Unaccompanied minors: Can children travel by themselves on flights?

Air travel for unaccompanied children is possible, but there are various rules and regulations around it – meaning those aged under 18 can encounter issues with their journeys.

In Australia last month, 11-year-old Jack Garland was due to travel with his 13-year-old sister Scarlett from Sydney to the Gold Coast, when he was unexpectedly denied boarding and left at the airport.

The siblings had been scheduled to travel with their father, but last-minute work engagements prevented him from taking the trip.

The pair’s mother, Emma Garland, claims she checked beforehand with Qantas, through whom she’d booked the tickets, that the two could travel unaccompanied by an adult.

But she says that, once they had boarded the plane, Jack was removed with no explanation given to his sister.

Jetstar clarified that it does not allow 11-year-olds to travel without a parent or guardian over 18.

“While we enjoy welcoming young passengers on board our flights, Jetstar does not offer an unaccompanied minor service and young passengers must meet certain requirements in order to travel independently with us, including being of secondary school age,” said a spokesperson.

“A secondary school passenger can travel independently but must be at least 15 years old to accompany a child under secondary school age.”

So are Jetstar in the right, and how do you know what the rules are when it comes to children boarding planes without an adult?

What are the rules around unaccompanied minors?

Each airline may set its own rules when it comes to allowing or not allowing unaccompanied minors, including the documentation parents must provide, how they book, and the flights children may take.

The minimum age a child must be to fly alone is five.

In general, airlines that offer an unaccompanied minor (UNMR) service insist that it is used for children between five and 11, while it’s an optional extra that parents can request for children aged 12 to 15. However, there are exceptions.

There are also some restrictions around flight length, timings and stopovers – so booking your child under 16 on a flight with a long layover during the night, for example, may not be possible.

Unaccompanied children are not normally allowed to take the last flight of the day, in case of any delays that might strand them overnight in a foreign airport.

Parents need to check with their…