As people are starting to travel again after the various worldwide lockdowns imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the global travel industry is being slowly dusted off in preparation. Although flights and trains are used to take passengers to their destinations both domestically and internationally, it is often difficult to find a service that allows young children to travel by themselves.

In this article, we look at which airlines and railways accept minors to travel unaccompanied and what service do they offer.

Air travel

Airlines deal with unaccompanied minors in various ways. They even differ in their classification of what a minor is. Below is a look at a few popular airlines and the general rules that dictate how they deal with unaccompanied minors.

Emirates Airways

Chaperone service: YES

• Minors are between the ages of 5 and 15 years old.
• A ground member receives the child at the check-in desk and accompanies them through the security and immigration checks.
• Dubai airport has a special airport lounge which is equipped with video games, snacks and beverages. Kids will be kept here until their flight is called or if they're in transit in Dubai. They are provided with meals, if necessary. There is a responsible adult with them at all times.   
• They will board the flight first with the help of a designated cabin crew member to give them time to settle down and get comfortable, and help them stow their overhead baggage. During the flight, staff are on hand to help. 
• Once the flight lands, another ground staff member receives them from the aircraft to help them through the necessary stages of immigration and baggage collection to meet with their parents or guardians at the arrivals gate.

The cost for this service is the price for an adult fare. For children who are between 12 and 15 years old who already pay the adult fare, this service costs USD50 per leg of the total journey. 

Air France

Chaperone service: YES

For Air France, a child traveling alone is a minor who is not accompanied by an adult over 18 years of age.

• The service is available for children aged between 4 to 11 years traveling alone (but for international flights, the minimum age is 5). From 12, children can travel on their own, but the service can still be requested.
• Children must be checked in as an unaccompanied minor (UM). You will need to complete an online form: "unaccompanied minor".
• They are looked after by Air France staff and benefit from the Kids Solo service.
• Designated staff receive the unaccompanied child at departures and escort them to the flight.
• During the flight, the cabin crew supervise the child. Parents/guardians are appraised of any changes to the itinerary. 
• Upon arrival, your child will be the last to leave the aircraft. A member of the staff will accompany the child to the designated pick-up person waiting at the arrival area. The pick-up person will receive an SMS with the aircraft's estimated time of arrival and will need to provide a photo ID.
• For kids older than 11 years but younger than 17 years old who don't opt for the service, the airline treats them as adults.

Every year 285,000 children travel using the Kids Solo service. Costs for this special service vary according to the destination: between €50 and €80 per journey for a direct international flight (€40 for internal flight), and between €75 and €100 per journey for a flight with 1 or more connections.

KLM

Chaperone service: YES

• The service is available for children between the ages of 5 and 14 years old.
• Designated staff receive the unaccompanied child at departures and escort them to the flight.
• During the flight, the cabin crew supervise the child. Parents/guardians are appraised of any changes to the itinerary. 
• At arrival airport, the young passenger is accompanied until the authorised adult is able to collect them.
• For kids older than 15 years but younger than 17 years old who don't opt for the service, the airline treats them as adults.
• KLM only allows transfers for unaccompanied minors on certain airlines like KLM and Air France.

Costs for this special service vary according to the destination. A direct flight within Europe costs about €100 additional fee for the service and a flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to another intercontinental airport with a transit in the United States costs € 250 PLUS the cost of an adult ticket.

Lufthansa

Chaperone service: YES

• Children aged between 5 and 11 may only fly unaccompanied if they are using the Lufthansa care service or if they are travelling with someone who is at least 12 years old.
• Children aged from 12 up to a maximum of 17 years old, who are travelling alone, can also be looked after at the request of their parents with Lufthansa Care service.
• Tickets for unaccompanied children cannot be booked online, but only via the Service Center or at a travel agency. 
• At the airport you will be given the small yellow Lufthansa bag which the child should keep with them clearly visible during the entire journey.
• Designated staff receive the unaccompanied child at departures and escort them to the flight.
• On arrival, the flight crew will hand your child over to a member of staff who will then take your child to meet the person who is collecting them.

Every year 70,000 children travel using the Lufthansa care service. The service cost between €85 and €150 depending on the destination.

Iberia

Chaperone service: YES

• Children aged between 5 and 11 may only fly unaccompanied if they are using the Unaccompanied minor service. For young flyers aged 12 to 17, the service is optional.
• You can book the service up to 72 hours online through Iberia.com (in the countries where it is available) before departure, or 48 hours before departure by phone
• At the airport children will get a neck pouch for all the documentation (ticket, passport, release of liability form, etc.), which they should keep visible at all times until they reach the destination.
• On arrival, the minor will disembark last. A member of the assistance staff will accompany them and hand them over to the person authorised to collect them, who will be required to show valid photo ID.

The service cost between €45 and €150 depending on the destination.

American Airlines

Chaperone service: YES

All kids between the ages of 5 and 14 years old travelling with American Airlines have to use the airline unaccompanied minor service. For older teens between 15 and 17 years old, using the service is optional but the required fee of $150 must still be paid together with the ticket price.

