Service for travelling unaccompanied minors
Service for unaccompanied minors
The Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Service is specifically designed to ensure the well-being and safety of young travellers when they fly without their parents or legal guardians. From check-in to arrival at your destination, the airline ensures that your child is cared for and supervised throughout their journey.
Airline policies on minimum ages for children travelling alone and escort services for unaccompanied minors vary considerably. With the exception of the major low-cost airlines, almost all other airlines offer a special service to care for children travelling alone.
This will include assistance throughout boarding, supervision during the flight and airline staff staying with your child at the destination airport until pick-up.
You will find a step-by-step guide at the bottom of the page.
Airline comparison table
| Airline | Age requirements for the service | Special conditions | Included | Minimum age for travel without an adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegan Airlines | 5-11 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| Aer Lingus | – | – | 12 years old | |
| Air Canada | 8-17 years old | Available on non-stop flights only. | Meals: yes | 12 years old |
| Air France | 4-17 years old | – | One hour transfer at Paris-Orly / 2.5 hours at Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seats and entertainment screens. Meals: Yes (for flights of less than 2.5 hours) 4-8 years: child meal 9-17 years: adult meal. | 15 years |
| Air Malta | 7-15 years old | – | Meals: Yes | 12 years (Italy 14) |
| Air New Zealand | 5-16 years old | Available on non-stop flights only. | Meals: International flights: Yes Trans-Tasman/Pacific Islands flights: No | 12 years old |
| Alaska Airlines | 5-17 years old | Trips cannot start between 9am and 5pm. | Entertainment tablets. Meals: Yes (flight over two hours) | 13 years old |
| Alitalia | 5-14 years old | – | Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seats and entertainment screens. | 15 years old |
| American Airlines | ages 5-17 | Available on non-stop flights only. | – | 15 years old |
| Austrian Airlines | 5-17 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| British Airways | – | – | 14 years old | |
| Cathay Pacific | 6-17 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| Delta Air Lines | 5-17 years of age | Not available on overnight flights (9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.), except for departures from Alaska or Hawaii and connections to international flights. | Trackable wristband Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seating and entertainment screens. | 15 years old |
| easyJet | – | – | 14 years old | |
| Emirates | 5-15 years old | Maximum transit time: 4 hours. If transfer is in Dubai, maximum transit time: 8 hours. | Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seats and entertainment screens. Meals: yes | 12 years old |
| Etihad | 5-17 years old | Maximum transit time: 8 hours. Not available on partner flights. | Activity packs are available. Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seating and entertainment screens. | 12 years |
| Eurowings | 5-11 years | – | Meals: yes | 12 years old |
| Finnair | 5-17 years old | – | Meals: yes | 12 years (Flights to/from USA: 15 years) |
| Flybe | – | – | 12 years | |
| Frontier Airlines | – | – | 15 years old | |
| Gulf Air | 5-11 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 5-11 years old | Available on direct flights only. No international flights. Children aged 5-11 are accepted on domestic flights only. | – | 12 years old |
| Iberia | 5-17 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| Icelandair | 5-15 years old | Only on Icelandair flights. Cannot be booked for certain stops. | Private waiting rooms. Meals: 2-11 years: children’s menu + drink 12-15 years: economy class menu. | 12 years old |
| Jet2.com | – | – | 16 years old | |
| JetBlue | 5-13 years old | Available on non-stop flights only. | – | 14 years |
| KLM | 5-17 years old | Transfers only on KLM, Air France and Delta Air Lines flights. | Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seats and entertainment screens. | 15 years |
| Lufthansa | 5-17 years old | – | Dedicated check-in desks. Special lounge with toys, books, comfortable seats and entertainment screens. | 12 years old |
| Norwegian Air | 5-15 years old | – | 12 years old | |
| Porter Airlines | 8-17 years old | Available on non-stop flights only. | Meals: yes | 12 years old |
| Qantas | 5-15 years old | Maximum transit time: 4 hours. | – | 12 years |
| Qatar Airways | 5-15 years old | Not available on partner flights. | – | 16 years |
| Royal Brunei Airlines | 5-15 years old | Maximum transit time: 24 hours. | – | 12 years |
| Ryanair | – | – | 16 years old | |
| Singapore Airlines | 5-17 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| Southwest Airlines | 5-17 years old | Available on direct flights only. No international flights. | – | 12 years old |
| Spirit Airlines | 5-17 years old | Available on direct flights only. No international flights. | Meals: yes | 15 years old |
| Swiss | 5-17 years old | – | – | 12 years old |
| TAP | 5-17 years | – | – | 12 years old |
| Thai Airways | 5-17 years old | Maximum transit time: 6 hours. | – | 18 years old |
| Thomas Cook | – | – | 14 years (UK) 16 years (Non UK) | |
| Thomson | – | – | 14 years | |
| Turkish Airlines | – | – | 12 years old | |
| United Airlines | 5-14 years old | Available on direct flights only. | – | 15 years |
| Virgin America | 5-17 years old | Travel cannot start between 9pm and 5am. | Meals: yes (flight over two hours) | 13 years old |
| Virgin Atlantic | 5-15 years old | Maximum transit time: 4 hours. Not available on partner flights. | – | 16 years old |
| Vueling | – | – | 12 years old | |
| WestJet | 8-17 years old | Available only on direct flights between two Canadian cities. | – | 12 years old |
| Wizz Air | – | – | 14 years old |
Unaccompanied minor service explained – Step by step
Airline agents, flight crew and specialist airport staff will work together to ensure your child’s adventure runs smoothly. The Unaccompanied Minors Service gives you peace of mind, knowing that your child will be well looked after en route to and from their destination.
At the airport – check-in
When you arrive at the airport, you must go to the check-in desk with your child. You will need to present your child’s passport, the name, address and telephone number of the person who will be picking up your child at the destination, the airline’s unaccompanied minor form, duly completed and signed, and your photo ID. Your child will be issued with an identification badge; please stress the importance of wearing this throughout the journey.
Going through security and accessing the boarding gate
After check-in, one of two possible situations will occur, depending on the airport’s policy. In some cases, you will be able to accompany your child to the boarding gate and you will receive a security pass at the check-in counter. Alternatively, an airport agent will accompany your child through security to the gate, wait there for boarding, and then assist your child to board the aircraft.
On board the aircraft
Unaccompanied minors are eligible for priority boarding and will be introduced to the cabin crew before being escorted to their seat. During the flight, the crew will pay special attention to your child and assist him/her if necessary.
Arrival at your destination
After the flight, the crew will help your child disembark and accompany them to an airport agent. The agent will guide your child through the airport, customs and baggage reclaim, to the established meeting point where they will wait for the person picking up your child to arrive and present valid identification.