Learning to fly as a young adult with the problems that can arise is part of growing up. When they are seniors and companies are flying them in for an interview it helps to know the ins and outs of what can happen with delayed flights etc. With cell phones there is little to worry about should something go wrong with a flight. Helicopter parenting leads to kids that most companies would rather not hire when parents have stepped in and saved them at every turn. These kids seem to be stunted in their abilities to make decisions and figure things out for themselves. Letting life happen to them rarely will do them any harm.
@riverbirch - who is the authority on determining “helicopter” parenting and absent parenting? I’m assuming you consider me a helicopter parent (which btw I do not see as a negative) because I am considering not allowing my son to choose a school some 900 miles from home that has no IMO good choice for transportation to and from.
Also I guess the companies courting my Vandy student aren’t figuring out his lack of ability to think for himself? I guess it’s a miracle he’s been successful at a top 20 university since according to you he should have no ability to make decisions and figure things out for himself? Ridiculous…
35 ACT Score
24 AP Credits
4.2 GPA
Well Versed in Classic Literature
Fluent in Spanish
Captain of Varsity Sports Team
Mathlete
200 Volunteer Hours
Ability to navigate airport?
Go Fish.
It can be done. DD has panic attacks when life gets rough. (The real thing, I’m not just playing with words.) She started flying on her own at age 10 or so. She now (college sophomore) has to fly from SLC to Boston 3 times a year and back. It seems every flight connects in a different city. So that’s a lot of airports, and a lot of different connection times, from hours to “your flight should have left 10 minutes ago.” Imagine the stress.
She manages. Every time. And every time she gets increasingly confident. And not one panic attack that I know of.
It can be done. Give your kid a chance
There are some airports where it’s easier to connect than to depart from that airport.
For inexperienced travelers, I make sure to book itineraries which are very simple and have connections at airports I know very well. If they need anything, they can call or text me and I’ll be happy to help. With a couple notable exceptions, most airports are extremely easy to navigate. If anything, ask the airline employees questions like “where are the C gates” rather than “where is the flight to New York which leaves in a couple hours.”
Positive thinking is key. Even after many flights, I’m still excited to go to the airport and fly on an airplane, sometimes multiple airplanes, that day. Sure one might experience the occasional delay, but it’s all part of flying. Instead of acting scared and helpless when a potential flight cancellation means that I might not get on a flight for 24 hours, I get proactive and look for alternate options such as a double connection or flying far out of the way.
@momthreeboys If Atlanta is the option for a connection, I can tell you that we were just there and it is a very clean, easy to navigate airport. Midway is also very nice. I feel your worry 
Everyone has a different comfort level.
If u are nervous about adequate airport connection times, then book itineraries w generous time cushion between flights-- this info is transparent when u shop for flights.
And** don’t book the last connecting flight of the day**. Make sure there’s one “back-up” connecting flight.
When I was 18 and flying home from my first “school”, I only received one good piece of advice, DON’T SALUTE THE PILOTS! Of course my school was bootcamp. But back on topic, for our first campus visit, I drove DD the 750 miles back and forth. The next visit was for Bama Bound, and she went solo. There isn’t anything she cannot do!
Oh, another funny…on first trip, it was snowing from Toledo to Nashville. When we arrived the car was totally white from road salt. First stop was at the carwash. Young man taking the car keys heard we drove through snow and wanted to taste it, so he swiped the car with his finger for a sample, to quickly for me to stop him. He was not impressed with the snow to say the least!
Last summer, I flew down with my DS for Honors Academy, but had him fly back home on his own. It was his first flight alone, and we were a bit anxious because Atlanta is not (in my opinion) the easiest of airports to navigate through. However, if he was going to attend Alabama, we all knew this would be part of his experience for four years, so no better time to try it out as part of the whole of “what going to Alabama” means.
He really didn’t help his parents’ anxiety by not bothering to call or text with any updates until he landed at MSP!! His phone’s battery was running low, was the explanation, but everything went fine and it’s no longer a worry for any of us. I’d say take a test run before committing to 'Bama. Fly out together, but back separately. That will tell both parent and child all they need to know.
I have used flight tracker websites to monitor flights, especially when they are delayed. These kept me sane during the winter months, when you know his plane is just sitting on the runway (at one point for hours getting deiced and deiced and deiced…), yet you have no way of contacting him. Flight tracker will tell you (eventually) when they are airborne…and shows the exact route of the flight and when it has landed. Safe travels.
When you consider college, I personally think distance is one of the last criteria you should consider. Once you are flying to college, the distance doesn’t matter that much, the only real difference will usually be the duration of the fight(s). Your student’s travel to and from the airport will remain constant.
Your students will be coming home seldom in the first year, and more than likely, even less in subsequent years. Students choose to remain on campus for many reasons: research, classes, employment etc., or they travel for study abroad or enrichments. I have known many students who only get back to their home state once a year, if even that.
In my opinion, we need to encourage our students to become independent and not hinder them by placing too many restrictions on their travel destinations or methods. That does not mean we cant help coordinate travel plans, periodically check the flight status, or worry.
Actually, I wish I had considered the distance a little more in our decision. Ultimately, DS still would have attended but it is a huge PITA on many levels.
I check 5 different airports, those closest have limited flights and tend to be more expensive, normally. Add holiday travel & they are unaffordable.
