airport chaperone tickets...?

[joko]

do these exist?

i have watched a number of episodes of airport type shows and there are occasions where peoples kids cannot travel alone because of age and theres some drama over it...often with either they dont travel or parent have to buy a new ticket to accompany them

would it make sense to have chaperone tickets? - similar in a way to platform tickets at train stations..whereby the parent is allowed onto a plane, for a small fee, but not allowed to leave the terminal...their passport could be held by staff and they basically come straight back on the next flight...

i realise there could be delays for returns but it could be possible couldnt it?

cheers

[redcrx]

so you mean that the parent gets a full priced ticket at a small fee? why would the airlines sell such a thing when they could sell a full price ticket instead?

[joko]

well yes but theonly get to sit on the plane not go anywhere, its not like itd be cheap flights...

and in the show a number of people just didnt go at all or asked a stranger to accompany their kids or something...

[redcrx]

i see what you mean but airlines wont offer cheap seats when they can sell them full price. The cant leave a section of plane for chaperones when half the time they wont get used and they cant sell a ticket to a chaperone when someone may want to use the seat for a holiday.
they already have air marshalls taking up seats, if they hand over other seats then everyone elses prices would go up.

[B00]

they's take up a seat though, wouldn't they? It may only be until take off, but still, it wouldn't be available for anyone else unless their prepared to stand around and wait till the parent's got off. Or, if they dont take a seat, but loiter in the aisle instead- they'd get in the way of everyone else- wouldn't they?

[B00]

They'd
They're

Sorry!

[Prudie]

It's the airlines like easyjet that won't allow unaccompanied children on a flight and they don't really care what you do at the other end (ie if you get off for a holiday) so they're not going to give up a full price seat as redcrx said. My daughter flew unaccompanied when she was young with BA but they were pre-warned and provided a member of staff to escort her.

[joko]

ah yes, very true they'd be taking a seat... ah well just a thought

[woofgang]

It also doesn't solve the problem of child playing up/throwing up on the plane with no responsible adult there.

[Dee Sa]

long haul accept unaccompanied children when we lived in Dubai all the older kids from about 7 onwards flew to Uk to school and back in the hols with airline staff especially assigned just to accompany them.[ usually retired crew members]
Once some bright spark on Gulf Air had all these kids boarded first as usual and as an incentive to behave themselves gave each child a tin of Quality Street, well some greedy little b*ggers ate the lot before take off and then spent the next 8 hours being sick and the poor trolley dollies had to clean it all up and then face the wrath of parents as their little darlings arrived covered in sick and smelling like god knows what.

[237SJ]

If there are people on airport type shows who`s kids can`t travel it is because the parents haven`t done their research. Kids (usually aged 5 upwards) have always been able to travel alone. These days there is a charge for an unaccompanied minor. Nobody has to travel with them. They are seen through the airport by ground staff, handed over and signed for by the cabin crew and handed over (and signed for) to the ground staff at the end of their flight.

[woofgang]

Airlines can choose to accept unaccompanied minors or not...

[237SJ]

No they can`t. Not unless the UM has some kind of medical condition.

[237SJ]

Sorry, to clarify. If an airline accepts UMs they can`t pick and choose but I presume an airline can choose whether to accept any UMs at all. I can`t think why they wouldn`t though.

[Prudie]

easyjet won't accept any children flying alone under 14

[237SJ]

Ryanair don`t accept UMs under 16 years of age. I guess that`s the result of low cost.

[woofgang]

Airlines can refuse to allow passengers to board for many reasons...any passenger not just UM's.....I guess if the UM turned up and was behaving like a brat, tantrumming etcet, they would be with their rights to refuse...but ye on Airport, it seems that the adult involved hasn't checked that UM's are allowed at all.

[Meg]

My 10 year old grandson regularly flies on his own from Aberdeen to Manchester to visit us. At first he flew BA but I don't think they do this route anymore. He now comes British Midland, think my son pays £30 extra for a chaperone service.
They hand him over to ground staff at ABZ who take him through security, he is then handed to staff at the gate who then put him in the care of cabin crew.
After landing in Manchester he is handed over to ground staff who collect his luggage and bring him to us.
We have to provide proof of id before the hand over.
On the return journey the same procedure applies and we are not allowed to leave the airport until the aircraft is airborne.