Booking Unaccompanied Minor Flights: Everything You (and They) Need to Know Before Traveling

Booking a flight for an unaccompanied minor and not sure what to expect? This guide will help you figure out:

• How to book a flight for an unaccompanied minor
• What are the age restrictions for unaccompanied minors?
• Tips for a seamless journey from wheels up to wheels down

Who counts as an unaccompanied minor?

Definition and age limits

Flying as an unaccompanied minor (UM) on airlines involves specific procedures to ensure the child’s safety while traveling alone. Although each airline has its own rules and regulations when it comes to UMs, typically, the service is available for children between five and 14 years old. This can vary slightly by airline, but it’s a good rule of thumb.

Age restrictions:

• Children under five: not allowed to fly unaccompanied.
• Ages 5–7: can fly alone, but only on non-stop flights.
• Ages 8–14: can travel on connecting flights, but restrictions and extra fees often apply.
• Ages 15–17: generally allowed to fly alone without requiring UM services, but parents can still opt for it.

Requirements and documentation

Parents or guardians will need to provide certain documents and information both at check-in and when picking up the child at the destination. In the US, if the child is under 18, the most important paperwork is the UM form that each airline issues for the flight in question. The form provides the child’s full name, flight details, the contact information of the adults responsible for dropping them off and picking them up, and a parent/guardian signature of authorization for the airline to take custody of the child during the flight.

While not always required, especially for domestic flights, having a copy of the child’s birth certificate or passport is often recommended to verify their age and identity. The adult picking up and dropping off will need to show a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. Whoever picks up the child will have to correspond to the name provided to the airline at the time of booking.

Airlines that allow unaccompanied minors to fly

Each airline has its own procedures and additional fees, as well as certain approved routes for unaccompanied minors.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines charges $100 one way for each child, regardless of distance. For ages five to 11, UM services are mandatory and only possible on nonstop/direct flights. Reservations must be made over the phone or at the ticket counter, and an in-person check-in is required. On Southwest, guardians must accompany children to the gate and stay at the gate area until the flight is in the air. The airline promises some supervision during the journey, but monitoring is not constant. Children must be somewhat self-sufficient to undertake what a solo flight entails.

American Airlines

American Airlines requires children aged five to 14 to use the UM service. Children between the ages of five and seven can only fly solo on nonstop flights, while children from eight to 14 can also fly alone on connecting flights routed through designated airports.

American Airlines charges $150 each way (plus taxes), but it also covers the connecting flight with the same airline. There will also be an airport escort to help with flight connections. The fee covers additional siblings on the same flight.

Kids need to be escorted to the gate and picked up by a designated guardian. They can’t fly on the last flight of the day out of the final connection city unless that’s the only flight of the day. American Airlines has a few other perks, such as kids-only lounges in hub cities that can be used for flight connections, early boarding for UMs, and the more standard minimum supervision during the flight.

United Airlines

On United, kids five to 14 years old who are flying alone or with someone under 18 need to arrange the UM service by themselves. Your child must be booked on a nonstop United or United Express flight with no connecting flights. For one to two kids, the cost is $150 one way, while for three to four kids, it’s $300 each way. United expects a parent or guardian to accompany the minor to the gate and to stay at the airport until the flight takes off. Kids board first – and get to meet the pilots. Upon arrival, a flight attendant will accompany the child off the plane to meet the appointed pick-up person.

Delta

Delta stipulates that children five to seven years old can only travel nonstop, but children ages eight to 14 can travel on certain connecting flights as well. Parents or guardians must accompany the child to the gate and only leave the vicinity once the plane has taken off. The cost is $150 each way for up to four children. Delta provides trackable wristbands and an assigned Delta escort throughout their travel.

Opting out

American, Delta and United allow teenagers to opt out of flying as unaccompanied minors once they turn 15. This means the child can fly without the assistance of airline personnel and without having to pay the UM service fee. Southwest has the lowest opt-out age at 12 years old. However, you should be able to accompany your child to the gate even if they’re not flying unaccompanied.

American Airlines requires you to accompany teens between the ages of 15 and 17, no matter if they’ve opted out. If your child wants the support of UM supervision, you can still book the flight for them as an unaccompanied minor, but you will have to pay the UM service fee.

