Nanny Service on Airplanes?

A babysitter who helps watch your children at the airport and during your next flight. Is it the best idea in years or a nightmare at 30,000 feet?

As a mom, it struck me as an amazing concept. My husband and I have family all over the country whom we haven't visited since our baby was born partly because we're worried about the stresses of having a toddler in tow in an enclosed space for an extended period of time, surrounded by other grumpy travelers.

Nanny in the Clouds tries to solve this problem, but it requires handing your child over to a stranger on a plane — well, a stranger with two references.

Laguna Hills resident Julie Melnick launched the online service in November with the hope of “changing the way families fly.”

After all, parents hire teens and other untested sitters to stay with their children alone at home all the time. With this service, the sitter is never more than a couple hundred feet away.

How it works

Parents enter their flight information on the website and hope for a nanny with the same flight schedule. If there's a match, the parents pays $10 to Nanny In The Clouds to get contact information for the babysitter. Rates are negotiated with the babysitter outside of Nanny In The Clouds.

Babysitters registered with the website must have two "legitimate" references, similar to many other babysitting services, according to Melnick.

"It is going to make (flying) a lot more enjoyable and less stressful,” said Melnick. "I think all moms get stressed about flying with their kids and I think knowing that you can hire someone to help you along the way is priceless. It's peace of mind to know that you don't have to travel alone."

Babysitter on Board?

The catch, of course, is finding a flight on which one of Melnick's sitters also happens to be flying.

The website currently requires a specific date for a flight but will soon allow parents and nannies to enter a range of dates to boost the chances of a match, according to Melnick.

How it began

With bags in hand and her 2-year-old son at her side, Melnick made her way through the airport. She struggled to carry everything herself while taking care of her son. Many watched her but no one helped.

Even an airport employee refused her request for help, saying her belongings are her own property to care for, Melnick said. Tired and frustrated after her stressful flight, she thought of a way to fix the problem.

“If this service had been around before I started it, I definitely would have taken more trips with my son," she said.