Which airlines accept solo travellers under 16?
16 April 2019


Last updated: 1 May 2019

English UK member centres have recently made us aware of an EasyJet rule change, which means the airline no longer accepts bookings for solo travellers aged under 16.

Teenagers aged 14 and 15 can continue to fly alone until Sunday 27 October if the booking was made before Friday 5 April, but can no longer make new reservations.

English UK member centres that accept juniors have been concerned that the change will have a negative impact on business, but research done by compliance and member relations manager Naadiya Rawat has revealed a large number of airlines that continue to accept 14 and 15-year-olds as solo travellers.

Sarah Cooper, chief executive, said: "We have explored this issue with EasyJet, who explained that their concern was for children's welfare in case of emergency. This appears to have been both amended on their website and communicated by them to passengers who had already booked. They have indicated they have no intention of reviewing this decision.

"However, our research into the policies of over 20 airlines suggests that the vast majority do accept solo travellers from the age of 12, with a smaller group accepting them from 14 or 15. The cut-off at 16 seems to be limited to the budget airlines Ryanair and EasyJet.

"We are encouraging members to use this information and share with agents to help students find the best route for their UK-based ELT courses. While we are disappointed that EasyJet has made this change, we believe most centres and under-16 students will be able to find good alternatives."


What is the minimum age for children to travel alone on the most popular airlines?

Airline Age Additional information
Aegean 12  
Aer Lingus 12 Parents need to sign and hand in at check-in an indemnity form.
Air France 15 On international flights.
Air Malta 12 Except from Italy where minimum age is 14.
Alitalia 15 On international flights.
Austrian Airlines 12  
British Airways 14 No unaccompanied minor service available but younger students can be accompanied by students aged 16 and over with parental consent.
EasyJet 16 Teenagers aged 14 and 15 can continue to fly alone until Sunday 27 October if the booking was made before Friday 5 April, but can no longer make new reservations.
Emirates 12  
Eurowings 12  
Finnair 12  
Flybe 12 Limited seats available.
Iberia 12 Unaccompanied minors (UM) option available. 5-11-year-olds must use the UM service.
Jet2 14  
KLM 15 5-14-year olds must use the UM service.
Lufthansa 12 12-year-olds can be responsible for under-12s. 5-11-year olds can travel alone if they use the UM service.
Norwegian Airlines 12

It's mandatory for children aged 5 to 11 years to travel as an unaccompanied minor if they're travelling alone or without an adult aged 16 years or over.

Ryanair 16  
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) 12 Unaccompanied minor service option available for 5-15 year olds. 5 to 11-year olds can travel using the UM service.
Swiss International 12  
TAP (Air Portugal) 12 UM service optional.
Thomas Cook 14 14 on a direct flight to the UK. They must be able to travel unaccompanied.
Turkish Airlines 12 7-12s can travel unaccompanied.
Virgin Atlantic 12 5-12-year-olds must use the UM service.
Wizz Air 14   
Vueling 12 14 years of age for Italian students.

English UK cannot be responsible for the accuracy of information accessed from third party sources.

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