International flights for unaccompanied minors

Guidelines for booking international flights for unaccompanied minors

Each airline has its own policies for unaccompanied minors. Typically, minors under five years old aren’t allowed to fly alone, while those between five and 12 may travel with special arrangements. Some airlines extend the age of the UM to 17 for international flights.

Differences in policies between domestic and international flights

The biggest difference in policy is that UMs traveling abroad require a passport. Depending on the destination, a visa may also be required. More comprehensive paperwork is also necessary. Some countries may require a notarized letter of consent from both parents or guardians authorizing the child to travel alone. This letter may need to specify details of the flight, dates, and destinations.

Less commonly, some countries require documentation proving the relationship between the child and the adults involved at drop-off and pick-up, such as a birth certificate, etc. Certain countries, such as Brazil, require any minor who is a Brazilian citizen (even dual nationals who are both US and Brazilian citizens) to have an authorization letter from each parent to travel within Brazil or exit the country.

How to book a flight for an unaccompanied minor

Check the airline’s fine print

Make sure to research age restrictions, service fees, and flight restrictions for each airline’s UM policies.

Make the reservation

Sometimes, you can purchase the UM tickets directly on the airline’s website; other times, you may have to contact the airline by phone.

You’ll need the following information to book the UM ticket:

• The child's full name and date of birth.
• Your contact information and emergency contact.
• The contact details of the person dropping off the child and the person picking them up at the destination (including photo ID requirements).

Preparing for the flight

Packing

For your child’s flight, it’s a good idea to pack fully charged devices preloaded with entertainment: snacks, a credit card for meals, a water bottle, any medications, a warm layer, a book, games, and a comfort item, such as a blanket or a stuffie. You can also tuck in a surprise or two just to mix things up.

Here are a few more pro tips on what to bring:

• Any phone numbers they may need, including yours and the adult meeting them on the other end of their flight. Make sure that the child, no matter how young, has at least two important phone numbers and addresses memorized.
• A copy of the child’s complete itinerary, with flight numbers and reservation record locator number.
• Comfortable clothes that are easy to manage in the tiny aircraft bathrooms. Label all of the child’s layers in case they accidentally get left behind.
• If your kid is flying internationally, they might have to fill out a form before going through customs. This form will be handed out during their flight, so give your kid any information they may need for the form ahead of time.

At the airport

What to expect during check-in and boarding

The first checkpoint is at the originating airport’s airline ticket counter. Airline agents will check your identification and check in the child. Sometimes, they give the child a lanyard or wristband to wear.

The agents will provide you with a pass to get through security with your child and accompany them to the gate. At the gate, you need to sit with them until it’s time to pass on your child to a gate agent. You must stay at the gate until the plane takes off.

In the air

The flight crew will monitor your child during the flight, but they aren’t babysitters. Some airlines seat the kids toward the front of the cabin to keep better tabs, while other airlines prefer the rear of the cabin for proximity to flight attendants. If your child has a connecting flight, a crew member will escort your child off the plane, and a gate agent will take the child to the next gate. Note that airline attendants aren’t allowed to administer any form of medication to passengers.

Procedures for pickup

At the arrival airport, staff will hand the child off to the authorized guardian or parent who ideally has already checked in at the ticket counter with proper identification, gone through security with their gate pass and be waiting at the gate. The airline will only release the child to the designated pick-up person, so last-minute changes in pick-up will be complex to manage.

What to do if issues arise

Handling delays or emergencies

In situations when an unaccompanied minor's flight is delayed, workers will notify the minor's emergency contacts and arrange a new flight. Airlines are also supposed to provide overnight accommodation and supervision if a child ends up needing to stay the night unexpectedly. On your end, if flight plans go awry and your child can’t get to their destination on schedule, rehearse a backup plan. Have your child update you regularly. If the plane is delayed more than several hours, is there a nearby relative or friend who would be able to come and pick them up from the airport?

Contact information for assistance

When you book the flight, ask the airline what phone number you should call for any problems during the journey. If they don't reach out to you first, you can track the flight and contact the airline in the event of a delay or diversion. If you can’t get through, either call the airline, airport, or use social media. Don't give up until you’re given up-to-date information, and feel reassured that your child is being supervised despite the change of plans.