Sam Bee

Wow. I'm sure i'm not alone in saying that my first experience of BA was through their excellent Skyflyer Solo scheme.

And that this was never intended to be a profit making scheme - more an essential service. So in a Business sense I get it, but this will impact a LOT of families.

exBAres

That is a real shame. I can see how some families could really rely on this service, and would continue to be happy to pay for it.

T8191

Hello, kids ... welcome to the world of BA enhancements. You can't travel on your own any more.

I agree with the OP ... this will have significant impact on a lot of families.

corporate-wage-slave

The numbers have definitely been declining, which I find odd given (a) general passenger growth and (b) the rise in single parent families globally. The LGW desk in particular, I don't think I've ever seen a kid anywhere near it. I suspect parents are now more reluctant to let kids fly unaccompanied these days, which is a bit of a shame. One the best bits of my childhood was my twice yearly unaccompanied trips from NCL to CHC, which I started, well I think a whisker before my 12th birthday.

BAAZ

Must be a British thing. I know several British people who wouldn't even consider letting their children fly alone even if using Skyflyer Solo or similar.

Most other airlines don't charge for this service, so those parents who do want their children to fly alone would probably prefer another airline than pay the £50 each way or whatever it is BA charged for this.

Very sad.

jcm9000

I can't recall the last time i saw an unaccompanied minor on a BA aircraft, no surprise really. I reckon CWS has it spot on - people are just more wary of letting their kids do anything alone, flying alone would probably send half the parents in the country into a gibbering wreck.

Sam Bee

My London - Jakarta flights as a child were the absolute highlight of my early years. Especially as it twice involved being overnighted in Singapore due to problems with the BA planes, meaning I was dumped overnight in 5* hotels in the crew hotels who all took very good care of me! (Must have been a pain for the crew member who had to look after me, and I guess miss out on a night out with her colleagues )

Many airlines now offer the service but charge a supplement or full adult fare, and I guess most places in the world are covered. But (British) parents I guess feel safer putting their kids on BA with British crew on mainly direct flights rather than the middle east.

Well, I say that but by the time I was 13 they considered me an adult, and started sticking me on the cheapest airlines - such as Czechslovakian Airlines (3 stops from Prague to Jakarta), Royal Brunei etc. But it's my BA flights I remember most, especially the cockpit visits!

Ivanerr

I wonder, what people whose children are boarding school students in the UK will do now?
Hire a person to fly with their children?

Actually I can't think of any other major airline which doesn't provide such service.

cysyuen

Perhaps a great opportunity for you to start this type of business ?

Anyways one of the things they can do is to find other boarders who are older than 12 and go to the place together, providing they know each other and that they live in the same area...

HIDDY

There's a lot more stigma attached to this practice of sending minors off alone on a journey and expecting strangers to look after them.

Far too much responsibility to make it worth the airlines while anyway.

SteveF

Quite possibly. I suspect that their employers (assuming they pay for overseas schooling and return flights each term, which the company I worked for for 35 years did) will pay for a return fare for a mother/father/maid to accompany them on each trip to/from school.

lewis_saint

I can't remember if it was with BA specifically, but when flying under 12, I remember the FAs taking me to sit in empty business class seats just before landing, so we could get off faster.

Andriyko

Can you name these airlines? Some of my friends often use this service and I have never heard that they did not have to pay for it.

Ivanerr

That would be extremely expensive. Spending at least £7000 (2 RT CW fares from Tokyo for a 'valet') each term on top of the school fees in comparison with Sky Flyer's $600

I guess these people will have to switch to another airline.

Lefly

That's a pity. I use UM service on SN for my kids, so they can visit the grandparents during school holidays, and if SN did the same as BA I would be quite annoyed...
UM fees (50eur each way per child) are however always less than adding 2 rt adult tickets (bring them/come back, go pick them up/come back together) and the service a lot more convenient comparing times and hassle.