not prebooking seats on a flight - what age?

[MadHatter1]

So we fly to Orlando in August and my boys will be 9 and 10.

I wasn't intending on pre-booking seats as I think that now they are old enough to walk to school they should be old enough to sit on a plane by themselves and watch a few movies.

I am starting to wonder if I am doing the right thing though. I know every child is different but generally how old do people think is old enough to sit by themselves?

[Mexy02]

Only you know your children. I would rather sit with my hubby and I'm 45.

[MadHatter1]

I would rather sit with my hubby and I'm 45.

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They are telling me that they want to sit by themselves because they are old enough.

[Chrissie H]

Have you considered how things might go if there was an emergency? I would want my children close by, God forbid something happened.

[MadHatter1]

I have thought about the emergency but statistically it is so unlikely to crash, and in the event of an emergency evacuation they can be trusted to get off the plane the same as everyone else.

[Vinniecat]

When we had indirect flights in 2003 much to my horror we were allocated single seats on our transfer from Philadelphia. We had children aged 3, 7 and 9. Fortunately some people moved so that my husband could sit with the younger two. I was about 3 rows back from the 9 year old. It was a bad flight weather was awful and we had a lot of turbulence. My 9 year old was in his element though sat with some teenage girls. Next day we were in Wallmart and we could hear some people shouting his name. It was the girls he had been sitting with. I think he was disappointed to sit next to us on the way home! As the previous poster said you know your own children. I always pay for seats not sure if we could have done that in 2003.

[Mexy02]

Originally Posted by MadHatter1

They are telling me that they want to sit by themselves because they are old enough.

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If they are happy enough then they should be ok, if you are flying with virgin have a look at the 2 seats at the back

[duchy]

Are you assuming they will be sitting apart from you but together ?

[MadHatter1]

No I am assuming that we will all be sitting on our own.

If we are given two seats together I think I would sit my 10year old on his own.

[duchy]

Makes sense.