Children Travelling alone

[ExRAFRadar]

Hi all,

Apologies if this is the wrong forum, please move if needed.

My daughter wants to go back to Newcastle (we are in London) with her pen friend.

If she flies back is there an age limit or other kind of restrictions that stop her flying back alone ?

She is 4 months old. Not really, she is 11 next month.

I appreciate your expert advice.

Many thanks.

[flyeruk69]

Well that just depends on which airline you want her to fly with,

BA = there is a charge on top of the fare for the ticket, although your daughter will be escorted from drop off to pick up at the other end, BA also have a lounge especially for the Skyflyer program. the charge is $50 us each way (per sector)

Ryanair = not sure but have a feeling unaccompanied minors are not permitted.

Easyjet = no unaccompanied minors permitted

Flybe = will carry your daughter unaccompanied, they will charge you £32 each way (per sector)


Hope that helps

[ExRAFRadar]

Thanks flyer - much appreciated.

[Capetonian]

Although I am by no means a fan of BA, I have to say that when we sent my son, who was then 11, on a two sector flight as a UM, the service from beginning to end, including the booking process, was exemplary. Credit where credit is due, and I would recommend the BA Skyflyer service to any parent.

[raffele]

Information on BA Skyflyer Solo is here:

British Airways - Children travelling alone (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/childinfo/public/en_gb?gsLink=searchResults)

Key thing is you can't book it online - you'll have to call BA Telesales, or take your daughter's passport with you if you plan to book via a travel agent

[srobarts]

My stepchildren regularly flew with BA from Heathrow to Newcastle to see their father and his family over the last 12 years. They started when my stepson was 5 and his sister was 8. They were well looked after on all occasions including a diversion to Edinburgh due to weather. Can't fault them. The first time was a tad stepping into the unknown for all concerned - my wife and I stayed at Heathrow much longer than we were asked to!
They still prefer BA now although they are no longer unaccompanied minors. They are comfortable with what they know.
I would recommend to any one with a child needing to travel on their own.

[angels]

Yeah, BA for long haul as well.

I lived in Singapore and Hong Kong and loads of ex-pats farmed out their children to boarding schools in the UK.

Nearly all the people we knew who had kids flying back on their own recommended BA as doing a terrific job with UMs.

[Otto Throttle]

There are very few Flybe domestic flights, especially to/from London, without at least one unaccompanied minor. The system works very well indeed. I don't think we've lost one yet, although sometimes the temptation is almost too much to bear. ;)

[radeng]

I believe BA require a signature at every handover, so you are much more unlikely to end up with the major cock up that KLM managed on a UM some time back - was it Christmas last year or the year before? Trawl Passengers & SLF.