Unaccompanied Minor

1. What is Unaccompanied Minor (UM)?

2. What are the age requirements for travelling as a UM?

3. What are the check-in/pick-up procedures?

4. Where can I find more information about UM/children travelling alone?

What is Unaccompanied Minor (UM)?

"Unaccompanied Minor (UM) " is an official airline status that refers to children who are travelling under the care of airline personnel for their entire trip (it does not refer to children simply flying without an adult). You must specifically request and pay the airline extra for this service; the cost varies from airline to airline.

The following programs can support this service. If you arrange with the airline for your child to travel an an UM please note that we will charge an additional fee of $75 US to coordinate the special airport pick-up and drop-off requirements with the host school.

Paris, France Residence Program (for 12 to 14 year olds only*)

Paris, France Super-intensive Residence Program (for 10 to 14 year olds only*)

Cannes, France Residence Program (for 13 to 14 year olds only*)

Leysin, Switzerland Residence Program (for 13 to 14 year olds only*)

San Jose, Costa Rica Residence Program (for 13 to 17 year olds)

*Please Note: We're parents and we understand that you might have some reservations about your child travelling alone. If you feel that your teen is not capable of (or you are not comfortable with them) travelling alone and they are older than the cut-off ages listed above, or you are interested in a program that does not support this service, please contact us before making a booking. In order for teens 15 and over to get the most out of their experience and to manage the age-appropriate supervision levels for each of our programs, it is important that they are mature enough to handle independent travel.  

What are the age requirements for travelling as a UM?

Each airline has a unique policy regarding the age of children who must travel as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM). For most major airlines, children must travel as a UM if they are 11/12 or under. For some airlines (American Airlines & Delta), the age is 14 or under.  If your child is older than the cut-off age listed by the airline, you can still book this service as an option but please contact us first to make sure your program of interest supports this service.

What are the check-in/pick-up procedures?

While the check-in and arrival procedures for children who are travelling as a UM vary from airline to airline, this is typically what you can expect:

At check-in: At the airport the child should be accompanied to the gate by a parent or appointed person. Please note that you must remain at the airport until the flight is airborne so that you are able to take your child home again should the flight be cancelled.

Upon arrival: A chaperone will be waiting at the destination airport to meet your child and hand him/her over to the person designated to collect him/her. At many airports there are supervision rooms in which your child is looked after. For security reasons, the person collecting the child must produce valid identification, which is then compared to the information on file before the child is entrusted to them.
 
Where can I find more information about UM/children travelling alone?

For specific information and policies relating to UM/children tavelling alone, we recommend that you visit the website of the airline(s) you are considering for your child's travel.  For your convenience, we have provided links below to some of the more popular carriers.

Air Canda

Air France

American Airlines

British Airways

Delta

Iberia

Lufthansa

Swiss International Air Lines

United Airlines

Questions about Unaccompanied Minors/children travelling alone? Please call us toll-free 1 888 386 1411.