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POLL: Would you put an 8 yr old on airplane alone?

mndblwn's picture

Would you place your 8 year old child on a plane alone to see the other parent? Little plane...16 seats, two pilots and no stewardess? Sometimes other passengers, sometimes being alone?

Comments

smdh's picture

absolutely not. SD is 8 and she can barely find her way from the toilet to the sink without written directions and a map.

Disneyfan's picture

My son started flying alone (unaccompanied minor) between NYC and RDU ~ nonstop flights only ~ when he was 9.

I would have never allowed what the OP described.

purpledaisies's picture

As I said on someone else's blog no way would I or could I do that. Sorry but I'd have a very hard time letting my kids that young fly alone.

arjuna79's picture

hmph. honestly, any airlines that runs the unaccompanied minor program will make it work for an 8 year old (and yeah, even on a prop plane they have to fly with an attendant) The worse part, in my experience of sending my young bd off to see her dad (west palm>philly) was what she would encounter once there. He wouldn't let her call me, I had no way of knowing if she had landed safely, etc etc.

12yrstepmonster's picture

I always find this interesting. Yes the airlines provide an unaccompanied minor program.

Not one will provide emotional support if your child has a problem.

I did not put my daughter on a plane alone until she felt emotionally ready to handle boarding a plane and leaving a parent.

She was 13-14 years old and had been going to her dads twice a year since 2.

mndblwn's picture

To clarify for all....I've flown this same flight too when I was little however I didn't do this until i was 12 or 13. This small of place DOES NOT have a flight attendant. It's two pilots and passengers. It's true about giving the child to gate attendant when he leaves and the same where he arrives. The problem in my mind is I know my skid is too immature. He can't do his shoes or dress himself correctly. The major thing is that BM is always changing plans, being late and we can't trust her. There is no return flight back to us. Skid has never flown this plane before and he is shy.

stormabruin's picture

I've never known of a commercial airplane to fly without at least flight attendant. Someone has to ensure the seatbelts are buckled & all that. If there's no flight attendant, I would guess that maybe a plane that small doesn't have the cabin separate from the flight deck, so one of the pilots would be able to help him...?

I have seen small kids fly alone & the attendants have always kept close watch. If the airline allows it, I would imagine they have policies in place to accommodate it.

mndblwn's picture

ok to all of you...would you take you child out of school 2 hours three times a month to fly alone to BP?