When children travel alone, they are covered by airline policies to ensure safe and comfortable travel. Each of the airlines here, Spirit, Provides unaccompanied minor services, but each has a slightly different policy. Here is the breakdown for each.
Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines has a Delta unaccompanied minor service for children between 5 and 14 years old, who can be taken without accompaniment from a guardian. At parents' request, children aged 15 to 17 can also be accompanied. Children under the age of five are not allowed to travel alone.
Delta's unaccompanied minor service requires a designated Delta employee to accompany the child through check-in, boarding, and arrival. The child must travel on nonstop or direct flights; a connecting flight is permitted only when it is operated entirely by Delta.
Prices to get a child to the Delta facility are $150 one way, per child, both domestically and internationally. When you're flying, there needs to be a pre-approved adult waiting for your child when they arrive at their destination, with proper identification at that time. This is while you're waiting for the flight to depart.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines accepts passengers between the ages of 5 and 14 as unaccompanied minors. But the UM service Spirit offers must be on a nonstop flight only. Children under five cannot travel alone.
Spirit's unaccompanied minor service provides escort from the gate at departure to arrival, including assistance in boarding and in-flight observation. The flight attendant will also take care to escort the child while boarding and deplaning.
Unaccompanied minors begin at $150 each way on Spirit. A parent or guardian will have to accompany the child to the gate and stand until the plane takes off. Once a minor arrives at their destination, an approved adult with identification is necessary to retrieve them.
United Airlines
United Airlines caters for unaccompanied minors from 5 to 14 years. Like Delta and Spirit, children under five cannot travel without an adult. Unless it is one of the published connecting flights inside United, UM service is only available on nonstop flights.
The child with a United's service unaccompanied from check-in through boarding and on to arrival. The child also receives additional assistance during any connections. This will be $150 one way, for each child, for both domestic and international itineraries.
The parent or guardian is only discharged when the flight is clear to leave the airport. Then, the child can be discharged at the destination only to a pre-approved adult whose valid identification matches the accompanying child.
Age Requirements: All three carriers permit children between the ages of 5-14 to fly solo, though no less than 5 years.
Flight Restrictions: Delta and United accept some layovers, while Spirit allows only direct flights.
Fees: All three charge $150 each way to use the unaccompanied minor service.
Escorting: All three airlines offer equal escort services from check-in to pickup.
Understanding and getting familiar with airline-specific policies are part of the preparation process in preparing to have a great time with the child and the guardians.
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