American Airlines: Children Flying Alone

What is American Airlines' Unaccompanied Minor Service?

Young children traveling without a parent or legal guardian are considered to be Unaccompanied Minors. Most airlines provide a service to assist these children from their point of departure to their final destination.

What age does my child have to be to qualify as an Unaccompanied Minor?

The service is mandatory for children ages 5-14 traveling without an adult who is at least 16 years old. Children ages 15-17 years are not required to travel as unaccompanied minors, but the service is optional for this age group as well.

Children under 5 years of age are not allowed to travel unless accompanied by an adult who is at least 16 years old.

What are the fees associated with this service?

Fee for an Unaccompanied Minor: $150 each way, plus tax.

This charge is in addition to the applicable airfare as well as any associated ticketing charge. The charge will be assessed for each individual unaccompanied minor. Two or more unaccompanied children from the same family (immediate or extended), traveling on the same flights, will be assessed a single charge.

Are there any flight restrictions?

  • Unaccompanied Minors ages 5-7 must use AA's Unaccompanied Minor service and fly only on a nonstop flight (no connecting flights/change of aircraft)
  • Unaccompanied Minors ages 8-14 must use AA's Unaccompanied Minor service and travel on a nonstop flight or on an itinerary that involves a connection only through Charlotte, NC (CLT), Washington Reagan, D.C. (DCA), Dallas Forth Worth, TX (DFW), New York, NY (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX), Miami, FL (MIA), Chicago, IL (ORD), Philadelphia, PA (PHL) and Phoenix, AZ (PHX) (NOTE: Connection is not allowed to the last flight of the day to the destination))
  • No ground or co-terminal connections where the child must transfer from one local airport to another (i.e., LGA to JFK)
  • No connection to/from another airline, including codeshare and oneworld® partners
  • No travel on overnight connecting flights
  • All children must have a gate escort and must have parent/guardian contact information readily available
  • Additional restrictions apply for Non-USA flights, therefore, please contact American Airlines

How do I book this service?

Contact American Airlines Reservations via telephone in the USA at +1 800 433 7000 (or the country specific telephone number available in the contact section of AA.com).