This can vary depending on the airline, some do not accept unaccompanied minors and others do, some charge a permium for them and others do not, some charge service fees and others do not. Some rules of thumb when doing a booking for an unaccompanied minor:
- Have all the details ready: Name and surname of the person dropping off the UM (unaccompanied minor) and the person collecting them.
- They will need a birth certificate or an acceptable form of ID to fly domestically and a passport for international travel.
- Reservations for Unaccompanied minors cannot be booked online. (This is for SAA and many other carriers so all ways check with the carrier prior to making online bookings!)
In a nut shell a UM is a child who will be flying alone – ie travelling without a parent or guardian. What happens with a UM after checkin: They are escorted to their seat on the correct plane, while on the plane they will be checked on regularly by the cabin staff. On arrival at the destination they are collected by the ground staff and escorted to the UM collections point in the arrivals hall.
UM is a generally between the ages of 5 and 11 – this can differ between airlines. After this age the travellers are adults and pay full adult fare. They are able to travel by themselves however we do recommend that you order a MAAS for them – a meet and assist. This is where someone will walk them to the plane and on arrival assist them from the plane to the arrivals hall.
Note that this does vary from airline to airline and should be checked and clarified with the airline you intend using to fly your UM or Young Passenger.
