An unaccompanied minor (sometimes "unaccompanied child" or "separated child") is a child traveling on a commercial flight, a train, a bus, or any similar conveyance, without the presence of a legal guardian. Most commercial airlines and similar transporting carriers have Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Programs in place and it is estimated that as many as 7 million children travel by plane yearly, using these UM-programs in the United States alone.[1]

Reasons why children travel alone

Children all over the world increasingly have family members living far away, including divorced parents who moved overseas for a career opportunity or to start a new household. Each year many children travel alone as part of their education and development, for example to attend boarding and language schools, summer camps, or auditions. Unfortunately, some children need to travel alone after a crisis situation, involving their parents, or for relocation purposes.

Unaccompanied Minor service

Most airlines have many years of experience safely transporting UM’s. Unaccompanied Minor Service can be booked for a fee as an add-on to a flight reservation, under the so called “UM program”. Airline UM-programs are approved by national and international civil aviation regulators and larger air carriers tend to handle the transport of UM’s on a daily basis and have trained staff and designated waiting areas at their hubs.

Airline policy

In airline policy an unaccompanied minor is typically an airline passenger aged between 5 and 14 years old (airline regulations vary) who travels without an accompanying adult. Minors whose accompanying adult travels on the same flight but in a different class may also be classified as unaccompanied minors.[2] A parent or guardian who requests for this service fills out a release form, identifying another guardian who will pick up the minor at the destination airport. Airline personnel are responsible for escorting the child through immigrations and customs and boarding the flight in time. A fee may be payable for this service.

During the flight, no special attention is given to the minor until the flight enters final descent to the destination. On descent, the minor is moved to the nearest exit, which could be in business or first class, so that he or she can leave the aircraft at first opportunity and be transferred to the local ground staff. After clearing immigrations and customs, the child is released only to the adult identified on the paperwork.

Some airlines have controversial unaccompanied minor seating policies which discriminate against adult male passengers on the basis of gender. Said policies are believed to be a response to reports of in-flight sexual assault, and subsequently the call from parents for airlines to better safeguard their children while traveling as a UM.[3][4][5] The policies bar unaccompanied minors from being seated next to adult males and have led to significant criticism and successful legal action.[6][7]

Some airlines, including Ryanair,[8] will not carry unaccompanied minors.

Airline and Carrier Policy

Airline and Carrier Policy
Airline or other carrier Minimum Age Mandatory Until Age Optional Until Age Minimum Solo Age Reference
Air Asia NA NA NA 12 The Skyrider Young Flyer program has been cancelled, effective 24 June 2013.[9]
Air Canada 8 11 17 12 [10]
Air China 5 11 17 12 [11]
Air France 4 11 17 12 [12]
Air New Zealand 5 11 16 12 [2]
American Airlines 5 13 17 14 [13]
Amtrak train 13 15 NA 16 Unaccompanied minors cannot travel on Amtrak Thruway service.[14]
Asiana Airlines 5 12 NA NA [15]
Belavia 5 15 NA 16 [16]
British Airways 12 NA NA 12 Service Ended 31 Jan 2017[17]
Cape Air 8 14 Any 15 [18]
Cathay Pacific 6 11 17 12 [19]
China Airlines 5 11 NA 12 [20]
Delta Air Lines 5 14 17 15 [21]
EasyJet NA NA NA 14 [22]
Emirates 5 15 NA 16 [23]
Eva Air 5 11 NA 12 [24]
FlyBe 5 11 16 12 [25]
Frontier Airlines NA NA NA 15 [26]
Greyhound Lines NA NA NA 16 [27]
Korean Air 5 11 16 12 [28]
KLM 5 14 17 15 [29]
LATAM 5 11 17 12 [30]
LOT Polish Airlines 5 11 17 12 [31]
Lufthansa 5 11 17 12 [32]
Malaysia Airlines 5 14 NA 15 [33]
Megabus (Europe) 16 (midnight to 05:00); 15 (05:00 to midnight) 17 NA 18 Written parental consent is required.[34]
Megabus (North America) NA NA NA 17 [35]
Norwegian Air Shuttle 5 11 15 12 Norwegian Air Shuttle does not currently offer Unaccompanied Minor Service to or from Bosnia, Bulgaria, the Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Croix), Israel, Kosovo, Morocco, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the U.S.[36]
Pegasus Airlines 7 13 17 14 [37]
Qantas 6 11 15 12 [38]
Ryanair NA NA NA 16 [39]
Singapore Airlines 5 11 17 12 [40]
Southwest Airlines 5 11 NA 12 [41]
Spirit Airlines 5 14 NA 15 [42]
Swoop NA NA NA 12 Swoop does not accept unaccompanied minors for travel.[43]
Transavia 5 11 15 12 [44]
United Airlines 5 15 NA 16 [45]
Virgin 5 15 NA 16 [46]
Westjet 8 11 17 12 [47]
WizzAir NA NA NA 16 Children under 14 years old cannot fly unless accompanied by an adult at least 16 years of age.[48]
WOW air 5 11 17 12 [49]

Exclusion criteria

Not all children are accepted as UM’s and not all flights are available for UM’s. Each airline has their own set of inclusion/exclusion criteria and these can vary on a single itinerary that is operated by multiple airlines on different segments. In general, any child who needs continuous supervision or individualized care beyond what airline staff can manage, will likely be denied by the airline UM-program. Any existing conditions that pose an increased risk of an in-flight emergency are also excluded.

