Most U.S. airlines will permit children who have reached their fifth birthday to travel unaccompanied.
Kids ages 5 through 11 who are flying alone must usually travel pursuant to special “unaccompanied minor” procedures
. On some airlines, these procedures are required for unaccompanied children as old as 14.
Can a 16 year old go on a plane alone?
For safety,
we require children age 5 – 14 traveling alone to use our unaccompanied minor service. This service is optional for children age 15 – 17, but if requested, then the fee applies
. We charge a $150 unaccompanied service fee (plus tax, where applicable) each way, in addition to the ticket price.
How old does a kid have to be to fly alone?
General Age Guidelines for Unaccompanied Minors
A child must be
at least 5
to fly solo. Kids ages 5 – 7 can take a direct flight to a single destination but not connecting flights. Those 8 and up may change aircraft on some airlines, and will typically be escorted by airline personnel to their connecting flight.
Can my 14 year old fly alone?
Children younger than 5 need to travel with a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age or older.
If the youngest traveler is 5-14 and the oldest traveler is 15-17, the younger traveler is still considered an unaccompanied minor
.
Can a 17 year old buy a plane ticket?
Federal Regulations
Any minor with access to the Internet and a credit card can technically purchase a plane ticket and fly unaccompanied without breaking any federal laws
— so long as the minor is authorized to use the credit card.
Can a 17 year old fly alone on American airlines?
Children ages 15-17 years are not required to travel as unaccompanied minors
, but the service is optional for this age group as well. Children under 5 years of age are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult who is at least 16 years old.
Can a 15 year old fly alone on Frontier?
Effective November 1, 2018,
Frontier Airlines will no longer accept children traveling alone under the age of 15 yrs. of age
. Any child under the age of 15 must be on the same reservation as an accompanying adult. For complete details regarding unaccompanied minors, visit our Unaccompanied Minor page.
Which airline is cheapest for unaccompanied minors?
- Alaska: Cheapest UM fee (as low as $25 one way for non-stops)
- Southwest: Cheap UM fee ($50 one way) + youngest age where children can travel without paying a UM fee (no fee needed by 12th birthday)
Can my 13 year old fly alone?
Children 5 to 14 years old must travel as unaccompanied minors when not traveling with a person at least 15 years old
. Children 15 and older may request and pay for the unaccompanied minor service. Unaccompanied minors are accepted only on direct flights that do not require a change of aircraft or flight number.
Can a 17 year old fly alone on Southwest?
Southwest considers children ages 12 through 17 traveling alone to be Young Travelers, not Unaccompanied Minors
. Accordingly, Southwest’s Unaccompanied Minor procedures do not apply to ages 12 through 17.
Can a 14 year old fly alone on JetBlue?
Children between the ages of 5 years and under 14 years traveling alone are considered unaccompanied minors
. The child traveling unaccompanied must have reached their fifth birthday by the date of travel on JetBlue.
Can a 12 year old fly alone on Southwest Airlines?
Our Unaccompanied Minor program is only for children ages five through 11 years old.
Children ages 12 and older are allowed to travel independently
. However, we encourage parents to decide whether their children are capable of and comfortable with: Negotiating all airports.
