Unaccompanied Minors

Can My Child Fly Alone?

Several airlines allow children of a certain age to fly unaccompanied. In airline speak they are known as UM’s. Below provides information on individual airline policies but as a general rule, children are aged between 5 and 15. Unaccompanied minors can also be children under 8 who sit in a different cabin class as their parents or guardian. The Unaccompanied Minor service MUST be pre-booked and usually incurs additional fees. It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on an airlines UM policy, as it could change. For example, British Airways no longer offer this service.

Planning is incredibly important and knowing your preferred airline’s policies can affect the flight you book. Policies to check include;

Are stopovers allowed?
Are international flights allowed?
Are there time restrictions?
Are there any route restrictions?
Do I need a chaperone to accompany them?
Is an escort available to guide them through the airport or can I accompany them to the departure gate?

What Is The Process?

Permission from the parent is needed. Your child will be collected and taken to the aircraft where the ground staff will hand over your childs documents to the lead cabin crew member. The cabin crew will introduce your child to a specific crew member assigned to keep an eye on them. Children are often sat next to female passengers. On arrival, your child will be handed to the airport ground staff, who will check the ID of the adult collecting your child.

Airline	Policy	Additional Information
Aer Lingus	Do NOT accept children under the age of 12.	Aer Lingus will accept unaccompanied young passengers aged 12-15 years inclusive subject to the Form of Indemnity can't provide special assistance for these passengers. For Aer Lingus/JetBlue Airways connecting flights, unaccompanied minors under the age of 14 unfortunately won’t be accepted for travel by either carrier for any part of the journey.
Air Arabia	Age: Under 12 must be accompanied by another passenger who is at least 16.
Air France	Age: 5-14 Kids Solo Service (4-11 if flight within France)	Air France can supervise disabled children or those with reduced mobility, under certain conditions. Please contact Saphir, our assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility, for further information.
Air New Zealand	Age: 5-11 mandatory 12-16 On request	Where transits are permitted the maximum connection time for unaccompanied minors is two hours between domestic flights and three hours between flights involving an international sector. Two or more single sector international flights e.g. NZ001 London - Los Angeles connecting to NZ005 Los Angeles - Auckland or Los Angeles - Auckland - Tokyo - not allowed unless with an adult aged 15 or over. Two single sector international flights within the South West Pacific, e.g. Sydney - Auckland - Rarotonga - children aged 5-7 are not accepted, but children aged 8-11 are accepted.
Alaska Airlines	5-17 (5-12 it is mandatory) Cost: from $25-$50 each way.	Connecting flights allowed on Alaskan. Unaccompanied minor service fees are waived for children who have attained MVP®, MVP® Gold, or Gold 75K Mileage Plan™ status. Other airline policies, fees, and age limits may differ from Alaska Airlines. Some airlines may not allow children traveling alone to be booked in the same reservation with Alaska Airlines flights. If a child's itinerary includes non-Alaska Airlines flights, please check with that airline directly regarding their policies, fees, and age limits.
American Airlines	Age: 5-17 Cost: $150 each way	Children under 5 years of age may not travel alone under any circumstances. 5-7 Can only travel on nonstop or direct flights. Aged 8-14 -Can travel on any nonstop or direct flight, or any connecting flight through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX). 15-17 Children in this age range don’t have to use the unaccompanied minor service, but it’s still available to them. When traveling alone, children 16 years of age and older can book online, to book children 15 years of age, you’ll need to call Reservations. won’t accept unaccompanied minors when their itineraries include: A connection to/from another airline, including codeshare and oneworld® partners Ground/co-terminal connections (unaccompanied minors under 15 years, can’t use ground transportation alone) The last flight of the day from the final connection city, unless it’s the only scheduled flight offered Overnight connecting flights, unless it’s the only scheduled flight offered
ANA	ANA Junior Pilot Ages: 5-11 on international flights Cost: Adult fare	ANA offers assistance to children who are 5-13 years old and traveling alone on flights to and from Mexico City. If you require assistance for a child who is 12-16 years old (or 14-17 years old for flights to and from Mexico City), ANA will provide ANA Airport Support.
Asiana Airlines	Age: 5-11 International Korean domestic 5-12 Cost: Domestic Free International - Contact Asiana
British Airways	No longer provide this service.
Cathay Pacific	Age: 6-17 Cost: Between Hong Kong and all destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North America, the South Asia Subcontinent and Southwest Pacific: HKD800/USD100 Other routes: HKD400/USD50	Some flights do not accept unaccompanied minors.
Delta	Age: 5-14 children aged 15-17 on request.	Delta will not accept a UMNR request if the itinerary does not include a flight operated by Delta, Air France and/or KLM. Delta may not accept UMNR requests on itineraries that include other airlines (OAL) even if the itinerary includes a Delta-operated flight. Aged 5-7-no connecting flights; only some red eye flights permitted. Further restrictions- check website. Aged 8-14 - Can only connect to other DL, DL Connection, AF or KL flights. Not permitted on last connecting flight of the day. Other restrictions on red-eye. check website.
EasyJet	No service
Emirates	Age: 5-15 if flying alone. Under 8 if travelling in a different class to parents or guardian. Cost: Adult fare	Dedicated Lounge for Unaccompanied children where you can drop them off at Dubai Airport.