Child-specific exclusion criteria include:

  • Children younger or older than the intended age group, as determined by the airline
  • Children with developmental delays or cognitive, behavioral or mental health challenges
  • Children who are unable to communicate with airline staff due to a hearing/vision/speech impairment or language barrier
  • Children with a severe allergy or medical condition like epilepsy or unstable juvenile diabetes
  • Children who need a support animal
  • Children who need scheduled or incidental in-flight medication

Operational exclusion criteria can include:

  • International itineraries
  • Red eye flights
  • Itineraries involving a stopover and a connecting flight
  • Itineraries involving an overnight layover
  • A maximum of UM’s on a particular flight

Child travel companion services

Parents of children who need one-on-one support during their journey, or who are excluded from airline UM-programs for other reasons, can hire independent child travel companion services. These specialized companies employ dedicated chaperones, often with a background of child care or nursing, who can fly with the child to the destination, even on longhaul international flights. In some cases these companies have the ability to provide in-flight care, making it possible for children who suffer from severe allergies or other medical conditions to safely fly without their immediate caregivers.[50]

The 2006 Christmas film Unaccompanied Minors is about a team of six unaccompanied minors, portrayed by Tyler James Williams, Dyllan Christopher, Brett Kelly, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, and Dominique Saldaña.

References

  1. ↑ "Children Traveling Alone | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com.
  2. 1 2 "Children Travelling Alone". Air New Zealand. Retrieved 13 July 2014. For their safety children travelling in a different cabin to their caregiver are required to be classified as unaccompanied minors.
  3. ↑ "Unaccompanied minor allegedly groped on American Airlines flight". The Toronto Star. 20 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Michael E. Miller (2021-10-25) [2016-06-20]. "'This was 30 minutes of hell for this young lady': Unaccompanied minor groped on flight". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  5. ↑ "Father sues airline over boy's sexual assault during layover". ABC News.
  6. ↑ BA changes child seating policy following court case BBC News, 23 August 2010
  7. ↑ BA compensates man 'humiliated' over child seat policy BBC News, 24 June 2010
  8. ↑ "Children, Infants and Young Persons". Ryanair. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  9. ↑ AskAirAsia - Can children below 12 years old travel alone?, accessed 4 Jun 2017
  10. ↑ Children travelling alone, accessed 31 December 2021
  11. ↑ Air China: Children Flying Alone, accessed 29 May 2016
  12. ↑ Your child's journey, accessed 31 December 2021
  13. ↑ Unaccompanied minor - Special assistance American Airlines, accessed 28 May 2017
  14. ↑ Booking Tickets for Unaccompanied Minors, accessed 14 February 2023
  15. ↑ Asiana Airlines: Unaccompanied Minors, accessed 19 Jun 2016
  16. ↑ Belavia - Belarussian Airlines - Categories of the passengers, accessed 28 May 2017
  17. ↑ Children travelling alone, accessed 29 May 2016
  18. ↑ Cape Air's Guidelines for Unaccompanied Minors, accessed 14 February 2023
  19. ↑ Cathay Pacific Unaccompanied children and minors, accessed 29 May 2016
  20. ↑ China Airlines Other Special Needs, accessed 29 May 2016
  21. ↑ Unaccompanied Minor Program, accessed 14 February 2023
  22. ↑ EasyJet Flying with Children, accessed 19 Jun 2016
  23. ↑ Emirates Unaccompanied Minors, accessed 29 May 2016
  24. ↑ Special Assistance - Eva Air, accessed 30 May 2016
  25. ↑ FlyBe Children and Infants, accessed 29 May 2016
  26. ↑ Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ Children Traveling, accessed 26 Sep 2023
  28. ↑ Korean Air Unaccompanied Minors, accessed 29 May 2016
  29. ↑ KLM Unaccompanied Minor service, accessed 29 May 2016
  30. ↑ Unaccompanied children - LATAM, accessed 4 Jun 2017
  31. ↑ Child travelling unaccompanied - LOT Polish Airlines, accessed 31 December 2021
  32. ↑ Unaccompanied children - Lufthansa, accessed 28 May 2017
  33. ↑ Malaysia Airlines Services and Faciliities for Children, accessed 19 Jun 2016
  34. ↑ Most popular questions for "minor" (UK), accessed 26 Sep 2023
  35. ↑ Most popular questions for "minor" (Canada), accessed 26 Sep 2023; Most popular questions for "minor" (USA), accessed 26 Sep 2023
  36. ↑ Children Travelling Alone - Norwegian, accessed 28 May 2017
  37. ↑ General Rules - Pegasus Airlines, accessed 28 May 2017
  38. ↑ Qantas Children Travelling Alone, accessed 29 May 2016
  39. ↑ Does Ryanair carry unaccompanied Minors?, accessed 19 Jun 2016
  40. ↑ Unaccompanied minors, accessed 26 Sep 2023; Help and FAQs: Unaccompanied minors, accessed 26 Sep 2023
  41. ↑ Unaccompanied Minor - Southwest.com, accessed 28 May 2017
  42. ↑ Does Spirit allow children to travel alone?, accessed 14 February 2023
  43. ↑ "At what age can a child travel alone?". Swoop.
  44. ↑ Children travelling alone - Transavia, accessed 28 May 2017
  45. ↑ Information About Children Traveling Alone - United Airlines, accessed 28 May 2017
  46. ↑ Virgin Children Travelling Alone, accessed 29 May 2016
  47. ↑ Unaccompanied minors, kids, children flying alone - Westjet.com, accessed 28 May 2017
  48. ↑ "Wizzair: Children Flying Alone - SeatGuru". www.seatguru.com. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  49. ↑ What rules apply for unaccompanied children aged 5-17? - WOW Air, accessed 30 May 2017
  50. ↑ "Child Traveler Program | Jet Companion".
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