Practical Travel Safety Issues - TSA/Airline ID requirements for unaccompanied minors traveling alone?

I checked the TSA website regarding the issue with TSA ID requirement for minors and it states: "Minor children (younger than 18) are not required to provide an ID at the airport security checkpoint. They will just need their boarding pass." Even so, that may be fine for minors traveling with parents, but I wonder what about unaccompanied minors. I have a friend at work who is working on getting her grandkids to come up for a week to visit, and I am trying to help with finding direct flights. They are old enough that they don't require the "unaccompanied minor service." It then occurred to me about the issue of needing an ID. I am not familiar with requirements for traveling minors, and even though the TSA websites states that an ID is not needed, I'd hate for her grandkids who would be traveling unaccompanied to have any issues, especially as this would be their first air travel experience.

I am sure a call to the airline will need to be made to see what they have to say on this matter, but sometimes with customer service agents, the answer you get is not always reliable, so I am seeing as much information as possible.

Thanks for any information on this matter.

This seems more topical for the Travel Safety Issues Forum.

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United MileagePlus Forum

Where are they flying from
Where are they flying to
What airline are they flying on
How old are they?

Besides ID, worry about parental permission documents (notarized?), medical power of attorney, proof of age (old enough to travel free of official UM and under 18 for not needing ID), etc. They probably do have some sort of school ID they can bring. They should have some sort of credit card for emergencies and purchase on board food and entertainment as well as a cell phone.

If this will be their very first experience flying, I'm not so sure that going without the UM service is wise. It helps that it's a nonstop flight, but can adults get gate passes at both ends to accompany them through the airport if they're totally inexperienced travelers?

Where are they flying from
Where are they flying to
What airline are they flying on
How old are they?

They would be flying IAH-CVG, nonstop, on United. Ages, 13 and 11.

I don't believe at 13 and 11 they have the option to travel as a non unaccompanied minor. The 13 year old can go as an adult, but because the eleven year old will not be traveling with an adult, I believe they have to travel using the Unaccompanied Minor Service.

Coloring added.

Children 5 to 11 years of age who are not accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age on the same aircraft are considered unaccompanied minors. Travel arrangements for young travelers can be booked at any of the following:

united.com
United Reservations call center
Your local travel agent
The following rules are in effect for unaccompanied minor travel:

United allows unaccompanied minor travel only on United Airlines and United Express® flights.

Unaccompanied minors under 5 years of age are not accepted.
Unaccompanied minors ages 5 to 7 may only travel on nonstop flights.
Unaccompanied minors ages 8 to 11 may travel on any flight (nonstop or connecting) operated by United or United Express. However, travel will not be allowed on the last connecting flight of the day — unless the connecting flight is the only published service to that destination. Unaccompanied minors are not accepted on flights which require an overnight stay in order to make a connection.

Children ages 12 to 17 have the option to pay the fee and use the unaccompanied minor service or they may travel as adults with no unaccompanied minor service provided.

OP's question relates to TSA checkpoint requirements. The answer is that UM's or not, OP's children don't need ID for the checkpoint. In addition, UA will generally issue OP a gate pass to accompany his kids to the gate. OP will, of course, need ID.

They are old enough that they don't require the "unaccompanied minor service."

this would be their first air travel experience.

ID requirements aside, you should really think that through a little more. Even if they were technically old enough (which, as stated, one isn't), sending two kids who have never flown before on their own without any help is not a very smart thing to do.

Just my 2 cents.

OP's question relates to TSA checkpoint requirements. The answer is that UM's or not, OP's children don't need ID for the checkpoint. In addition, UA will generally issue OP a gate pass to accompany his kids to the gate. OP will, of course, need ID.

Gee, sorry for trying to help.

I will therefore answer the question.

The kids will not need an ID.

Which is a totally moot point, since they can not fly on United as Unaccompanied Minors even if an adult goes to the gate with them (see, that's the part in the quote about being on the same aircraft with them, but as you clearly pointed out that was not what was asked).

Sorry, guess that part really doesn't matter since it has nothing to do with the TSA checkpoint.

What a nasty place this board has become, instead of advice, people feel the need to be critical of other posts.

So yes, apparently the better answer in this forum is they do not need ID and not mention at all they can not fly unaccompanied and leave that for the surprise at checkin.

Gee, sorry for trying to help.

I will therefore answer the question.

The kids will not need an ID.

Which is a totally moot point, since they can not fly on United as Unaccompanied Minors even if an adult goes to the gate with them (see, that's the part in the quote about being on the same aircraft with them, but as you clearly pointed out that was not what was asked).

Sorry, guess that part really doesn't matter since it has nothing to do with the TSA checkpoint.

What a nasty place this board has become, instead of advice, people feel the need to be critical of other posts.

So yes, apparently the better answer in this forum is they do not need ID and not mention at all they can not fly unaccompanied and leave that for the surprise at checkin.

You misunderstood my post. It was not critical of any other post. It simply answers OP's original question. You should not take it as anything but that.

The reason it's important is that, having established that the two minors must travel as UM's, the checkpoint ID question isn't moot by any means. It's just one less issue for OP's friend to deal with.

I'm an american teacher in China. Two of my students (10 years old) will hopefully be traveling to America with me this summer for one month. My question is, what documents will the US border patrol/immigration officers need to show that they are traveling with me at the request of their parents? I have not been able to find information online about this specific situation. I have found much about American children traveling abroad without the biological parents, but nothing about foreign kids coming for a visit without an accompanying parent. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

For starters, obviously passports and visas. Do Chinese citizens currently need some sort of additional exit permission? While medical insurance might not be formally required, it would be unwise to not get coverage. I would want to have notarized documents in English giving you permission to travel with them and some sort of temporary custody or at least a medical power of attorney to make decisions for the kids in an emergency. Ask the USA embassy or consulate in China what they suggest and can do to make documents official for the USA.

You need to check Chinese government requirements, airline requirements, and USA requirements including CBP for immigration and TSA for airport security/boarding flights.

Be especially anal about documents if circumstances could be misunderstood, such as single male with two unrelated kids of this age or kids from an especially impoverished area of China. It could look like trafficking to someone.