r2i forum

Hi Friends,

Our son (9yrs) old will be flying back from Bengaluru to Miami anytime during next 5-10 days after 22nd Jan (i.e. Jan 22-30). We haven't booked the tickets yet, but we are a bit concerned about using Child assistance since we haven't done that before. If any forum members have someone they know is flying during that period please pls PM me.

Thanks in advance.

sipit;354234Hi Friends,

Our son (9yrs) old will be flying back from Bengaluru to Miami anytime during next 5-10 days after 22nd Jan (i.e. Jan 22-30). We haven't booked the tickets yet, but we are a bit concerned about using Child assistance since we haven't done that before. If any forum members have someone they know is flying during that period please pls PM me.

Thanks in advance.

You want to find out what your travel options are.

1. Get international flight out of Bangalore (not go to Mumbai or Delhi for transfer)
2. Find an airline that flies through more peaceful European gateways ( Avoid Airfrance and the Charles deGaulle airport and Heathrow-London). Amsterdam, Brussels (Jet airways) and Frankfurt (Lufthansa) are better. I am not familiar with middle eastern airports (Abu dhabi for Etihad); best to avoid these as well.
3. Make sure your child is advised to take instructions from the chaperon-airline persons. Especially go to airport public bathrooms when chaperon is in attendance or waiting just outside the bathroom. Avoid too much harping on advice to child; some children may just do what you had "repeatedly" asked him not to, b'cause that is what he will remember; and besides, the airline chaperon will advice the child as well. Children are better able to take instructions from authority figures - especially uniformed, better smelling ones !!
4. Jet airways, Lufthansa and KLM are good. British, Airfrance are to be avoided (labor dispute prone as well as large, confusing airports in Europe for transfers).
5. In these times, parents can also get the child a cell phone to call them at home in Miami and inform them of what fun he is having without parents bugging him all the time.

No experience in this but if the options that member okonomi mentioned didn't work and if your child has to travel alone, I suggest you to get in touch with member mumbaikar. She should be able to give some tips.

Bit tangent: I am really tensed to know that a kid, 9 year old is travelling alone. I had the same feeling when we had a discussion about this long time but then many members including mumbaikar said, it's not that bad and had their kids travel alone. Appreciate the way you bought up your kid to be independent and let him/her travel alone. Is he/she scared or worried about travelling?

Please do update how it went and also if possible, about the kids experience.

Added later: Found the thread

Opinion: How many members send their kids to India during summer vacation on their own

okonomi and My Roots, Thanks very much for the valuable tips and the link. Although my kid is outgoing and responsible, it's the first time he will be travelling alone. As My Roots, I'm sure he will be having waaay more fun than travelling with us. But, it's typical parent syndrome to worry about them. I'm sure we will be worrying the same even when he goes to college.

there is "" offered by many airlines.you can utilize this.they will charge extra per sector.

I utilized "Unaccompained child program" provided by airlines for my daughter(7 years old) for Domestic from New Jersy to Seattle. it was good. airhostess will provide support during the journey. and you need to provide them all the information.there is form to fillout with details like who is receiving, etc., they will handover the child to only the person with id mentioned in the unaccompained child form.
this facility is available for international flights as well ..some airlines offer this on flights with only one stop.

check with airlines on specific conditions and charges applicable.
I intially thought of bringing my daugheter with this program from india itself. but one of my relatives travelling till Newyork. so she came to Newyork with them and relaxed for 2 days. then came alone to seattle. they will allow u go till flight and have to be there until flight departs.

if the child is on any medication, airlines will not allow this facility.