are told.
I was 10 and flew alone
I think if youāre willing and want to see your
Daughter meet somewhere in the middle (agreement) just throw some ideas out to her mother and see what she says.
I flew alone multiple times at 8
I was 10, your child will be fine!!
Sheās old enough now to fly alone.
If itās a direct flight then I would say let her fly alone. If she would have to make a connection I wouldnāt do it.
I cousin Son used to fly alone he was like 14 I think they had to pay an extra hundred dollars
I was 9 when I started to fly alone but that was the 90ās
As crazy as this world is, no way would I ever let my child fly alone.
In 1994 I was 10ā¦ my mom flew me across Canadaā¦ aloneā¦ I landed in Toronto ā¦ took a bitā¦ but I eventually found my dadā¦ no cell phonesā¦ no real way of her knowing I got thereā¦ crazy shit. I think she would be ok in this day
I was 8 when I started flying alone
I flew alone starting at age 8
My sons dad is in the military as well. He flew this time because it was my sonās first flight but next time heāll be an unaccompanied minor. For reference heāll be 10 next month.
I would suggest you meet in the middle, and you each pay your own tickets or find an airline to build miles or look into military discountsā¦ but if she has flown several times and is comfortable, then flying alone should not be a problem
My daughter started fly as an unaccompanied miner at 10-14. When I lived in NC and her dad was in NE
Flight atrendants stay with you if your underage. My sister & i use to fly to Newfoundland alone as kids in the summers.
She is old enough! She make sure is knows to be aware of her surroundings.
Times are different now than even 10 years ago. I flew my grandson alone at 7 with a flight attendant. I was terrified but all went well. These days I would be more hesitant with flight changes & people in general.
Payed a little extra and we had our kids sudpervised by a flight attendant and hamded over to their grandparents from Tx to PR
Each airline is different. Go online to purchase a ticket and it will tell you. You will have to pay an unaccompanied minor fee.
My son (military dad) has been flying since he was 10 w/ flight attendant supervision - those were all direct flights - when he was 13 we no longer payed the fee and he flew alone- again direct flights- when he was 14 he started taking flights with layovers as he was responsible enough to change planes, ect. Same for my 14 year old who gets flown out to see his dad. You may need to take mom to court and make a judge make her take the flights you purchase for her- thereās no reason you need to waste money to fly to get her and bring her back when sheās perfectly capable of flying under flight attendant supervision.
My grandchildren have flew alone since age 10 the airlines have some amazing accommodations my son is military too
12 is old enough. Airlines have special tags they put on children flying alone - and put them in special seats.
She will be fine.
I think if sheās mature, every child is different, at 12 with an attendant should be just fine.
I was 8 when I was flying alone but it was the 90ās
Depends my 12 and 14yo is mature enough. I feel like u know ur daughter best.
remember the 13 year old who was molested the entire flight bc the stewardesses were not watching her. she was supposed to be seated alone and was seated next to a grown man.
In the state of Pa Unless it has changed 13 but u call the airlines and have them watch the minor child I think we paid a few xtra dollars for them to keep an eye on her . My ex was Also in the service
I feel that if sheās mature to handle being left alone at this age, she could probably fly on her own. Though, she wouldnāt actually be alone. Itās my understanding that they have a member of the flight crew there to help and support children who are flying alone (making sure they get to and from their flights and such).
Personally, I would call the airline, explain the situation, and find out what security measures they put in place for children flying solo and bring that information to her mom.
I started flying alone around 10, If you pay the extra $50 for unaccompanied minor the flight attendant will watch them & if there is a layover thereās a room they will take them to to stay with them until their next flight & take them to the terminal & everything. I never had any issues, I actually enjoyed it!
Sounds good too me pay for the flight attendant and take her to the airport and school her on it !!! The board etc familiar with gates and crowds
Iāve literally been flying alone since I was four years old! The flight attendant lady was my chaperone. I sat in the very front closest to the workers. I did that twice a year to and from Florida (from Washington)
I flew unaccompanied at age 14. The people were very nice and helpful and accommodated me and brought me to a pick up room for young flyers where there was a play area and tv and stuff for my dad to pick me up there. There were small kids also. I wouldnāt let my small child fly unaccompanied, to each their own, but I would think 12 is definitely old enough.
Google the investigation on unaccompanied minors. Kids are being left unattended and molested. Several young girls were molested feet away from flight attendants. One girl was raped in the bathroom. Thereās no way on earth Iād let my kid go unaccompanied
I went to California from Vermont at 10 with a attendant no parents or family. I had a game boy and they made sure I was fed. I loved it.
