Children sitting alone on a plane???

[Lewisc]

I don't get this? I'm assuming we're talking about there not being a choice - and at what age are you willing to not make a huge stink or turn around and walk right off the plane.

Do people seriously think people book their kids purposely to sit away from them?

Most airlines offer assigned seats. One question would be if you'd continue the booking process (good fares/flight times) if you couldn't reserves seats next to each other. You might be able to switch at the gate and might not.

 

[jbdisneymom13]

I've got to say never. We just flew SW in Aug and my DD 12 has anxiety issues and passes out without warning when seriously frightened. She does not like to fly but puts up with it to get to Disney. We sat together on the plane and she was so nervous I thought she was going to go into shock (She got very white, was shaking and her hands started turning purple on me about half way through the flight.) I can't imagine putting her next to someone she didn't know. She'd probably pass out on someone and they'd wish they had switched seats to let her sit with one of us. Now, my DS almost 7 can talk to anyone and would probably be fine. I just can't imagine leaving him next to a stranger in the event that there could be an emergency. Would you want to trust that a stranger would be concerned enough to help them with oxygen masks, etc? I know that it's a rare occassion when that's necessary but why take the chance!

 

[Abigail Nadya]

It depends on parents and custom, since I'm asian, I realize that I'm more protective to my kids, so I guess I would let my kids to sit alone for .... 15? hahaha....I know seems immature... but at least I don't need to keep worrying while on plane

 

[TinkInPink]

to the PP yes there are always exceptions or special cases, but for your average kid sitting on a plane for a few hours should be no issue.

I also like to believe that in general people are good,(and a plane crash is statistically unlikely) and that between the 2 people sitting in your child's row, and the others around them, one of them will help.

 

[PatsMom]

I've got to say never. We just flew SW in Aug and my DD 12 has anxiety issues and passes out without warning when seriously frightened. She does not like to fly but puts up with it to get to Disney. We sat together on the plane and she was so nervous I thought she was going to go into shock (She got very white, was shaking and her hands started turning purple on me about half way through the flight.) I can't imagine putting her next to someone she didn't know. She'd probably pass out on someone and they'd wish they had switched seats to let her sit with one of us. Now, my DS almost 7 can talk to anyone and would probably be fine. I just can't imagine leaving him next to a stranger in the event that there could be an emergency. Would you want to trust that a stranger would be concerned enough to help them with oxygen masks, etc? I know that it's a rare occassion when that's necessary but why take the chance!

Have you thought about medication for your daughter if the anxiety is that severe? I know several bad flyers (one is extremely claustrophobic) that take Ativan, Xanax, etc. I take Ativan for general anxiety issues and it is a very effective drug. I can't imagine subjecting my child to the misery you have described for your DD. I would drive, take the train, or medicate I think.

For the poll, I answered 5 or 6 because that was the age DD first sat alone on a SW flight. We were new at the routine and back then I don't even know if the 24 hour advance check in existed. You got to the airport and waited for them to open the service desk (a long line sometimes!) Then you went to your A, B or C corral and staked out a spot in line. We didn't allow enough time for arrival at the Orlando airport and we were C's. We were all in middle seats but fairly close to each other. I could see my DD. She napped part of the way, had her coloring book, and a few other little games. She was fine. I would prefer that we sit together, even now when she is 18 just because we are a family travelling together. But it is no big deal if we are separated.

 

[tjmw2727]

I didn't read the op as asking if folks would intentionally sit or book seats away from children. I think we all realize there are special circumstances - babies/toddlers in carseats and children who need special assistance and woudn't apply in the poll.

However on many airlines there is a real possibility that you could be separated. Most folks assume it would be on SWA (no assigned seats) or Air Tran (pay to select seats) but the truth is that no carrier guarantees seats.

As I said before I was assigned seats all over the plane for our family of 4 on American Airlines and the best we could do was get my then 4yo with Me and DH in the row behind my 6yo dd. Our only alternative was to take a much later flight with a connection - we chose to let my dd sit alone and she did fine.

So many folks on the other thread admit they won't pay extra to insure seats together but would "refuse" to be separated. IMHO you can't have it both ways so why not be prepared or at least give it some thought in case it happens to you? Could your 8yo manage, if so prepare him/her and make sure they have what they need just in case. If not then be prepared to take a later flight esp on a flight to Orlando when your not going to be the only family on the flight.

TJ

 

[disykat]

We don't fly that often- maybe 4 flights a year. It has never even crossed my mind to let my dd sit alone. I would be so mad if I had someone elses kid sitting next to me while they sat by themselves and got to read magazines or sleep. Why should I have to worry about their kid spilling on me, talking my ear off, looking over my shoulder ect. Bottom line I would not do it to you- so don't do it to me.

I'm sure that's what tons of parents do - purposely book their kids sitting separate from them so they have time off.Good grief!

Talk about a derailed thread. I have never flown Southwest, yet somehow I understood we were talking about flights without assigned seats.

