It can be scary and nerve-wracking to send your child on a flight by himself or herself. There are flights where kids as young as five can fly alone. Here are some tips that will make the process easy for both of you.
First, find out what the airline’s rules are about having a child fly with an adult, what they need, and how you can get them ready. Some companies charge extra for kids younger than thirteen, which lets them get on and off the plane early with the help of flight attendants. Some airlines don’t let kids younger than 15 fly by themselves at all.
Making sure your child is ready and knows what’s going to happen can help them feel good about going in. Tell them when they’re leaving and arriving, what to do on the flight, who will help them, and who will be at the airport ready to pick them up. You can show them where they’re going and get to know the area better by going to the airport the day before.
Make sure your child has your contact information and give it to them so that if something goes wrong, someone can call you. Make sure they have things in their carry-on that they will love and need during the trip. Something your child can use on the trip, like a pillow, sweatshirt, blanket, book, tablet, or anything else. For fun, give them a computer or something else they can use to watch movies they’ve downloaded. Make sure your child has everything they want to watch before the flight so they don’t need Wi-Fi.
It’s normal for kids to fly alone, but these tips, making sure your kid is ready, and booking a flight that’s good for your kid will make things a lot easier.