Etihad	Age: 5 -12 Cost: Adult fare Aged 12 + but not yet 16 can travel alone cost: Adult fare plus additional fee varying from $60-100 one way
Eva	Age: 5-12	If the itinerary includes a transfer/stopover that exceeds 4 hours, arrangements must be made in advance by a parent or guardian for an authorized person to meet/pick up the child upon arrival at the stopover/layover point and stay with the child until he/she can be checked back in to continue the trip. If segments of the unaccompanied minor's trip involve other airlines, we recommend that you contact those airlines for their specific procedures.
Finnair	Age:5-11 Cost: range from €40 to €120 per direction	When travelling to and from the United States, an unaccompanied minor reservation is required for under 15-year-old children travelling alone. The escort service is also available for adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age travelling alone, but for them the service is not mandatory. Children between 5 and 11 years of age may travel without the UM reservation on: Finnair flights within Finland with a family member of at least 12 years of age, or with an escort of at least 16 years of age provided by the child’s legal guardian. International Finnair flights with a family member of at least 16 years of age, or with an escort of at least 18 years of age provided by the child’s legal guardian.
Flybe	Age: 5-11 Age 12- 16 on request. Cost: £39 per sector	Unaccompanied children are not permitted on flights which involve a change of aircraft en route or transferring to or from another airline as Flybe can only provide assistance once check-in has opened for the Flybe flights. On flights operated by Air France children under 15 travelling on Flybe tickets must be accompanied by an adult. Currently Ireland West Airport Knock (Noc) does NOT provide an Unaccompanied minors service.
Jet Airways	Age: 5-12 Cost: Within India INR4,000 Short Haul e.g. to Gulf USD$60 Long haul $100	Jet Airways will accept unaccompanied minors with an itinerary involving connecting flights on other airlines subject to the acceptance policies of all the other airlines on the itinerary. We ensure that an unaccompanied minor is never left unattended throughout the journey. Unaccompanied minors are seated near the galley to ensure they are looked after by our crew at all times. Will not accept an unaccompanied minor if the journey involves an overnight stay. However, in the event of a flight being diverted to another station, a female staff will accompany the child in the hotel room until departure of the flight.
Jet2	Age: 14 +
JetBlue	Age: 5-14 $100 each way.	Unaccompanied minors may only travel on non-stop flights. They cannot travel on connecting flights or direct flights (flights that make a stop, but do not change aircraft), or multi-city itineraries.
KLM	Age: 5-14 is mandatory but can book for children aged 15 to 17. Cost: Adult fare plus surcharge varying from €100 -€250 one way.	will keep you informed by telephone, e-mail and text message about any changes in your child’s flight schedule. KLM only allows transfers for unaccompanied minors on KLM, AIR FRANCE and Delta Air Lines flights. If travelling alone from Mexico a child under 18 years needs to bring proof of parentage such as a birth certificate or legal order of custody. It also needs to bring a notarized statement of one parent or of its legal guardian, in Spanish.
Latam	Age: 5-11 mandatory Age 12-17 optional Cost:From $30- $150 depending on route.	It is only available on direct flights or with connecting flights operated by LATAM. It is important that they do not change airport while making the connecting flight and that there is a waiting time of no longer than 4 hours.
Lufthansa	Age: 5-11 Cost: EUR 40 for routes within Germany or Europe and EUR 80 for long-haul routes.	Children between the age of 5 and 11 may only fly alone if they use the Lufthansa customer care service or when travelling with another person aged at least 12 years old. At the request of the parents, unaccompanied minors between 12 up to 17 years old can also be cared for by this service. Country-specific requirements for unaccompanied minors can be found at www.LH.com.
Norwegian	Age:5-11 mandatory Age: 12-15 optional Cost: £30 each way	They don’t offer an Unaccompanied Minor Service to or from Argentina, Bosnia, Bulgaria, the Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Croix), Israel, Kosovo, Morocco, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the U.S. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed to travel on connecting flights.
Philippine Airlines	Age: 8-12 Cost: manila- USA/Canada $75 Between Philippines and Asia (direct flight) including Australia, Europe, Guam, Kuwait, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Qatar Saipan, UAE $50 Domestic Philippines. PHP 500
Qantas	Age: Under 12 Cost: Fee of $50 for domestic flights and $90 for international flights will apply per Unaccompanied Minor per booking made online, through a Qantas Office or a Travel Agent ticketed in Australia or New Zealand. Note that, in addition to the above Supervision Fee, there will be an additional service fee of $50 for domestic flights and $90 for international flights will apply per Unaccompanied Minor per booking made at the airport.	Qantas offers a service with features such as separate rooms during transit for Unaccompanied Minors at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns and Adelaide Airports. selected connecting Qantas flights and you can conveniently book online for domestic flights.
Qatar	Age: The child must be between the ages of 5 and 15 years (up to but not including the 16th birthday). Children under 5 years cannot be accepted. Cost: Adult fare for UM service. To avail the escort service for the child, Qatar Airways will also charge a return fare for the airline representative who will act as an escort for your child.	The child must be travelling on Qatar Airways operated flights.
