Why nanny Samantha Jordan refuses to fly on private planes

Jordan, 30, is also a newborn care specialist and postpartum doula, splitting her time between Las Vegas and Upland, California. Travel can be part of the job: families may hire her for trips lasting from a week in Cabo to two months in Europe. She said she has learned to prepare for emergencies and stay alert in unfamiliar places while caring for other people’s children.

Her reluctance to fly privately is partly rooted in a story her husband told her about a private flight he took as a college athlete that seemed to drop suddenly. Jordan said she does not know what caused the incident or what aircraft was involved. She has since read more about private aviation, but said her unfamiliarity with it makes her nervous, particularly because she already dislikes flying. She feels more comfortable on commercial airlines and said varying levels of oversight depend on the operator and type of flight.

Jordan said one family she interviewed with required regular helicopter trips, and they could not reach an agreement. Others have accepted her condition or arranged for her to meet them at their destination; one family flew privately to Mexico while she traveled separately. She said she puts agreed travel arrangements in the contract and asks practical questions before trips, including whether they will coincide with the children’s naps and what she can bring.

She also asks who will be driving and will not get into a car with a chauffeur before meeting them. Jordan said nannies can feel pressured to put their jobs ahead of their safety because the relationship with an employer can be intimate and blur professional boundaries. After posting TikTok videos about her concerns following a recent crash in Florida, she said some nannies told her they would reconsider their contracts.

Jordan encourages nannies to discuss expectations openly and offer alternatives, while reminding them they can refuse work that crosses a boundary. She said employers should ask about comfort with private flights, the aircraft and operator, insurance, and whether a nanny is willing to fly commercially alone with the children. “If you have the money to accommodate, accommodate,” she said.