I personally hate flying and wish DS didn’t have to use this mode of transportation to get home. Having to book flights 4 to 5 months out is just crazy! The rates went up $50 in two days while I was trying to coordinate shuttle times, travel time, and flights.
I figured this year is a learning curve, but talked to parent of upperclassman & they are still finding it a hassle. So maybe not turn down a great opportunity because of the distance, but realize flying is not a simple thing to deal with, and the costs add up quickly. We have already spent what we had expected to contribute to him this year just on travel expenses.
Side note, DS will be flying home from ATL for December break. We booked parking for his car at a 4-star airport hotel for $2.90 per night. Can’t get cheaper than that.
I don’t consider myself a helicopter parent, but my SIL does consider me that. I consider myself concerned with our family’s finances and anything that can positively or negatively impact it. To me, the issue of commute falls under this.
We live in the Philly region and my son considered schools all over the country. I was very adamant in the start of the process that any school more than 6 hours away had to be an easy commute to the airport. In the end, he applied to Alabama and one other school that did not meet this criteria.
After looking at all acceptances from a financial perspective, Alabama won out even though it was the WORST commute off all 9 schools he was accepted. Other OOS schools were very close to the airport.
We have not had “easy” flights. Dealt with canceled, delayed and lost luggage over the last 4 years of visits. Have had to figure out rebooking on the fly. He limits his flights to Southwest because of the generous policy for rebooking.
We have learned Midway in Chicago and Orlando in FL are active airports 24/7. If need be, my son would be fine sleeping there if layover were delayed. We’ve also learned Midway has amazing grounds crew and they keep flights moving. My kid now only flies connections through there. If we visit, we fly direct to Atlanta and rent a car.
My son has never had issues getting a ride from Birmingham, but at times we have paid a higher fee than we wanted.
If Alabama works well in other areas, please do not let the commute rule it out. I urge you to have your student apply and delay this decision until Spring.
Like everyone here, I worried about the travel when sending my NY son to Bama. Now a senior, he has done connections in at least 5 airports. Like every other college adjustment, they get used to it really fast. Just this week, he flew to a job interview in New Hampshire, connections both ways. Return flight was cancelled. Airline rebooked him, connecting through another different airport. He took it all in stride like the seasoned flyer he has become. He texted me about the cancellation, I asked if I can help, he said no he’s got it.
BTW, his typical trip home from BHM to JFK/LGA/ISP is under 5 hours total including connection, plus the hour drive from campus. Less than typical drive home for many college kids.
I didn’t say that it was cheap to book air travel, just that the distance is less important once you get to the airport. However, I think that for any air travel nowadays, the earlier you book…the less expensive flying will be, the earlier you book…the more flight options that will be available. It does take some coordinating but the shuttle times are the same for each school break, so you can just work off last year’s schedule. The only shuttle that I know which was different was the very early am shuttle, which required a minimum student count in order to run. I would contact UA Housing to check if this is still the policy. One should also know all the various travel options that are available. Some students take buses or Amtrak, others drive. Distance may be a factor for some but I don’t think it should be a significant factor. As I said, many students don’t even return home often.
^ Midway on the southern edge of Chicago (MDW in airport speak) sure is a trip (no pun!), and a very pleasant alternative to ORD (O’Hare) in my opinion. Yes, MDW grounds-staff keep those planes movin’ in and out with minimal delay. They don’t mess about. (The short-ish runway system may be a bit unsettling to some people: one minute you’re up in the air, the very next you’re on the ground because of very tight airspace with an airport ringed by housing.) Aside from 2 ice-storm-related delays, my S had never had any other delay or cancellation in/out of there in 3 1/2 yrs of flying. It is a great connecting point for many flights.
And, in honor of Veteran’s Day yesterday, you might find this info interesting: MDW regularly hosts chartered Honor Flights for WWII Veterans to visit Washington DC at no charge. My son once landed at the same time as one of these flights, and what a fan-fare!!! There were multiple military bands playing, Boy Scout Troops, school groups, color guards, and 100s if not 1000s of people lining the walkways and the entire waiting area, giving these veterans a hero’s welcome. Full info here: http://www.honorflightchicago.org/ Next flight is April 13, 2016.
I was flying in the good old days before unaccompanied minors had to pay a huge fee and be jailed in a little room. So I could fly by myself. I think I took my first connecting flight at age 13, through St. Louis (TWA). It’s not that hard, you just get off the plane, look at the little board, and go to the next gate and wait for your next plane.
Gee most OOS kids fly home at winter break and summer. You make it sound like there will be multiple flights a year! So many instate students and friends take kids home for Fall break, thanksgiving and Spring break kids do their own thing typically. Some stay in the dorm over fall and thanksgiving breaks especially staying to watch football. Dorms only close winter break.
We are a DC family and it’s a non issue really the few times DS flies. He too has flown by himself internationally since age 15. Still trying to figure out what the big deal is here…
So far this year alone DS has flown to school, home & back for Thanksgiving, home & back for Christmas, & home & back for Spring Break, then back home at end of the year.
He won’t be home for Thanksgiving next year, so 4 trips instead of 5, still a lot IMO. So yeah, multiple flights a year. The biggest hassle is affordabiltiy & booking months in advance. His average travel day, door to door, has been around 12 hours.