Royal Jordanian	Age: Toddlers (completed 2 years up to 5 years) are permitted to travel with a Royal Jordanian Escort on scheduled flights only to Royal Jordanian gateways. A Royal Jordanian Escort must be arranged at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled departure. Youngsters (completed 5 years up to 12 years ) are eligible to travel to Royal Jordanian gateways. Travelling to USA RJ gateways UMNR is considered for age 12-15 years old. Cost: on flights to Royal Jordanian gateways: $60 USD (or equivalent) except AQJ will be charge $30USD.	Please note that unaccompanied minors may only check-in at Queen Alia International Airport, and are not able to check-in at the Amman City Terminal.
Ryan Air	No service
Singapore Airlines	Ages: 5-under 12 Cost: Free	cannot book online.
Spirit Airlines	Age: 5-14	Unaccompanied Minors are accepted only on nonstop or direct flights which do not require a change of aircraft or flight number.
South African Airways	Age: 5-11	Unaccompanied Minors should reach their destination before 20:00 hrs for all direct flights. In cases where connecting flights are applicable it is not mandatory. Connecting flights may not be on the next day.
SouthWest Airlines	Age: 5-11 Cost: $50 each way	UMs may only travel on nonstop or direct (makes one or more stops but does not require a change of planes or flight number) flights. Southwest Airlines does not provide Unaccompanied Minor service to/from international destinations. If the flight is during meal times, don’t forget to send food or snacks with your child(ren) in case they get hungry, as Southwest does not provide a meal service.
Tap Portugal	Age: 5-11 Cost; €50 for domestic flights. Europe, Morocco and Algeria Intercontinental €100 each way	TAP does not accept children aged from 3 months to 4 years as Unaccompanied Minors. TAP can provide an assistant-companion when the parents or guardians request such; Minors who are not yet 2 years of age must always travel accompanied by an adult. Their adult companion must be at least 18 years old and be able to take care of the minor throughout the journey, including check-in and border and customs formalities. If the infant does not travel with an adult, the service of an Additional Assistant (ESHO) must be booked and paid for; Minors aged between 2 and 4 years (inclusive) may be accompanied by another passenger aged between 12 and 15 years provided the procedures of "Unaccompanied Minor" apply to both, otherwise the service of an Additional Assistant (ESHO) for the child aged between 2 and 4 years will have to be requested and paid; A passenger aged at least 16 years can accompany a child aged between 5 and 11 years, provided that he/she is declared the companion for the entire journey, including his/her acceptance, check-in and for airport formalities; When aged from 12 to 17 years inclusive they may exceptionally be registered as Unaccompanied Minors at the request of their parents or legal guardians;
Thai Airways	Age: 5-17 Cost: Adult fare plus service fee of $60 per flight. For Domestic Routes in Thailand: Seventy-five percent (75%) of the normal fare (C or Y fares) for children, between 5 to below 12 years old is applied if the unaccompanied service is required. There is no service fee on domestic routes.	THAI will not accept children traveling alone on any itineraries including the transfer between Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang Airport. • THAI will not accept children traveling alone if the journey involves an overnight stop or transfer, or stopover exceeding 6 hours, unless the arrangement is provided for a child’s assistance at the transfer point.
Turkish Airlines	Age:7-12	Children between 7 and 12 years of age may travel alone or with a companion hostess. (fees apply)
United Airlines	Age: 5-15 Cost: $150 each sector	Seating near the front of the aircraft right in the center of the action, when available A complimentary food item on flights that offer food for purchase. Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express®. Codeshare flights and other flights operated by our partner airlines are not eligible for unaccompanied minor travel. United does not offer unaccompanied minor service connecting to or from other airlines' flights.
Veuling	Ages: Mandatory if 5 and 11 years of age. For child passengers up to 14 years of age departing from any Italian airport, it is mandatory to take out this service Cost: €45 one way domestic and €55 one way for Intl and canary Island flights.	The service is only available for direct flights.
Virgin Atlantic	Age:5-11 mandatory 12-18 optional	If you're travelling in Upper Class separately from your children they aren't permitted to visit you, but you are of course free to come and check on them. We won't be able to accept your child if: They are not brought to check in by a parent or guardian. They arrived from a connecting flight, other than one operated by Virgin Atlantic. They are travelling on another connecting flight, other than one operated by Virgin Atlantic. Children are also not accepted if the transit time between flights is over four hours, if the flight includes a stop-over or if there are inter-airport connections by road or rail such as between Gatwick or Heathrow.
Virgin Australia	Ages: 5-11 Cost: AUD$ 55 domestic one way International Varies from AUD$95	Unaccompanied minors cannot be booked on connecting flights. If the child is unable to satisfy our Independent Travel Criteria they are required to travel with a Carer.Including:Consume food and beverages (cabin crew can assist with opening any packaging); Attend the toilet (including getting to and from the toilet onboard); or Administer any medication (including Epi Pens).
WestJet	Age: 8 -11 Optional for those 12-18 Cost $100	As part of your child's flight, we may provide a headset, a snack and a drink. On routings where our buy-on-board service is available, your child may also receive a sandwich or other buy-on board items.
Whizz Air	Passengers of 14 and 15 years of age may travel unaccompanied but cannot be responsible for any passenger under 14 years old.

