Young ones flying by themselves are protected by the airlines. There are numerous airlines that provide unaccompanied minor services, and each of them lays out a regulation for transporting a child in good condition. Moreover, airlines work in their capacity to create a safe space for children to travel alone without having second thoughts. However, airlines acting alone cannot ensure the function of such service and require assistance from the parent/guardian. This is why airlines have presented certain guidelines for the parent/legal guardian along with the kid that has to be adhered to. Additionally, the various other details on the child solo travel can be found in the following titles.

What is an unaccompanied minor program?

The unaccompanied minor program is a special service offered by airlines to accompany a child who has to fly without a parent/guardian. This service parent/guardian to rest at ease because airline unaccompanied minor service directs the proper supervision to the kid and handed over from one to another till reaching to the completion of the journey. Furthermore, the process, regulations or fee to use this service can vary from airline to airline, but a child can fly safely from one to another region.

What is the minimum age a child can fly alone?

An age is one of the main factors for a child to travel alone. This is because airline unaccompanied minor service, which allows children to fly alone, can be obtained if you have attained the minimum age requirements. Moreover, these age criteria varied according to the airline, but the common practices of airlines have been shown in the following points:

  • Under 5 years: Children cannot travel alone and need to be accompanied by a guest at least of legal age.
  • From 5 to 11 or 11 years: kid a fly solo with the unaccompanied minor service.
  • Aged of children is 12 to 17 years: The unaccompanied minor service is an option and can be added to the requirements of the parent or guardian.

What airline allows minors to fly alone?

Nowadays, several airlines operate from/to different regions, but there are only a few that can provide an unaccompanied minor service. While this service required an add-on service for the safe journey of the kid, but this service is not very common in all airlines. Thus, you could be able to determine the airline with the unaccompanied minor feature from the following points:

  • United Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • Delta Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Cathay Pacific
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Spirit Airlines
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Qatar Airways

How do I book a flight for an unaccompanied minor?

An unaccompanied minor flight ticket could be available for a child of a certain age only and to specific routes. So, when you are accommodated with all those relevant conditions, then booking can be initiated from the airlines. Further, the airlines have different operational networks, and specifications on each one of them can be found at the bottom:

Book a UMNR flight By calling to the airline's reservation desk

An unaccompanied minor ticket is mostly booked on the airlines by getting through their customer service. This is because it is one of the complicated services offered by the airlines that need the attention of their legal guardian/parent over different subject matters. Moreover, it provides necessary information for the pre-and post-flight conditions. In order to make a reservation, find the airline's official contact number and then complete their booking procedure.

Booking a minor ticket from the airline's official website

In some airlines flight tickets for the kid, who is traveling alone can be arranged by preparing a reservation from the website. In this way, the parent/guardian carrying the reservations of the minor can scrutinize all the conditions on their own without getting trapped in the hidden clause. So the common proactive of booking an unaccompanied minor ticket from the airlines are as such:

  1. Go to the airline's official website.
  2. From their home tab, click on the book icon.
  3. Enter the flight information and then choose children as their travelers.
  4. Thereafter, select the flight with their cabins.
  5. Enter the details of the passenger and then pay the cost of the airline with the unaccompanied minor fees.
  6. Once this process is finished, then the flight ticket is received in the registered email.

Submitting the unaccompanied minor consent form

A flight for minors can be arranged through any of these mediums, but one of the crucial parts of using the UMNR service is submitting the consent letter to the airlines. This is a form shared by the airline to be filled by the minor parent/guardian, which carries a letter of authorization and various important information. Sometimes, the child flight consent form could be obtained from the airline's official website or airline counter at the airline counter at the airport.

How does an unaccompanied minor service work?

Airlines are laced with different sorts of services, and each of them has its own way of operations. Similarly, airlines have an unaccompanied minor program for leading any minor on the journey. Moreover, the tips for kids flying alone or processing for an unaccompanied kid travelling have been stated herein:

  • Book an unaccompanied minor ticket: When a minor is traveling alone, the parent/guardian must buy the flight ticket with the unaccompanied minor services. This add-on service can cost extra and is mainly purchased by calling the reservation desk. 
  • Submit the unaccompanied minor form: UMNR flight booking will be considered incomplete if the parent/guardian has not submitted the unaccompanied minor form to the airline at the airport. The child consent form carries contact information, along with the child's and accompanying adult's details.
  • Parent/guardian drop kids at the airport: On the day of travel, the parent or guardian had to drop off the children at the airport before check-in time and remain at the airport at least 15 minutes after the flight departed.
  • Boarding flight: A child flying solo on an unaccompanied minor ticket could be the first to board the flight if they arrive earlier or be the last one. During the journey, the cabin crew pays additional attention to the child until it's landed. 
  • Arrive to the destinations: upon the arrival of the flight, the flight attendant or member of the airline could complete the child immigration process and collect their luggage. As this process is completed, then they could be handed over to the guardian/parent.
What is needed for an unaccompanied minor to fly?

A minor flying alone becomes an airline's priority concern. So, for their safety interests, airlines require different sorts of traveling documents, and without having them, the flight ticket can be canceled, too. Hence, the document for the child flight requirements has been presented in the following points:

  • Visa of the country (if the destinations are needed).
  • Child ID or Valid passports.
  • Proof of age or birth certificate (according to the airline's requirements).
  • Copy of the flight tickets.
  • Consent letter or unaccompanied minor form copies.
  • Receipt of the add-on paid services.
  • Certificate on travel insurance.
  • Information on the allergies.
Is it safe for unaccompanied minors to fly?

Yes, it is safe for an unaccompanied minor to fly. Further, these can be assumed so because of the airline's strict rules and regulations that are for an unaccompanied minor service. Moreover, these conditions can vary according to the airlines, but there is some generic Airlines unaccompanied minor policy that states the safety of children, who are flying alone to remain untouched. Thus, you can find the information on those rules from the bottom points:

  • Airlines rarely allow child solo flyers on connecting flights and if they, then they must not at the last connecting flight of the day.
  • If a child is travelling alone, then airlines also forbid them to buy a ticket on the Red Eye flights.
  • An unaccompanied minor is not able to fly with the add-on bags or pets.
  • Airlines could provide a lanyard or band to the child's solo flyer to track their progress or identify them in the crowd.
  • When the flight is likely to face bad weather or operational disruptions, then the airline can cancel the booking to protect the child from any further inconvenience.
  • An unaccompanied minor child is also not allowed to choose an emergency exit row or seat behind it.

Conclusion

The journey-related queries of the unaccompanied minor could be resolved by taking a look at the descriptions that have been raised here. However, the policies of modes of operation can vary from airline to airline, so you get to check with the carrier that you are planning a trip. If there is something difficult to understand or confusing for the kids flying alone, then you can go through the customer service department of a particular airline for an answer.