Feb 24, 2016, 8:32 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Unaccompanied Minor Travel
Q. What is "unaccompanied minor" service provided by an airline?
As posted by a FT Flight Attendant: "The UM (service) provides escorted service on and off the plane, as well as handoff to the correct party. It also includes making sure the child gets the proper inflight service (food and beverages). It does not provide entertaining the child or supervising them."
Q. How old must minors be to travel unaccompanied?
The age will differ by airline. Call or read the website of the carrier you will use. If it's multiple carriers, many airlines will refuse to allow an unaccompanied minor.
For one example, read American Airlines' UNMR policy: Link to PDF.
American Airlines: 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)
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
The airline generally 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?
Your unaccompanied minor will generally require his or her own passport for international travel.
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 the airline 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.
* "To Complete Party"
Unaccompanied Minors
Aug 20, 2013, 2:52 pm
#152
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: IAD
Programs: No Loyalty to any airline
Posts: 2,378
No one can provide useful advice without all the information. Even in OP's first thread about this trip, it was very unclear as to whether or not she paid for this child to travel as an UM:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...l#post21098182
I am really wondering if the person who checked her in for the return flight, did not pay the UM fee, and failed to complete the necessary paperwork. And, if they did, why didn't your daughter speak up when she arrived in ATL and needed help?
I am sorry your daughter had a bad experience, but really, posts with threats are so tedious.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...l#post21098182
I am really wondering if the person who checked her in for the return flight, did not pay the UM fee, and failed to complete the necessary paperwork. And, if they did, why didn't your daughter speak up when she arrived in ATL and needed help?
I am sorry your daughter had a bad experience, but really, posts with threats are so tedious.
Last edited by 6rugrats; Aug 20, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Aug 22, 2013, 5:35 am
#153
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Paris
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 40
Of course the UM fee requested was paid upon departing from the Paris CDG airport. She informed Delta staff when arriving in ATL that she was alone and supposed to have UM status, and they said flatly , we can't help you. For some reason her UM status which was perfectly fine on the first leg wasn't for the return
Paperwork was all completed and all fees paid during the first leg of the journey (although Delta staff at CDG seemed confused as to what and how much to pay)
Of course I paid the fee and prepared her.
Paperwork was all completed and all fees paid during the first leg of the journey (although Delta staff at CDG seemed confused as to what and how much to pay)
Of course I paid the fee and prepared her.
Last edited by bdschobel; Aug 22, 2013 at 10:51 am
Aug 22, 2013, 11:51 pm
#156
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: France
Programs: United Plus
Posts: 1,761
Of course the UM fee requested was paid upon departing from the Paris CDG airport. She informed Delta staff when arriving in ATL that she was alone and supposed to have UM status, and they said flatly , we can't help you. For some reason her UM status which was perfectly fine on the first leg wasn't for the return
Did someone check in with her on the first leg and sign the paperwork?
Normally, with UM's, an adult is supposed to be with the child and signs the papers. That's when the passport is also handed over, from the adult to the ground staff. I'm not sure if it's possible for someone who's old enough to fly on their own to simply show up and say they're a UM. I would get that straight before complaining to them.
I did have a friend who had similar happen. She had a gate-pass to get her children to their international flight so the ground staff messed up, thinking all three were flying. In her case, her children were too young to fly by themselves so things got a little heated but Air France had to let them go as UM's (or not at all).
Did someone check in with her on the first leg and sign the paperwork?
Normally, with UM's, an adult is supposed to be with the child and signs the papers. That's when the passport is also handed over, from the adult to the ground staff. I'm not sure if it's possible for someone who's old enough to fly on their own to simply show up and say they're a UM. I would get that straight before complaining to them.
I did have a friend who had similar happen. She had a gate-pass to get her children to their international flight so the ground staff messed up, thinking all three were flying. In her case, her children were too young to fly by themselves so things got a little heated but Air France had to let them go as UM's (or not at all).
