From what age are children allowed to travel alone?

Comparing airlines

From what age can your child fly alone?

There can be various situations in which it is not convenient or possible for you to accompany your child for a trip. For example, if you are divorced and your ex-partner lives abroad. Or perhaps the grandparents have emigrated and your child wants to spend a school vacation with them. Just going back and forth to accompany your child can cost a lot of time and money. Can and should they travel on their own? What are the rules? What about a chaperone?

The rules for children traveling alone (2023)

Legally, children as young as 12 are allowed to fly alone. But the rules vary per airline. The main difference per airline are:

We have listed the rules of a number of airlines for you. Useful if you still need to book your flight.

British Airways – between 5 – 12 years old

Lufthansa – 5 years and up

Transavia – from 5 years old

Ryanair – not under 16 years of age

easyJet – not under 16 years of age

TUI – as of 5 years old

Emirates – from 5 years old and up

Qatar Airways – starts at 5 years old

KLM – from 5 years old

Turkish Airlines – from 2 years old and up

Turkish Airlines has different rules than the other airlines.

What does unaccompanied minor service entail?

The unaccompanied minor service (also called UM) means that your child will be accompanied from the time you drop your child off at check-in until he or she is transferred to the authorized person at destination.

After all paperwork is checked at check-in, your child will be taken to boarding by airline ground staff. At boarding, children are usually allowed to board first and are supported by the cabin crew.

The cabin crew helps your child finding his or her seat and is there for your child if there is anything during the flight. Some services include an additional drink.

When the plane lands, your child will be guided by the local ground staff. They will also make sure the luggage is picked up and they will escort your child to the authorized person.

Your child is flying alone and the flight is delayed

If your child’s flight is delayed, the attendant will also make sure that your child passes the time and provides guidance while waiting.

Your child is flying alone on a connecting flight

Is your child flying alone and has a transfer along the way? Most airlines also offer supervision when the time between the two flights is up to 4 hours. The rules concerning this point differ per airline. To be sure, check with the airline before booking a flight with a transfer.

Children’s lounges

At several airports there are special children’s lounges to pass the time. Some children’s lounges are minimalistic, but there are also children’s lounges with entire indoor playgrounds, Play Stations and snacks. This depends on the airport.

Checklist

It can be nerve wracking, of course, when your child flies without you. Here’s a list of things to keep in mind when flying alone or with the UM service.

Copies of passports are required, as are signatures.

What if you are a teenager who wants to travel without your parents?

Are you 15 years old and would like to go on vacation or a city trip with friends and without your parents? Then pay attention to where you book your trip! Ryanair and easyJet do not allow you to fly without parents or a companion who is at least 16 years. So find a friend to accompany you if you are the only one under 16.

Are you under 16 and would like to fly without your parents? Always check with the airline first. If you are still nervous about flying alone, many airlines offer the unaccompanied minor service described above.

Conclusion: age restrictions differs from airline to airline

Airlines have different rules. While one airline may not allow passengers under the age of 16 to board unaccompanied, Turkish Airlines allows your child to travel alone at the age of 2.

The cost for this also differs per airline, but is not unreasonably high. Sometimes it’s even cheaper to arrange a chaperone, than to book an extra seat!

From the moment you hand over your child to personel, they are taken care of. Some airports have even created special lounges where your child can spend their time, under supervision of course.

Compensation in case of delay or cancellation

Will your child be flying alone soon? Then you simply pay for a seat and, in addition, possibly the cost of supervision. If there is an issue with the flight your child has rights in accordance with Regulation 261/2004. This means you can claim and receive compensation of up to €600 per passenger. In the event of a flight cancellation, you will also be reimbursed for the cost of the unaccompanied minor service.

Compensation for flight problems

Cancelling your flight because you have a cold is not a valid reason for compensation. Are you going to fly anyway, but your flight is cancelled or delayed? You may be entitled to compensation.

Written by Jerrymie

Jerrymie Marcus came into contact with EUclaim due to a 4-hour delay. The marketing professional received 600 euros in compensation through EUclaim.

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