re: Sending kids alone on airplanes, is it bad parenting?

I can see doing it for kids 12 and older, but it would scare me to death to do it any younger than that.

quote:

---

his kid didn't. I asked him where his parents were so I could offer to swap seats with them and he said that he was alone then a flight attendant came by and asked the same thing, she looked at me and said "They really can fly a lot younger now, they just changed the rules".

That's what bothered me, I think that sending the kid with an airline escort is different than sending them completely alone.

---

Obviously, they aren't going to send someone with him on the actual plane. They just have people with him when he passes through security and when he gets off the plane. You can't really get lost when you get on the plane.

quote:

---

This kid didn't. I asked him where his parents were so I could offer to swap seats with them and he said that he was alone then a flight attendant came by and asked the same thing, she looked at me and said "They really can fly a lot younger now, they just changed the rules".

That's what bothered me, I think that sending the kid with an airline escort is different than sending them completely alone.

---

The airline employees don't fly WITH them. They just notify the flight attendants, and they know how to take care of the kids. Once the plane lands, some other airline employee will take it from there and make sure they get to their final destination. If it's one thing airlines and airports are good with, it's taking care of kids, especially since no airline wants that publicity of saying they're the one who lost a kid.