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Children traveling unaccompanied
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United offers unaccompanied minor service for children from 5 to 17 years of age to ensure that your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendants, chaperoned during connections and turned over to the appropriate person upon arrival at his or her final destination.
The service is mandatory for unaccompanied children 5 to 11 years old and optional for those 12 to 17 years old. Unaccompanied minor service is not required for children ages 11 and younger when they are traveling with a parent, legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age on the same aircraft. The fee for unaccompanied minor service is $99 USD for each direction of travel both within the United States and on international flights (except to or from Brazil, where no fee applies). Two or more children who are traveling together will be assessed a single fee in each direction.
Please notify us of your child's unaccompanied minor status at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) when making your reservation, so necessary information can be noted for your child. There are limitations regarding the flights on which unaccompanied children may travel. Please see the information for specific age groups below.
| Please note: The rules on this page apply to customers traveling on United-operated flights only. If an unaccompanied minor is scheduled to travel on or connect to a flight operated by Continental Airlines® or one of our Star Alliance® or codeshare partners, you must contact that carrier directly to inquire about their policies for children traveling unaccompanied. |
Travel rules by age group
Please see the appropriate age group below to determine the types of itineraries on which an unaccompanied child may travel. When two or more unaccompanied minors are traveling together, the most restrictive age requirement will apply. For example, an 11-year-old traveling with a 6-year-old is subject to the travel rules for the 5 to 7 age group.
| Unaccompanied minor service overview |
| Ages |
Service
available |
Service required
if flying alone |
Acceptance of unaccompanied minor travel by type of flight |
|
Nonstop and direct flights
(including the last nonstop flight of the day)
|
Connecting flights (including connections to other airlines*) |
Last direct or connecting flight of the day |
Connecting to the last flight of the day |
| Under 5 |
No |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| 5-7 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| 8-11 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes* |
No† |
No† |
| 12-17 |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes* |
No†† |
No†† |
*Connections to other airlines are subject to the connecting airline's unaccompanied minor policy and may or may not be allowed.
**Permitted only if traveling on or connecting to a route that has only one flight per day.
†Permitted only if traveling on or connecting to a route that has only one flight per day or if connecting to or from an international flight.
††Not permitted if using unaccompanied minor service, except when traveling on or connecting to a route that has only one flight per day. If traveling without unaccompanied minor service, children ages 12 to 17 may be booked on any flight, although we strongly recommend booking on flights that depart early in the day whenever possible.
Ages 5 to 7
Children ages 5 to 7 may travel with unaccompanied minor service only on United flights that are nonstop. They may not travel on connecting flights, but they may travel on the last nonstop flight of the day.
Ages 8 to 11
Children ages 8 to 11 may travel with unaccompanied minor service on United nonstop, direct and connecting flights. (A direct flight makes one or more stops, with or without a plane change, but keeps the same flight number.) Children ages 8 to 11 may also travel on connecting flights to other airlines (if allowed, based on the other airline's unaccompanied minor policy). They are restricted from connecting to the last flight of the day or traveling on the last direct or connecting flight of the day, except when traveling on or connecting to a route that has only one flight per day. An exception can also be made for children in this age group who are connecting to or from international flights.
Ages 12 to 17, with unaccompanied minor service (optional on United flights)
Unaccompanied minor service is available, but not required, for this age group. If a child between the ages of 12 and 17 years will be using unaccompanied minor service, he or she will be accepted under the conditions specified for unaccompanied minors ages 8 to 11 years, and standard fees will apply.
Ages 12 to 17, without unaccompanied minor service
We strongly recommend that teens who are not using our unaccompanied minor service be confirmed on flights early in the day. Unanticipated delays or cancellations due to air traffic congestion or unexpected weather such as fog, snow or thunderstorms may disrupt flight schedules and result in missed connections. If delays result in travel being completed the following day, United may not be able to offer overnight accommodations, because many hotels will not accept minors ages 17 or younger.
Booking travel for unaccompanied minors
If your child will be traveling with unaccompanied minor service, please book his or her travel through either United Reservations or a travel agency.
If your unaccompanied child's reservation was booked on united.com, please contact United Reservations at 1-800-UNITED-1 (1-800-864-8331) to confirm that required information is entered into our computer system. This information includes the names of individuals bringing children to the airport and picking them up at their destination. Please have names, addresses and phone numbers handy to help expedite the call.
Required paperwork
In addition to contacting United Reservations, you must provide an Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage Form with the names, addresses and phone numbers of the responsible adults at the departure and arrival airports. This form must be presented at the airport check-in counter and will travel with your child.
To expedite the check-in process, we recommend filling in this information prior to arriving at the airport. You can download the form using the link below. (Adobe Reader is required to download the form.) After you have downloaded and opened the form, you can type your information directly into the form fields and print three copies. (You will not be able to save the completed form; you will only be able to print it.) Keep one copy for your records and present the other two copies to the United agent at the airport check-in counter.
Unaccompanied Minor Request for Carriage Form (pdf)
Unaccompanied minors must be brought to the departure airport by a parent or legal guardian or responsible adult (such as a relative, family friend or camp counselor) who must obtain a security-checkpoint gate pass at the United ticket counter and escort the child to the gate. The adult must remain at the gate until the child boards and the aircraft departs the gate.
To ensure that the unaccompanied child is released to the proper person, the adult meeting the child at the destination airport must show photo identification and sign the unaccompanied minor form.
Service fee
The unaccompanied minor fee is $99 USD for each direction of travel both within the United States and on international flights. Two or more children traveling together will be charged one fee for each direction of travel. There is no fee for unaccompanied minors traveling to or from Brazil.
Payment of the unaccompanied minor fee and completion of the unaccompanied minor form entitles the child to receive a complimentary à la carte snack, snackbox or fresh food item (when available) on United Economy® flights within North America. On international flights and in the United First® or United Business® cabin, the standard complimentary food items will be provided based on the flight's path and duration.
Baggage
Baggage allowances and fees vary by cabin class, Mileage Plus® level and other factors, but the same guidelines apply for unaccompanied minors as for other passengers. Learn about our checked and carry-on baggage allowances and fees.
Additional tips
If your child or teen will not be traveling with a mobile phone, we recommend that you provide a calling card or instructions on making collect calls, so he or she can always contact you. Because unexpected weather can disrupt flight schedules, we recommend that you confirm your unaccompanied child on flights early in the day. Please note that if delays result in travel being completed the following day, United may not be able to offer overnight accommodations for minors, because many hotels will not accept children ages 17 or younger without an accompanying adult.
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