Feb 24, 16, 9:06 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Unaccompanied Minor Service / Travel on AA
Q. What does AA UNMR / Unaccompanied Minor Service consist of, and are there restrictions?
Unaccompanied minor service
Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.
We won’t accept unaccompanied minors when their itineraries include:
Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination.
We won’t accept unaccompanied minors when their itineraries include:
- A connection to/from another airline, including codeshare and oneworld® partners
- Ground / co-terminal connections (unaccompanied minors under 15 years, can’t use ground transportation alone)
Guidelines for children traveling alone:
Age range Restrictions
0-5 Children under 5 years of age may not travel alone under any circumstances.
5-7 Can only travel on nonstop or direct flights. They can’t travel on certain flights on smaller aircraft when a flight attendant is not required.
8-14 Can travel on any nonstop or direct flight, or any connecting flight through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX).
15-17 Children in this age range don’t have to use the unaccompanied minor service, but it’s still available to them. When traveling alone, children 16 years of age and older can book online, to book children 15 years of age, you’ll need to call Reservations.
Note: Children 2-14 years old can travel as an 'accompanied minor' with someone 16 years or older.
American Airlines' UNMR policy: Link
Link to PDF.
Age range Restrictions
0-5 Children under 5 years of age may not travel alone under any circumstances.
5-7 Can only travel on nonstop or direct flights. They can’t travel on certain flights on smaller aircraft when a flight attendant is not required.
8-14 Can travel on any nonstop or direct flight, or any connecting flight through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX).
15-17 Children in this age range don’t have to use the unaccompanied minor service, but it’s still available to them. When traveling alone, children 16 years of age and older can book online, to book children 15 years of age, you’ll need to call Reservations.
Note: Children 2-14 years old can travel as an 'accompanied minor' with someone 16 years or older.
American Airlines' UNMR policy: Link
Link to PDF.
That will also differ by carrier, just as connection and other policies will differ. American charges $150 for one or two UNMRs each way.
American Airlines:
- The unaccompanied minor service fee is $150 (plus tax) each way
- 2 or more unaccompanied minors from the same family, traveling on the same flights, will only be charged $150 (plus tax) each way
Yes. AA requires proof of age for the child traveling alone (birth certificate, passport, etc.). The TSA will likely require this as well.
Q. What documentation do minors require for international travel?
Unaccompanied minors will generally require a passport internationally.
Be sure your unaccompanied minor has a letter signed by both parents / guardians (or copy of documentation showing there is one person with sole custody) granting him permission to travel and noting who s/he will be residing with (and I suggest another granting the adults s/he to secure medical care for the minor). The letter should probably be notarized.
US Department of State:
LETTER OF CONSENT FOR TRAVEL OF A MINOR CHILD
Because of increasing instances of child abduction in custody cases, and a growing number of children who are the victims of trafficking or pornography, an immigration officer, airline, or travel company may ask you to provide some form of letter of consent if your child is traveling internationally with only one parent or with another adult, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. The sample letter below is a guide only. You may also wish to have the letter of consent notarized.
Link to PDF of sample letter.
LETTER OF CONSENT FOR TRAVEL OF A MINOR CHILD
Because of increasing instances of child abduction in custody cases, and a growing number of children who are the victims of trafficking or pornography, an immigration officer, airline, or travel company may ask you to provide some form of letter of consent if your child is traveling internationally with only one parent or with another adult, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, etc. The sample letter below is a guide only. You may also wish to have the letter of consent notarized.
Link to PDF of sample letter.
Q. What if the minor is traveling internationally with another adult (accompanied minor)?
See the letter authorizing travel, mentioned above. As well, you can ask AA to add a "TCP* note" in his PNR (booking record) to show s/he is traveling with another adult(s) other than both parents (one parent, relatives, friends). It might be useful to do the same for the adult; this also may help the airline to assure they're not assigned different flights in case of travel disruption.
Q. Anything else?
Yes. It may be wise to assure the unaccompanied minor is covered by health / medical insurance or coverage in the destination country in addition to having a medical care authorization letter.
Even some countries with universal healthcare may be quite expensive for a person who is not a legal resident of that country.
Be sure to prepare a "care pack" - perhaps school size backpack - with books, games, etc. for distraction and entertainment. Airline unaccompanied minor services do not include continual supervision on the plane, nor are the crew charged with entertaining a child, merely with safeguarding their safety and boarding, disembarking, assuring they get available water and food, etc.
* "To Complete Party"
AA Unaccompanied Minor / UNMR Policy and Discussion (consolidated)
Mar 4, 16, 2:40 pm
#62
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TSA: TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States. Contact the airline for questions regarding specific ID requirements for travelers under 18. Link.
AA: You may be required to present proof of age (such as a birth certificate) for any children under the age of 18. Link.
Mar 4, 16, 2:42 pm
#63
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Mar 4, 16, 10:14 pm
#64
Join Date: Jun 2013
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The website states that AA may require proof of age for minors. In practice, unless the minor looks like he or she could be in their twenties, I haven't seen AA ask for this.
I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if he checks in online and has no bags.
I wouldn't worry too much about it, especially if he checks in online and has no bags.
Mar 5, 16, 6:09 am
#66
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This too, its (no fee) also why I didn't mind sending him on this trip. His younger brother (14) will have to wait.
to the rest, thank you very much. We will go to the DMV early this coming week and get him a state issued ID. If it doesn't arrive in time then we will just have him take his passport and school ID. I'll give him a copy (as in not the real version) of his birth cert as well. I'll be with him on the IAD end but not at the LAX end. It will be another relative meeting him.
Just curious, do they still give passes to accompany him to the gate (I'm not traveling) - not that he can't do it himself, but IAD is a bit more confusing than LAX which is pretty much idiot proof.
Mar 5, 16, 6:21 am
#67
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The airline could also question whether the kid is old enough to travel alone without payment of the UM fee.
Mar 5, 16, 6:26 am
#68
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Mar 5, 16, 6:28 am
#69
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Mar 5, 16, 6:32 am
#70
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They can. Ask for a gate pass to accompany him into the terminal and odds are you'll be accommodated.
Mar 5, 16, 8:00 am
#71
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thanks SBM
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
Mar 5, 16, 8:55 am
#72
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Depending on location and flexibility, it can take days to several weeks to get a GE interview appointment. For sure IAD doesn't accept walk ins - at all (sign on office door, and I've observed people being turned away).
Mar 5, 16, 8:57 am
#73
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thanks SBM
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
Mar 5, 16, 9:29 am
#74
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Join Date: Jul 2010
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thanks SBM
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
also, here is what I just did - I went to the Pre-check site to enroll him in that when I remembered that its only $15 more for Global entry.
I just applied for Global Entry for him (I have it) however with Pre-check I was able to get him an appointment on Monday but with GOES it didn't give me an appointment option even though I paid the fee.
I presume I can get an appointment fairly soon.
Mar 5, 16, 9:32 am
#75
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
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Posts: 62,951
That is correct. Once you receive your approval notification, you have a defined period of time in which to make an appointment. (Kicking the can down the road by rescheduling is OK, but not making the appointment defaults to a new application requirement.)
