There are situations when a child has to be sent alone for rest, treatment, study. Not always parents can fly on a trip with their offspring. Is it possible to send a child alone on an airplane if none of the close relatives can accompany him? This is possible, it is necessary to discuss the points with the air carrier in advance, collect a package of documents and choose the appropriate option.
What regulates
According to the law of all countries, children under 18 years of age can make air travel without adult accompaniment, in Russia this right is regulated by the Federal Rules of Air Transportation. According to these standards, a child from the age of 2 can fly by plane unaccompanied by their parents.
But it is worth noting that government regulations can only recommend some kind of framework for carriers, airlines themselvesset the lower bar, from what age can you fly on an airplane without parents. Depends on the organization, but most often it is 5 years.
Departure options
Depending on the age of the child, there are different transportation options:
- Children, according to the law, accompanied by their parents or legal representatives, can fly on an airplane for free. How many children are allowed to do this? Until the completion of 2 years. It is important to take this nuance into account at the time of the flight, and not when booking a ticket.
- According to the law, children from 2 years of age can be transported independently, without legal representatives. But it is almost impossible to find an airline that would agree to this, because we are talking about a big responsibility.
- After 5 and up to 12 years old, most air carriers agree to fly children without parents or guardians. For some, this bar has been raised to 15 years. But in this case, the company offers the transportation of small passengers with a paid escort service.
- After 12 (15) years, even underage passengers can travel unaccompanied, but permission from legal representatives is also required.
How old can you fly on a plane without parents abroad
If an underage passenger travels abroad alone, without legal representatives, then the same rules apply to these flights as to movement within the territory of Russia. Without parents, a child can fly from the age of 2, in practice this barupgrades to 5 years if an escort service is purchased.
How old can you fly on a plane without parents abroad without an escort? Most airlines allow this from the age of 12, some only from the age of 15. But at any age, parents must draw up a document, certified by a notary, that they release their children abroad.
Nuances of airlines
Even if parents know how old they can fly on an escorted plane, this does not guarantee that the chosen airline will provide this service to them:
- When choosing an organization that transports children without parents, it is recommended to pay attention to large representatives. Low-cost and small airlines most often do not provide an escort service.
- It is important to clarify in advance the possibility of sending children on their own. Most air carriers are ready for this service from the age of 5, provided that the flight is direct, without transfers.
- Flights with transfers with paid escort are only possible after the age of 8.
- From the age of 12, a child can fly on an airplane by himself, moving from flight to flight.
- If the time gap between transfers is more than 1-2 hours, most airlines will not take the risk of flying unaccompanied children. Since it will be difficult for the representative of the carrier to keep track of his ward at this time.
Need to negotiate terms in advance
Having found out how old children can fly on an airplane without official representatives, you need to ask the chosen company, provideswhether she is a service and whether there are free places for escort. No more than 4 children traveling alone can be in the cabin at the same time.
It is forbidden to purchase tickets for such children online or through intermediaries, the purchase must certainly take place at the ticket office of the selected airline or directly at the airport. Children's discount does not apply to accompanied tickets.
If there are places, then parents or other legal representatives fill out a special application. This is done only after the presentation of identity documents. The service is paid for along with the ticket.
The operator's staff will give you a list of documents you need to bring with you on the day of departure. Pre-registration in this case is not allowed. For registration, parents must come with a small traveler.
Documents for independent flight
As mentioned above, an application for the provision of an escort service is filled out in advance, along with the purchase of a ticket. The following documents must be collected for registration:
- Child's birth certificate.
- Russian passport, if the teenager is over 14 years old.
- When sending abroad, you will need a foreign passport, it is needed no matter how old you can fly on an airplane alone.
- If a child is sent abroad, parents need to draw up permission for this operation, certified by a notary. The document must clearly state the host country and whathow long will the young traveler stay there.
- To visit some countries, you will need a visa - permission to enter the territory.
- In the case when a child is delivered not by parents or guardians, but by a third party, he must have a power of attorney from legal representatives.
- Air ticket and a receipt confirming payment for the service.