I was 6 1/2 years old flying solo from va to ny.
I used to fly alone at 9
Felicia Gillion might get some info from this post/comments for L coming for the summerā¦
I donāt think 12 is that young as long as thereās an attendant with her. Iāve seen kids younger fly alone with attendants. I could pick out the seasoned ones. I was 15 when I flew alone for the first time. But I had made that trip several times with my parents, and that was back in the 90ās, so my parents and family picking me up/dropping me off could actually take me to the gate. A lot of times, you can do that of your child is flying by herself, that way you can see her on and off the plane.
My son was 4 and able to fly with agents watching him but it was only an hour flight. I think sheās old enough if youāre willing to pay a little extra for the escort which is typically an airline attendant on the flight
At 12yo sure they could fly alone if theyāre familiar with the airports. But does your 12yo feel comfortable flying alone? That should be the biggest factor here. Itās not unreasonable. If you canāt come to an agreement maybe try mediation to change that sort of the agreement.
My girls flew alone starting at 9 to their grandparents and aunts houses over the summer. The flight attendant did really well and keep them both by her the entire time.
I believe that minors under 12 are accompanied by a chaperone provided by the airline to ensure their safetyā¦ not sure if they do this anymore and Iām sure itās at an additional cost
12 is old enough to fly solo
Nope to many crackoās weirdos predators rapists etc out there preying on the young and they work in all types of workplace etc trust no cunt
Depends on the airline. Southwest allows them to fly alone starting at 12. Other airlines like United American Airlines require a flight escort service from ages 5-14years old and 15 and up they can fly unaccompanied
Iāve been flying alone as a child since I was 7. When I was 10 I would fly alone with my 3 yr old sister!!!
You can set her up where the flight attendant watchās her and helps her to her next flight 12 is a little young and because of how things are right now she could potentially be approached by predators if sheās by herself in our safety is super important
She can fly unaccompanied at age 5 my son did it for yrs
So like your ex is been difficult
Technically they arenāt āunaccompaniedā, they have a staff flight companion that will also escort to next gate or wait with them for the parent to arrive and check their ID.
Completely unaccompanied without needing a flight attendant assigned to them I believe itās 15 or 16, but 12 and older can fly with a flight attendant assigned to them. It ultimately depends on what the airlines policy is on minors flying alone.
Airlines have a chaperone
16 is when they can fly unattended. In the sense that a flight attendant does not need to be watching them. Under 16 you need to inform the airline and I think they charge you a fee for a "babysitter " if you want to call it that.
I donāt know about nowadays but when I was 6 years old I was able to fly by myself with a flight attendant watching me But things are way different now That was about 21 years ago. I guess Iām not really much help lol just figured Iād share my experience
In todayās world there is no appropriate age!
You can do unaccompanied minor my grandson has been doing so couple times a year as his dad is out of state working ā¦its worth the extra on the ticket for piece of mind
My boys flew alone on nonstop flights without an assigned attendant at 12ā¦ whoever is dropping them off and picking them up gets special āunaccompanied minor guardianā passes that allows them through security to take them directly to their gate and wait with them for their flight to board. The person picking them up is able to go directly to their gate and get them as soon as they exit the plane
My daughter is flying as unaccompanied minor international since she is 12. My step daughter was flying unaccompanied minor within U.S. since she was 5. It was about $150 you drop of at the airport and go with them to the gate they get picked up by a flight attendant and will be handed over by the flight attendant to the person picking up. Since my daughter is 16 she is flying internationally completely alone. Under age 16 they are not alone my daughter always said they were very attentive during the flight. International the flight attendant go with them through custom and picking up the luggage with them. Easy peasy it is not a big deal.
My daughter has been flying āunaccompanied minorā since she was 11. Fwe fly her out of state to visit family during summer vacation. Unaccompanied minor is supervised by a flight attendant and escorted to the next gate. Iāve always gotten flights that have a small layover of 45 minutes or so, enough time to get to the next gate. Depending on the airline it cost $50-$150 on top of the flight cost for it. I think at 14 they can fly regular but before that they require the unaccompanied minor. Theyāll have you fill put paperwork of who can pick them up and ahow ID to do so and theyāll only release them to that particular person. Itās safe.
Wow canāt believe some of you are ok with your kids flying alone so young
I sent my son alone when he was 9. There was a flight attendant accompanying him during the flight. And they didnāt release him until my sister went to pick him up, but before that she had to show them her ID and confirm my son information and mine with them.