Unaccompanied minors

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. Please note our flight attendants cannot continuously monitor an unaccompanied minor during their flight.

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

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)
The last flight of the day from the final connection city, unless it’s the only scheduled flight offered
Overnight connecting flights, unless it’s the only scheduled flight offered

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.
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.

At the airport

Check-in & required documents

You'll need to fill out the unaccompanied minor form and any necessary Customs and Immigration documents at the airport ticket counter on the day of departure. The form must remain with the child during the flight. Also:

Bring proof of age for the child traveling alone (birth certificate, passport, etc.).
Get a security pass from the airport ticket counter to escort the minor through security to the gate.
A parent or designated accompanying adult must take the unaccompanied minor to the departure gate and remain until the flight is airborne.

Pickup

Get a security pass at the ticket counter to meet the child at the gate (U.S. cities only).
You must show a government-issued photo ID when you pick up an unaccompanied minor.

Schedule irregularities

If a flight changes or is cancelled, or if schedule irregularities occur at any city and it’s likely that the minor won’t make a connecting flight, we'll call the contacts on the unaccompanied minor form and arrange an alternate flight if necessary.

Tips and suggestions This content can be expanded

If your child has never flown, take a trip to the airport and point out our representative’s uniforms. Remind your child to ask for help only from a uniformed representative.
Introduce your child to the agent at the ticket counter and at the departure gate.
Let the gate agent know if it’s your child’s first flight and if he or she may need special assistance during the flight.
Be sure your child has identification (ID) and cash for emergencies.
Pack some food and things to keep your child entertained during the flight.
Keep carry-on bags to a minimum (and remind him or her not to forget the bags). Include an ID tag and report any losses immediately.
Arrive at the gate before the scheduled arrival time.
Remind your child to tell a flight attendant if he or she needs help or experiences discomfort.

Is your child traveling outside the U.S.?

In some airports you may not be able to escort the minor through security. Instead, after they check in, an American Airlines representative will escort them to their gate and supervise them until the flight departs.
Anyone under 18 traveling internationally without both parents may be required to present a Letter of Consent.

Learn more about international Letter of Consent Opens another site in a new window that may not meet accessibility guidelines

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Unaccompanied minors