Minor travel could be for many reasons, such as educational purposes or meeting the family somewhere far away. However, considering their young age, the factor of their safety is also important for their parents and guardians. As a result, many airlines now offer a dedicated service for unaccompanied minor travel. Under this service, kids who are of the minimum age to fly alone are given assistance in their solo travel. Moreover, the kids are entitled to some perks that they will get during their journey. Thus, you can learn more about this topic by reading the subheadings.
What You Need When Flying with Minors in 2025?
Minors can travel alone, but they need to fulfill some of the basic requirements of age and documents. Thus, this Age Requirements and Documentation Guide is applicable to each airline and is almost the same for everyone. Thus, these have been discussed in detail in the flyers in the individual titles below.
Age Requirements: Here are the age requirements for different age groups.
- Infants who are under 24 months of age can travel on the lap of their parents without a fee.
- Kids who are below the age of 5 are considered not to be mature enough to travel alone.
- Children between the ages of 5 and 11 can travel using the UMNR service.
- Youngsters between the ages of 12 and 17 need not take UMNR service for their solo travel.
Documentation Guide: There are some essential documents needed for UMNR travel.
- Parents must fill out the unaccompanied minor form, which has several important details about the kid.
- A valid proof of age to verify that the kid is eligible for the UMNR services.
- A non-expired passport of the kid for international travel.
- Identity proof of both of the parents who will pick up and drop off the child at the airport.
Can a 16-year-old travel alone?
Generally, there is no restriction for a 16-year-old to travel alone on a flight. This is because the legal age to fly alone starts at 5 years. Hence, a kid who is older than 12 years can travel alone without taking the UMNR services for them. Moreover, these kids are also allowed to take connecting flights in their travel.
What is the fare for minors on flights?
The fare for minor travel may vary with different airlines. However, every airline charges a fee for the services that they provide during the travel, like early boarding and continuous assistance, with special seating arrangements. Hence, kids who have a valid flight age limit may pay around $100-$150 for recovery of the charges for these services, which may change with the airlines.
What is the minor policy for flying?
In UMNR, kids can travel alone with the assistance of the airlines they are flying with. However, knowing the rules of travel can prepare them well for the journey they are going to take alone. Hence, if the kid is the minimum age to fly alone, then it is mandatory for the kid and parents to know the rules. Thus, these rules are given in the points below.
- At the time of departure, the parents shall wait for the confirmation of the flight take-off before leaving the airport.
- An attendant will accompany the kid at the airport till they reach the flight.
- Kids with the UMNR service will always sit nearest to the crew member on the flight.
Conclusion
Finally, the kids who have to travel alone now have the option of many airlines that give them UMNR service. However, the basic eligibility is the minimum age to fly alone, which has to be fulfilled before the booking. Moreover, the parents have to pay some fee for these services at the time of reservation. Additionally, each of the airlines has its own communication number for any kind of help.