Children travelling alone

Booking a child travelling alone

Every US airline runs an unaccompanied minor programme, and no two of them work the same way. Age bands differ, fees differ, and crucially the rules about connections differ — which is why the same journey can be perfectly bookable on one carrier and refused outright on another.

How the programmes generally work

The shape is common to most carriers, even where the detail is not:

• An age floor below which a child may not fly alone at all.
• A mandatory band in which the escort service must be purchased and the fee paid, typically covering younger children.
• An optional band for older children and young teenagers, where you may choose the service or let them travel as an ordinary passenger.
• A per-journey fee, charged in each direction, often covering more than one sibling travelling together.
• Connection restrictions. Many carriers accept unaccompanied minors only on nonstop flights within the youngest band, and several will not accept them on the last departure of the day, precisely because a cancellation would strand a child overnight.

We do not publish each airline's ages and fees here, because they change and a stale table on this subject would be worse than none. We confirm the current rules with the specific carrier when we quote you, and we tell you where the figures came from.

What tends to go wrong

• Booking a connection that is not permitted. The most common problem. The itinerary looks fine, the child's age does not qualify for connecting travel, and the airline declines it at the airport.
• The last flight of the day. Attractive on price, frequently not accepted for unaccompanied minors, and a bad idea regardless.
• Two separate tickets. If a journey is split across two bookings, no single airline is responsible for the child through the connection. Avoid this entirely.
• The wrong adult at the far end. The person collecting must be the person named on the booking, with photo identification, and cannot be swapped at short notice without contacting the airline.
• The dropping-off adult leaving too early. You are normally required to stay at the airport until the aircraft has actually departed, in case it returns to stand.
• Codeshare confusion. A flight sold by one airline but operated by another may fall under the operating carrier's rules, which can be different.

What we need to book it

• The child's full name as printed on their identity document, and date of birth. Their age on the date of travel is what counts, not their age today — a birthday between booking and departure can change which rules apply.
• Full name, address, telephone number and relationship of the adult dropping off.
• The same for the adult collecting at the destination, who must bring photo ID.
• An alternate contact for each end, in case the primary cannot be reached.
• Any medical, dietary or accessibility needs.

Preparing the child

• Put a card in their bag with the collecting adult's name and number, and make sure the child knows it independently of a phone.
• Assume the phone battery will die. A charged power bank in hand baggage helps.
• Keep essential medication, a snack and anything comforting in the cabin bag, not in the hold.
• Explain the wristband or lanyard the airline will give them, and that staff will hand them over person to person.
• Walk them through what happens if the flight is delayed: staff stay with them, and they do not leave the airport with anyone who is not on the form.

International journeys

Sending a child across a border adds paperwork. Many countries expect a notarised letter of consent from any non-travelling parent or guardian, and border officials may ask for it. Requirements depend on the destination and on the child's nationality, so check the destination country's official guidance. If a child is travelling on a different surname from the accompanying documents, expect questions.

Common questions