On the major US airlines, children under 5 cannot fly alone, and children from 5 up to a cut-off age (11 to 14, depending on the airline) must book the airline's paid unaccompanied minor service. The youngest flyers, usually 5 to 7, are limited to nonstop flights; older children may connect on some airlines but never onto another carrier's plane. Teenagers above the cut-off can usually fly as adults, with the service optional on some airlines. The rules below are as of November 2026; check the airline's own page before you book, because they change.
Airline by airline
American Airlines
- Required: ages 5 to 14. Optional: ages 15 to 17, who can otherwise fly as adults.
- Ages 5 to 7: nonstop flights only.
- Ages 8 to 14: nonstop flights, or connections at certain American hubs (aa.com lists them), never on the last connecting flight of the day.
- Unaccompanied minors cannot be booked on flights operated by other airlines, codeshares or itineraries connecting to another carrier.
Delta Air Lines
- Required: ages 5 to 14. Optional: ages 15 to 17, who may also fly as adults.
- Ages 5 to 7: some nonstop flights only. Ages 8 to 14: some nonstop and connecting flights.
- No last connecting flight of the day, unless that market has only one flight a day.
- Connections only onto Delta, Delta Connection, Air France and KLM flights. International unaccompanied minor travel is available with restrictions set by country and partner rules; Delta asks you to call reservations for international bookings.
Southwest Airlines
- Required: ages 5 to 11. Southwest treats 12 to 17 as "Young Travelers" under separate rules.
- Nonstop flights, or flights that stop without a change of plane. No connecting itineraries.
- No unaccompanied minors to or from international destinations.
Alaska Airlines
- Required: ages 5 to 12. Children 13 to 17 are not subject to the unaccompanied minor rules.
- Ages 5 to 7: no connections. Ages 8 to 12: connections only onto flights operated by Alaska, Horizon or SkyWest for Alaska, and not the last connecting flight of the day where there is another option.
JetBlue
- Required: ages 5 to 13. Children 14 and older are booked as adults.
- Nonstop flights only, with no connections or stops.
- Unaccompanied minor travel to and from the UK and Europe is not currently offered.
United, Spirit, Frontier and other airlines run their own versions with their own ages and routing limits. Read the airline's unaccompanied minor page and its contract of carriage before you pay, and if a cheap itinerary needs a connection or a partner airline, assume it will not qualify.
What the service actually includes
An airline employee escorts the child from the drop-off adult through boarding, keeps them in view on board as far as the crew can, walks them through any connection, and hands them only to the named adult at the destination after checking that adult's ID. The adult dropping off normally stays at the gate until the plane is in the air, so expect to request a gate pass at check-in and allow extra time. Our guide to how early to get to the airport applies double here.
Delta, for example, asks the drop-off adult for a physical photo ID (TSA-accepted for US travel), the address shown on it, a contact number, and the name, address and phone number of the adult meeting the child. Have the same details ready for any airline.
International trips are stricter
An international flight adds three layers. First, the airline: some, like Southwest, do not carry unaccompanied minors abroad at all, and others limit routings or partners. Second, documents: the child needs their own passport, and many countries require it to stay valid well beyond the trip, so check passport validity rules early. Third, consent: US Customs and Border Protection recommends that a child traveling without both parents carry a signed consent letter from the absent parent or parents, and several countries ask for one, sometimes notarised. Check the destination's embassy page for the exact wording.
Foreign airlines run their own programs with different age bands. If one leg is on a partner airline, ask both airlines whether the service carries across; often it does not, which means the trip cannot be booked as an unaccompanied minor itinerary.
Booking tips
- Book directly with the airline or call it, since the service usually has to be added to the reservation and some online channels cannot do that.
- Pick a nonstop wherever possible, even if it costs more or leaves at an awkward time. Our guide to nonstop vs connecting flights covers the trade-offs.
- Avoid the last flight of the day, even where it is allowed, so a cancellation does not leave a child waiting overnight.
- Choose a morning departure in winter, when weather delays build through the day.
- Confirm the meeting adult and have a backup adult named, if the airline allows it.
What to pack and prepare
- Documents: the child's ID or passport if needed (TSA does not require children under 18 to show ID on domestic flights, but airlines may), a printed itinerary, the consent letter for international trips, and contact details for both adults written on a card in the child's pocket.
- A charged phone with emergency numbers saved, plus a charger. If it has a power bank, follow the power bank rules: it goes in the carry-on, never checked.
- Snacks and an empty water bottle, since meal service varies and kids get hungry during delays.
- Entertainment that works offline, headphones and a light layer for a cold cabin.
- Medication in the carry-on, with a note for the crew if anything is needed during the flight.
Talk the trip through beforehand: the child stays with the airline staff, does not leave the gate area with anyone else, and asks a crew member for help with anything. Children who know what will happen at each step travel more calmly.