Specific Country Travel Information

France

As of 15th January 2017, authorization to leave the country will be necessary for passengers who are under 18 years old to leave France without his or her legal parents (parents or guardians). An accompanied or unaccompanied minor who is under 18 years old must be in possession of:

-An individual passport.
-Exit territory authorization form signed by his or her legal parents (parents or guardians).
-A photocopy of a valid identity document of the parent who has signed the exit territory authorization form.
The above will apply to all passengers who are under 18 years old residing in France, regardless of nationality.

Italy

Children can only travel under 14 if:

-They are accompanied by at least one parent or guardian;

or by up to a maximum of two accompanying persons, designated by the parents or guardians in a declaration (dichiarazione di accompagnamento) to the police (questura), who will be indicated on the minor’s passport or a separate document to be shown at the border.

Russia

Passengers who are 18 years old or below and travelling as unaccompanied minor are required to provide a Notarised Authorisation Letter, which states that he/she is travelling alone and without an adult.

The only exceptions are when the child:

-travels with a parent but doesn’t share the same family name (for instance, mother and child). In this case, a birth certificate will be required to prove the relationship between parent and child.
-travels with a guardian or trustee. In this case, relevant documents must be presented to immigration to prove that the adult is the child’s guardian or trustee.
-holds a seaman or diplomatic passport.

The Russian Immigration Authorities reserve the right to refuse travel to any individual.

South Africa

As required by the South African Department of Home Affairs, additional travel documents will be required for ALL passengers who are under 18 years of age and travelling into and out of South Africa.

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