Conference moira::parenting_v3

    just a clarification to the second paragraph, the object is to get them
    to my Inlaws,(husband's brother's parents) in MA, they are footing the
    bill for the airfare, up to $1400. total.
    
    Lyn

    How about this for the obvious - Have one the the inlaws fly down and 
    bring them back?
    
    Any chance?
    
    Nancy
    

    sorry, i didn't finish my thought.
    
    And have their father accompany them back to FLA (after their visit 
    then continue on back to CA so grandma doesn't get dizzy going back and 
    forth MA-FLA, FLA-MA and so on.
                         

    Or how about having one of the father's "everybody's back yard" stops
    be... Jacksonville?
    
    (I can hardly believe the soon-to-be-former-wife won't sprain herself
    to get those kids to Orlando!)
    
    Leslie

    My son has been flying alone to Orlando since he was 4 years old.  He
    always flies on a non-stop or one-stop-nochange flight.  And we always
    use Delta.  I am positive that the first time he flew to see his
    grandparents he was just a few months over 4 years old.  He's 9 now and
    a seasoned pro!  I've always booked my flights directly with the Delta
    reservations office and are always very helpful.  This year, he will be
    flying to Alabama and having to change planes in Atlanta and I'm a 
    wreck!  Try calling the airline directly, maybe then can help to
    coordinate things.
    
    Kathy
    

We've had experience with my step-children.  Our experience was also
that children could not fly unattended until they were 6 years old,
but we were not dealing with Delta.  Perhaps their policy is different.
You have to have non-stop flight.  And you need to be sure that the
person who is picking them up is there in plenty of time for their 
arrival.  If you can afford it, having an adult fly with them would
solve the problem.  And I can very well imagine that their mother is
not cooperating.  Having an adult fly with them would help get them to 
airport as well as that person could pick them up and bring them by 
whatever means is available - bus, airport shuttle, taxi, rental, car ...
Good luck, I hope your brother gets to be with his children at Christmas.

Leslie

    I've driven from Jacksonville to Orlando and it's a long (6+
    hours) unpleasant drive -- if the ex-wife isn't a confident,
    competent driver, it would probably be overnight.  I wouldn't
    blame her for not wanting to make that trip. 
    
    Yes, each airline's policy is different.  Did you try Peidmont? 
    They have some direct flights to rural Southern cities that the
    big airlines don't serve, and their service is wonderful.  Kat
    flew on them to Nashville to join Neil for a vacation several
    years ago -- she was about 12, I guess, so the age difference
    makes most of her experience irrelevant.  
    
    --bonnie

    My son has been flying to Florida for the Christmas and spring breaks
    regularly for the last 6 years (although as a teen).  His flights were
    invariably full, frequently at inconvenient hours, and were booked 6 to
    9 months in advance.  Florida/Boston at school holiday times is
    possibly *the most* heavily travelled set of routes.  That's why you've
    been getting the comments about booking late.  :-(
    
    As far as the age thing, and kids.  Have you tried dealing with the
    airlines directly?  I have seen children changing planes unaccompanied
    at O'Hare and Atlanta at very young ages.  They usually have big
    stickers on their clothes that are eye-catching and give pretty
    explicit routing information - a lot like luggage tags.  At the very
    least, you should be able to get to a supervisor who can explain the
    reasoning behind the regulations, so you are less frustrated.
    
    Good luck.
    
    Alison

    Have you tried another airport. For example US Air flies to Worchester.
    Also, I have been on flights with several small children traveling
    alone on Delta that had to make a plane change. A delta agent met
    the kids at the plane took them to a special waiting room with Tv
    and games then escorted them onto their next plane. My sister sent
    her 7 year old from NY to Palm Beach on both Continental and Delta
    and was much happier with Delta. Another suggestion, might you have
    a high school or college age relative/friend who would be willing
    to go get them and fly back with them. My 6 year old neice from
    Denver came to visit and I flew back and forth with her. Was very
    tiring, but considering we had major mechanical problems and had
    to stay overnight at Logan, I was glad she wasn't alone (United
    ).
    I have an american express travel agent I use in Texas who always
    goes above and beyond, if you want her name and number send me mail.
    