- Statement from parents - it must indicate the persons meeting and seeing off the child. Upon landing and after arrival, these people are required to present documents. The data must match.
- Additional documents may be required if requested by the destination country or consulate.
After registration, all documents are collected in one package, which will be with a minor passenger.
Drawing up an application
After you have figured out how old you can fly on a plane without parents in the required airline, you need to write an application right there, when buying a ticket. The form will be issued by an employee, it is also available on the website of the carrier providing the service. It is recommended that you do this on site as questions may arise.
Required:
- Child's full name.
- Gender of baby.
- Age.
- The language the little traveler speaks.
- His address and phone number.
- Full names of parents and their contact information.
- Name, address and telephone number of the person accompanying the child.
- Name, address and phone number of the meeting person.
- The application must indicateinformation about the employee who will look after the child.
The airline representative will make 2 copies of the completed document, the original will be attached to the ticket. Photocopies are sent to the airports of departure and arrival. If there is a transfer, then the duplicate will also be sent there.
What is included in the escort service
It is the responsibility of the company providing the service of accompanying a minor passenger to take care of him during boarding, flight and landing. Thus, she is in charge of him on the ground and in the air.
Step by step the whole procedure looks like this:
- The accompanying person passes the child along with the documents to the airline employee.
- The representative of the carrier escorts a small passenger to check-in. Together they will check in the luggage.
- The accompanying person will help the child get to the plane and hand him over to the flight attendant. Then she will be responsible for him.
- In flight, the stewardess will pay special attention to the little traveler, she will make sure that he eats, he has drinks, and will accompany him to the toilet if necessary.
- Also, the airline staff will try to entertain the child, give him entertainment sets and games, and calm him down during the flight. If the flight is with a transfer, during the connection, the baby will be taken to the playroom, where there will be everything you need.
- When the plane comes in for landing, the flight attendant will take the childalong with the documents to the arrivals hall. There he will be met by a new employee of the airline, and together they will go to passport control to check documents.
- Only after this, the minor passenger will be handed over to the meeting party, after checking the passport data and the information specified in the application.
If for some reason no one meets the child, the employee of the company is obliged to contact the legal representatives and find out the next steps. He can be sent back with an escort again. Another option is that it will be delivered to the address indicated by the parents. In any case, all additional costs are paid by the legal representative.
Cost of escort service
Payment is made when buying a ticket. The price depends on factors such as age and flight distance. Each airline independently sets the cost, but it differs insignificantly. The price tag, no matter how old you can fly on a plane without parents, for any age is on average 3-4 thousand rubles. For international flights, the cost varies between 30-40 euros. But if you make a transfer, you will have to pay the same price again for each leg of the journey.
Luggage
If a child under the age of 12 travels, then an accompanying person will be with him all the time, he will help him carry his suitcase. You need to take care of your hand luggage, it should contain essentials and favorite toys:
- Medicines if the child has a medical condition, and a standard first aid kit.
- Water andlight snack. You can also give a full lunch on the road, the flight attendant will be able to warm it up after takeoff. Most in-flight carriers offer meals to children, but sometimes they are more accustomed to eating homemade food.
- Napkins and disposable handkerchiefs.
- If a little traveler gets sick, it is recommended to put lollipops in hand luggage.
- Toys, books, tablet.
If a passenger is over 12 years old, the question arises, how to send an unaccompanied child on an airplane so that he is comfortable on the way? All of the above list is recommended for older children to take with them. But if the child is unaccompanied, you need a suitcase of minimum size.
Transportation of unaccompanied children
Different airlines have different standards for how old you can fly on an airplane for one child, unaccompanied completely. This limit varies from 12 to 15 years. From this age, a teenager is purchased a full-fledged adult ticket, and the same baggage allowance applies to him. At the request of parents under the age of 17, it is also possible to issue an escort service for him, but the cost of a general ticket will not decrease from this.
Having figured out how old you can fly on an airplane unaccompanied by adults, you must admit that the service is convenient and saves parents not only time, but also money. Since the accompaniment is worthcheaper than any adult plane ticket.