 

[mjkacmom]

I
So many folks on the other thread admit they won't pay extra to insure seats together but would "refuse" to be separated. IMHO you can't have it both ways so why not be prepared or at least give it some thought in case it happens to you? Could your 8yo manage, if so prepare him/her and make sure they have what they need just in case. If not then be prepared to take a later flight esp on a flight to Orlando when your not going to be the only family on the flight.

TJ

I agree - if it's going to be a problem, pay up. You can't expect someone to move because you cheaped out. We've flown split up, but usually had one adult with the children, or had the older ones sit together. The first time dd flew alone on a plane (11), I paid the fee for air tran, because I wanted her to have an aisle seat.

 

[Fintastic]

I would prefer the kids not sit alone as long as I'm on the same plane with them. Where's the fun in that? Besides, at DD's age, she still needs to be entertained on an airplane and I wouldn't want her bothering somebody because she's bored. (I really wouldn't want to sit next to some random kid myself on a flight.)

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I put 7 or 8 on the assumption that I wouldn't be able to see my child. If I was close enough to see them, I'd probably be fine at 4 and up. In my experience, you can pretty much always find 2 middle seats behind each other, and if not someone stuck in a middle seat is usually willing to move to another middle seat. My biggest concern with my particular child at 4 - 6 would have been that he'd be too shy to ask to go to the bathroom, and have an accident.

I've been both "that mother" and the woman who refused to move. Once when DS was 4 we were late on a connecting flight. We had A tickets, but got there once the C's were boarding. As soon as the gate agent saw us she called down to the plane and asked them to find us seats together. When we got on the plane, there was a FA sitting in the aisle seat for the last pair of together seats telling people "I'm saving it for a mom with a small child". On the other hand, once I was on SW, when DS was about 5 and a mother got on with a child maybe 7 and was very upset that they couldn't sit together. The FA asked if anyone would give up their adjoining seats and I started to get up, and then thought -- wait, I'm going to volunteer to be separated from my 5 year old so they can sit together? And sat back down. Having said that, who is to say that my 5 year old wouldn't have done better than her 7 year old? Someone else did volunteer, so they were fine.

Having said that, if I knew that not paying the fee was likely to result in my being separated from DS10 on a flight over an hour I'd probably pay the fee. I go on vacation to spend time with my kid, and really treasure those moments when we're "captive" together, I even enjoy waiting in line with him. Our life is a little crazy, and so time to just talk, without needing to worry about getting homework done or other priorities, is precious. I wouldn't, however, deplane if we were denied the chance to sit together.

 

[MariDisney]

We always fly Air Tran and do book seats together. That said, I chose 5 or 6. If we had too, I would have been comfortable with DD sitting with strangers at that age if need be.

 

[NHdisneylover]

My DD start flying by herself in first grade and by that time had sat by herself on the plane many times so I had to put 5-6 but i really feel like by 4 they could sit by themselves.

IMO Any child that can go to school can take care of their own needs on a plane-they do it all day in school and on the bus, the airlines feel this way also. this excludes before someone can come on and say it, any special needs child. Even then many of them would be OK in the same row or Mom right behind etc.

ITA I was looking for the 3-4 option myself

As others have said--I would not intentionally book seats apart. However, OFTEN we end up with no choice (never had to sit all apart on Southwest BTW) and I do not see a reason to throw a fit about it. Most of the time we are able to get two and two. More often than not when we have 2 and 2 the kids ask to be put together (leaving DH and I together without the kids) so they can play a game or watch a movie together. As they behave well in flight and I trust them to be as okay as can be in the highly unlikely event of an emergency (DS flies 6-10 round trips a year and ALWAYS reads the emergency card and watches the spiel and finds those exits--very few adults really pay attention like that), I let them have that option.

 

[Disney Princess Jenn]

I voted for the 10+ option. I absolutely would not feel comfortable with any of my kids sitting away from me on a plane, particularly those that are under 10. My kids ride a school bus and have a lengthy commute but I don't think that a school bus ride amongst their peers is comparable to a 2+ hour plane ride next to a stranger.

1. It only takes a minute for a stranger to do or say something inappropriate to my child. Is that likely to happen? Probably not but as a parent, it's my job to keep my child safe and sometimes you have to think about the worst case scenario.

2. If there was an emergency, I am unwilling to put my child's safety in the hands of a stranger and just hope that he/she will assist my child in some way. The guy in the seat next to my son or daughter is under no obligation to assist them in any way--if things get funky, I can't rely on the kindness of someone I don't know.

3. What if my child needs me? What if he needs to go to the bathroom but is too shy to find me on the plane or too embarrassed to tell the flight attendant? What if he can't open his juice box, find the right color crayon, sound out a hard word in the book he's reading? I'm an overprotective mother and absolutely unapologetic for it. My three children are MY responsibility and this is a role that I take very seriously. I need to be the one to help them--not some guy in the seat next to him, not the flight attendant.

For those reasons, I will always do whatever I have to do to ensure that either I or my husband sit with our younger children. I would like to think that a reasonable adult would be willing to change seats if it meant that a parent and child could sit together. It's not their obligation but I mean, it works out in the end for them as well. Who wants to sit next to some strange kid??