    Eileen

    First of all, thank you everyone for your support.  I spent this past
    weekend wondering what I would have done if I didn't have someone
    supportive to listen to my gripes!  As an aside, my father inlaw called
    me later on that night just to say thank you, and to let me know he
    really appreciated my efforts.  I think he heard my frustration when I
    called him late in the afternoon.  I really am grateful that these
    people are so *giving*!
    
    The unfortunate result here is that we, as a family, have resigned
    ourselves to the fact that no one is coming home for Christmas, and
    have begun the task of wrapping and mailing packages to California and
    Florida.  It just doesn't seem fair.
    
    To answer some questions, yes I did call three aircarriers directly,
    and started with our corporate travel agency, American Express.  The
    bottom line here, which appears to be inflexible, is that children
    under 5 can't fly unaccompanied at all, and children under 7 can only
    fly on flights which are non-stop or direct.
    
    What we have here is a great learning experience.  We will be
    attempting this same exercise next summer.  Part of their divorce
    agreement is that the children will spend summers here with their
    grandparents, their father will probably get a 30 day leave to come
    home.  Unfortunately the boy will still be a month shy of 5, and as my
    father inlaw said, he will never tell a lie.  Even if it means he can't
    fly alone.  The inlaws will probably drive down or fly down to get the
    kids.
    
    He probably would have attempted MAC flights (military unscheduled
    shuttles, on a space-available basis.  For those including me not
    familiar) had it not been such a busy holiday for travel.  Even as I
    thought this to be the solution, I was warned that he could literally
    spend days trying to get out of CA, and then several more trying to get
    out of Jacksonville on these types of flights.  This man is an
    adventure seeker, who knows maybe he will surprise us on Xmas morning,
    but that's merely an optimistic dream at this point.
    
    I want to send these kids something very special this year for
    Christmas, they deserve it, but have been told that the mother will
    pack it away and they may never see it, or she will pack up many of our
    gifts and send them on to her family in other parts of the U.S., or the
    Phillipines.  It's a tough situation, no matter how you look at it.
    
    But again, thank you
    Lyn

So sorry to hear you news.  I hope next time things will work out
better.

Leslie

    I realize that you've resigned yourselves to the fact that the kids
    won't be coming up for Christmas but I have one last ditch idea.
    
    Alot of area DEC people work down in FLA. and will probably be coming back
    up here for the holidays.  Could you put out feelers (network) about
    anyone down there that is coming up that would mind accompanying the kids?
    Any maybe pop the kids on a bus (long ride though it may be) to the
    airport?
    
    Too bad the kids end up suffering the sins (disagreementS) of the
    parents.
    
    
       Nancy
    

    re .12, I love that idea, just don't quite know where to start asking
    though.  We've got a pretty big broadcast zone right here.  I actually
    belong to a group who is doing a Disney group tour and will be
    returning around that time, I know, love and trust everyone of these
    people, but it's again getting these kids to Orlando for the flight.
    
    I just wish I could stretch out my arms for thousands of miles and give
    these two kids a big hug, from auntie Lyn!
    
    

Have you considered a travel agency?  It could have saved you hours on the
phone, and eliminated much frustration.

A competent travel agency is intimately familiar with the rules of each airline
(most have minimum 5 years to fly alone, no changing planes, and a designated
adult on both ends of the flight), finding the best fares, routes, connections,
prices, and working with delicate issues such as children.  One phone call and
let them use their computers and telephones to do your footwork.  The cost is
nothing (to you, that is - the airlines pay them a commission).

My mother owns a travel agency in El Paso and I used to work there many moons
ago.  I dealt with situations such as yours all the time.  We also had very
good relationships with certain airlines (i.e. American) and if everything
failed we could call our local American rep and ask him to do such things as
force us on a flight that was overbooked, approve a special circumstance, or
refund a non-refundable ticket.  She does this for me all the time.

I hope you will try that route before abandoning hope!
Kristen

    In my experience, finding a COMPETENT travel agent who knows how
    to do more than book the first item that comes up on the terminal
    has been slightly more difficult than finding reliable daycare. 
    
    We had a good agent for a few years, but she moved to Florida. 
    Lately I've been doing it myself, and getting better deals and
    more options than what the local travel agents can do.  
    
    Digital's agents are nice and helpful, but they don't know much
    about family travel.  
    
    --bonnie