The unaccompanied minor service covers:

• Boarding the flight first to settle in and meet the cabin crew in charge of them.
• Certain airports have special lounges dedicated to minors waiting to make flight connections with a member of ground staff to guide the child through to the connecting departure gate and handing them over to their responsible adult at the destination. The lounges are constantly manned by staff but no food and beverages are available. Children will have to step outside the lounge under supervision to purchase any food or drink. 

There are unaccompanied minor lounges in some airports, like:

• Charlotte, NC (CLT)
• Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA)
• Dallas Fort Worth, TX (DFW)
• New York, NY (JFK and LGA)
• Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
• Miami, FL (MIA)
• Chicago, IL (ORD)
• Philadelphia, PA (PHL)
• Phoenix, AZ (PHX)

Singapore Airlines

Chaperone service: YES

• The service is available for children between the ages of 5 and 17 years old. The Unaccompanied Minor handling service is mandatory for passengers aged 5 to below 12 years old and optional for passengers aged 12 to below 18 years old.
• To make a booking, get in touch with your local Singapore Airlines office.
• You will need to complete and submit an Unaccompanied Minors Handling Service Form.

British Airways

NO chaperone service for British Airways

• As a general rule, minors are classed as 14 years old and older but a young passenger can be accompanied by another passenger who is 16 years or older.
• Booking can only be made directly with the airline and not online because partner airlines have varying regulations, age limits and costs. For example, partner airline SunAir accepts unaccompanied flights for minors over 5 years old.
• Parental consent and other relevant documentation and requirements must be carried by the young traveller. Refer to the airline for a complete list.

The cost is the same price as an adult ticket but they will not be accompanied through departure procedures, security, immigration or arrivals. The airline accepts no responsibility for the child.

Aer Lingus

NO chaperone service for Aer Lingus

• They do not accept reservations for unaccompanied children less than 12 years of age. Children under 12 years of age can only travel with Aer Lingus if accompanied by an adult aged 16 years or older, who’ll take responsibility for the child.
• Aer Lingus accept unaccompanied young passengers aged 12-15 years inclusive (a form of indemnity must be completed).
• They can't provide special assistance for these passengers.

Rail Travel

SNCF (France and Switzerland)

Chaperone service: Depends on the destination and during weekend and school holidays only

For the French railway company, it depends on the type of train.

TGV-InOui / Lyria (Paris-Switzerland)

• There is a chaperone service for children between the ages of 4 and 14 years old called Junior & Cie.
• Professional animators (BAFA holders) receive the unaccompanied child at departures and escort them to their seat on the train.
• During the journey, a specific animator will supervise the child and will offer activities (board games, manual activities, scoubidous, coloring...).
• At the station on arrival, the young passenger is accompanied until the authorised adult is able to collect them with their ID.
• The service is only available to about 130 destinations during school holidays and about 20 destinations during weekends.

The Junior & Cie service costs between €35 and €54 depending on the journey. The booking must be made between 3 months and 4 days before your departure. In 2019, more than 250 000 children used this service.

TGV-Ouigo (Lowcost TGV) / TER (regional train) / Intercités

• No children under the age of 12 can travel alone. They must be accompanied by a responsible adult

Eurostar (England-France) / Thalys (Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam)

Chaperone service: NO

• No children under the age of 12 can travel alone. They must be accompanied by a responsible adult 16 years or older.
• Children older than 12 but younger than 15 years old can travel alone but must have parental consent. The Eurostar unaccompanied minor form must be filled out and signed in the presence of a staff member at the station.
• This form must be kept with the child during the journey and produce it when required by the staff on board the train.
• Children under 16 travelling alone are barred from travelling on certain routes like the routes between Brussels and the Netherlands and to the French Alps.
• Teens between 16 to 18 years old can travel unaccompanied provided they have the requisite legal travel documents.

Amtrak (US)

Chaperone service: NO

No children under 12 or younger may travel alone. Children older than 12 but younger than 16 years old are limited to a few conditions like:

• Travel is only permitted on Amtrak and not on any connecting service. Transfers are not permitted.
• Both departure and arrival stations must be staffed.
• Overnight travel is not permitted. Travel is limited from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm. 
• The journey is limited to the US only.
• A special form has to be signed by a responsible adult and the child will be subjected to an interview to determine if the child is capable of travel alone. 
• The young passenger will be issued a wristband for the journey.
• The adult collecting the child at arrivals must have the necessary identification before the child is released to them. 
• Tickets for this service cannot be bought online.
• There are certain routes that are restricted because they don't have staffed stations.

Children 16 and older are considered adults and can travel alone without conditions. The price is the standard adult fare with no discounts.

This list is not exhaustive. Be sure to check with your chosen airline or railway company for the specific requirements for your unaccompanied minor as they vary from company to company in terms of age of the child, costs and the procedures to follow.  

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