Aug 26, 2013, 11:39 am
#157
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: Delta Gold
Posts: 622
Who accompanied your daughter to the flight in Orlando and signed her over there? We flew our girls UM several times a year TATL until they turned 15. It was often a hassle, but the procedures were pretty clear. As EclipsePearl said, you typically turn over all the travel documents when checking them into the flight, and at that point let them know who will be picking them up on the other end. It's a hassle both on the outbound and return flight, but part of the price you pay. From what you've said, it seems that steps were missed in Orlando either by Delta or by whoever brought her to the airport and should have checked her in as a UM.
I'm glad she made her connecting flight safely in the end.
I'm glad she made her connecting flight safely in the end.
Aug 27, 2013, 2:26 am
#158
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Paris
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 40
What are you on about Doc Savage? If you need proof I can DM you , don't need to prove anything here in public suffice to say I write for Travel and Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Monocle, etc but then again, you probably only get the supermarket soap opera and gun stuff..
Aug 27, 2013, 2:29 am
#159
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Paris
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 40
The thing is she turned 15 the day before... but Delta still said no problem as an UM as she flew over as one. All the right paperwork was given in, but mysteriously her status had changed and apparently they couldnt do anything about it ..
Aug 27, 2013, 7:51 am
#160
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: Delta Gold
Posts: 622
There really isn't an issue with her age. You can still fly UM service as long as you're a minor. It also doesn't matter what paperwork you filled out in Paris or what fees you paid, if a responsible adult doesn't check her in as a UM on the return from Orlando. If she'd been checked in as a UM in Orlando, she wouldn't have been carrying her own passport. I'm just curious where the breakdown was?
Jan 27, 2015, 9:51 am
#161
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1
Kids (Unaccompanied Minors) flying by themselves
So my wife and kids flew UA1637 on New Year's Day from SEA to EWR, which is a 6am flight. We figured the kids would be most mellow that early in the morning. To our surprise there was a 5 year old boy in 35F flying by himself. He was a nightmare...not so much for us but for the 2 ladies who had to sit next to him. They were flying with a small dog and had to tend to the boy and his demands for 6 hours! He wanted water, he wanted juice, he needed to pee all the time and he wanted to move about a lot. My hat really goes off for these women for putting up with that. They talked and even played games with him the whole flight. We later learned his parents separated and lived on different sides of the country and so he was flying back to one of them who lived in Nyc.
IMHO, I just thought it was unfair for the women in 35D and 35E. While I understand sometimes you have to let your kid fly by themselves, I don't think I would personally do that, especially a 5 year old. I'm just wondering how frequent this happens and what others think about this. Also, shouldn't the airline compensate passengers who have to put up with this?
Oh and the boy fell asleep when we get to the gate at EWR. 😐
IMHO, I just thought it was unfair for the women in 35D and 35E. While I understand sometimes you have to let your kid fly by themselves, I don't think I would personally do that, especially a 5 year old. I'm just wondering how frequent this happens and what others think about this. Also, shouldn't the airline compensate passengers who have to put up with this?
Oh and the boy fell asleep when we get to the gate at EWR. 😐
Jan 27, 2015, 10:17 am
#163
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
The unaccompanied minors traveling issue is not UA specific and would seem better to discuss in Travel with Children forum.
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
WineCountryUA
UA coModerator
Jan 27, 2015, 10:53 am
#164
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: BOS-TLV
Programs: Lots of them, no status
Posts: 1,318
It happens all the time. I'd imagine that, if nothing else, the level of supervision promised for a child of that age and for the fee paid wasn't adequately provided, so if this is on anyone, it's probably on united.
Would I send my own 5 year old x-country alone? No. Do other people do it? All the time.
Would I send my own 5 year old x-country alone? No. Do other people do it? All the time.
Last edited by vicarious_MR'er; Jan 27, 2015 at 11:22 am
Jan 27, 2015, 11:04 am
#165
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, Global Entry, TSA Pre✓
Posts: 707
If an unaccompanied ill behaved 5 year old sat down next to me on a SEA-EWR flight, I would have immediately tried to switch seats. I was on a SFO-SEA flight last year seated next to an unaccompanied minor, about 7 years old, who spoke only Spanish and had nothing to entertain himself. I ended up letting him play on my iPad and helped him as best as I could with my terrible Spanish, but it was a trying flight. It wasn't his fault, but I prefer not to babysit a stranger's child.