mikechristina

Hi Everyone,

Our question is we would like to fly my step-children in to Florida (where we live) from England towards the start of the year and have questions about whether or not they would be allowed to fly without a Guardian. Eldest will be 15, youngest will be 12. We have read a few airlines only require that we pay for additional help from the airline staff which is fine of course, and we would feel better with them having someone to look after them in transit.

Does anyone have any experience with this?


Many thanks,

Christina and Mike

Jerseygirl

If your children are below the necessary age to fly alone they will fly as unaccompanied minors. Call the airline and find what their age and check in restrictions are...as each airline's rules differ. My daughter flew transatlantic as an unaccompanied minor when she was 12 but that was 14 years ago and things have changed since then. Some airlines now charge for this service. My daughter flew BA and was looked after very well...a member of staff accompanied her from the moment my husband handed her over at JFK....until the handover to me at Manchester. They would not let anyone sit in the same row...a man did move to sit by her and was promptly moved.

mikechristina

Thank you Jerseygirl

Wibblypig

Virgin do it We looked into flying my daughters over to Florida to stay with my in-laws until we saw the price as when children fly without an adult they are classed as adults! But your step-children will be classed as adults for the cost of the flight anyway.

Where about's in Florida are you?

mikechristina

We are in Treasure Island, FL (West coast beaches)

Windermere is near Orlando correct? Not exactly the Windermere/Lake District from England though

mikechristina

BA do as well and they charge $150 per child per round trip. Which include up to a 6 hour layover. Which in the grand scheme of things is well worth the peace of mind.

Wibblypig

Yup Windermere is more or less above Disney World And yes it is hardly Windermere in the Lake District, but it does have lots of lakes and has it's own 'proper' town centre which I like

My in-laws live in near Sarasota

Karen68

I have never done it myself, but have been on flights where there are unaccompanied minors and the airline staff seem to be very efficient in looking after them. We fly Delta/KLM generally.

BritKat

A friends daughter flew out to stay with us in August 2010 - she was 15 when she came over, 16 when she flew back - from Manchester to Austin, TX.

She flew American (poor thing) and they paid about $175 for her to be under the care, so to speak, of the airline for the journey. She said everyone was very nice, helped her get through passport control and customs etc and safely passed onto the staff on her next flight. On the way back, as a 16 year old, she just flew as an adult without the assistance.

The extra dollars her family paid was well worth it for everyone's sanity while she was en route. I've never squeezed someone so hard when picking them up at the airport... :-)

lisa67

My kids have done it several times with BA. Great experience each time (my son even got upgraded to business class once when he was 10!)

Jaxbar

Flew stepchildren from US to UK a few years ago (2004), it didnt cost much then about $50.00 for each child as far as I remember. when we picked them up from the airport there was a woman who reminded me of Mary Poppins accompanying them it all went fine and they enjoyed the experience.

mikechristina

Thanks everyone! I know there will be lots of big HUGS when we gather them on this side

penguinbar

My friends kids flew on Virgin and Continental from London to Newark for years to visit their grandparents since they were 7 and 9. They are now 17 and 19. Never had any problems

digbydog

My boys fly regulary to Europe by themselves since they were about 12 and 13. I am BA gold and the boys are on my household account. When I book their tickets on BA I ask for a notation in their booking that they are my sons and we are not charged the extra fee for children travelling by themselves. This also ensures "unofficially" that they have my status and will not be bumped from a flight. They are always extremely well looked after and have been upgraded.

The only problem is that even though I fly all the time for business I become very nervous when they fly and I start tracking their flights online like a nervous wreck....

N.B. I make sure they each have a small carry on with wheels for their clothes plus a rucksack that contains, Ninento DS, PSP, books, mobiles, some GBP and Euros, passports and green cards.

It is a great adventure for my boys