Flights Unaccompanied Minors

An unaccompanied minor refers to a child (typically between the age of 5 – 12) who is travelling alone on a flight. In the airline industry they are referred to as UM’s. Each airline has its own rules about how these children are managed as well as how tickets are priced etc.

Kulula:
Does not accept unaccompanied minors. Children must be 12 years or older to travel alone.

Mango Flights
Does not accept unaccompanied minors. Children must be 12 years or older to travel alone

1Time
Does not accept unaccompanied minors. Children must be 12 years or older to travel alone.

So really, none of the low cost airlines cater for UM’s in South Africa. This is probably as a result of them not having the extra man-power required to take care of them as well as additional insurance premiums, as carrying unaccompanied minors must be a risk.

BA
British Airways do cater for unaccompanied minors, however a special ticket needs to be purchased. The child needs to become a member of Skyflyer Solo – a program set up to specifically deal with UM’s. There are a few restrictions, which are: children aged 5+ can travel alone only on a non-stop flight. Childred 6+ can travel alone on any flight. However children can not travel alone on any flights that require a transfer between Heathrow and Gatwick or that have a stop-over of more than 6 hours.
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