How much would you pay for a nanny’s help on your next flight?
It was somewhere between the twelfth and twentieth lap I made around the aircraft, bouncing my wired-and-overtired baby in my arms as she elected to not sleep on the overnight flight to Paris, that I realized I would pay a goodly sum to any qualified person on my flight to take over while I snoozed.
What if I could have checked ahead of time, and discovered an experienced nanny or babysitter with at least two verifiable references was already on that flight? What if I could have paid only $10 to be connected with the caregiver, and then paid only her standard hourly rate for the time she assisted my family during our flight?
If you think that sounds like a good idea, you and I are not alone. It’s the very model of the new business called “Nanny in the Clouds,” which allows traveling nannies and parents to register and connect for upcoming flights. To me, it seems that the best thing about Nanny in the Clouds is that parents get the dedicated help of an extra person without having to pay their airfare or hire them for the full vacation. However, I think this service has potential that reaches far beyond the regular family travelers setting out on vacation.
Flying solo with baby? Outnumbered by multiples?
For parents flying alone with babies and toddlers, this service could be a godsend—especially when they can also make arrangements with the nanny to assist at the airport before or after the flight. Flying with multiples? Just that many more reasons to register with Nanny in the Clouds.
Minors flying alone?
But what potential could this service have for the many families now having their minors fly alone – for which they already pay a $25 to $100 surcharge in addition to the child’s airfare according to the Chicago Sun-Times? Not only could it provide tremendous peace of mind for the parents, with children as young as 5 years old boarding direct or “through” flights across the U.S., but it could also enable these youngest solo travelers to make connecting flights, which is not allowed for children less than 8 years old (more here at DOT website).
Disclaimer: When Nanny in the Clouds first contacted me about advertising on TravelswithBaby.com and introduced the service model to me, I couldn’t wait to share the idea with all of you for obvious reasons. So this post, I’ll just mention, is not sponsored and was not promised as part of our agreement, and I hope that all of you who are interested will be sure to check it out. I’d also love to hear feedback from those of you who do!
The place to register and find out more is www.NannyintheClouds.com.
And if you want pre-screened, qualified childcare during your vacation, don’t forget the new Directory of Vacation Babysitter and Nanny Services at TravelswithBaby.com.
