United Airlines Raises 'Unaccompanied Minor' Age: $150 Charge For Kids Who Fly Alone

Newark, NJ – It will now cost five to 15-year-olds an extra $150 to fly alone on United Airlines.

The airline – which has operates a hub at Newark Liberty Airport – officially bumped up its age for “unaccompanied minor” passengers from its previous range of five to 12-years-old on Dec. 15.

As seen on the United Airlines website on Monday:

“For tickets purchased on or after December 14, 2015, children 5 to 15 years of age who travel on an aircraft without a parent, a legal guardian or someone who is at least 18 years of age are considered unaccompanied minors and are subject to certain restrictions.”

There is a mandatory $150 service charge for unaccompanied minors, according to the website.

The airline’s previous cutoff age was 12-years-old, NJ.com reported.

“We made a thoughtful review of the policy and decided that this change will provide the best possible care for these travelers,” United spokesman Charles Hobart told the LA Times.

The airline’s policies include:

• Unaccompanied minors can only travel on nonstop flights operated by United or United Express
• Children younger than 5 years of age are not accepted as unaccompanied minors

See the airline’s FAQ sheet for unaccompanied minors here.

File photo via flickr

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