Are you worried about your child traveling alone? Now you can Leave all your worries behind, as southwest airlines assure safe and cheap travel for your children.
Now, all children who fall into the age group of 5 to 11 years can travel alone with the introduction of the Southwest unaccompanied minor policy. If your child is traveling alone, you must read the full articles carefully to get a fair idea of all the guidelines before you book a flight with southwest.
What is the southwest unaccompanied minor policy?
Before you book a trip on the southwest flight for your child, you must know the unaccompanied minor southwest policy.
- Children between the age of 5 to 11, if traveling alone, are considered unaccompanied minors as per southwest airline policy.
- Children between the ages of 12 and 17 can travel independently through the southwest young traveler policy.
- While making a reservation, it should be clear if you are a parent or guardian.
- If you are a guardian, you must have a parent or guardian’s authorization to act on their behalf.
- A southwest form for unaccompanied minors needs to be filled, confirming who will drop the minor at the airport and who will pick up the minor from the destination.
- You must provide age proof such as a birth certificate to redeem benefits of the southwest airlines unaccompanied minor policy.
- Legal guardians or parents must wait at the gate and have valid government photo identification proof for check-in or pick-up.
- The legal guardian or parents must report to the departure gate 45 minutes before departure and wait until the aircraft takes off.
- The parent or guardian assigned for pick up must reach 45 minutes before the scheduled arrival.
- An unaccompanied minor can only travel on routes that don’t require an aircraft change or on non-stop flights.
- As per policy southwest, unaccompanied minors can’t travel to /from international destinations.
- You need to follow some additional procedures if the unaccompanied minor is traveling between the mainland U.S. and Hawaii.
Your child is in safe hands when traveling as southwest airlines unaccompanied minors, so relax and book a flight with southwest flight. Read further to know more about southwest airlines.
How to book southwest airlines flight for an unaccompanied minor?
There are various ways to book a southwest flight for a minor .given below is the step-by-step process to book your flight ticket online.
Southwest Online booking
- Visit the official page of the southwest or use the southwest airline app
- Fill in the origin and destination of the flight plus the date of travel
- Select the preferred flight
- Carefully fill in all passenger details
- Pay for the southwest unaccompanied minor fee, and your booking is complete
- Southwest will send you an unaccompanied minor form
- Fill in the guardian details, time of drop, and pick up.
Southwest customer service
You can also go for southwest airline booking for your minor by calling their customer support. You can make a call at +1 (800) 435-9792 or +1-888-328-1666 (OTA), and speak to an agent for help. So, follow the guide below to do so:
- Dial their customer service number 1 (800) 435-9792
- For southwest En Espanol, call on 1-800-826-6667
- Speak to a live person at southwest customer support
- Provide all passenger details
- Select the preferred payment mode, pay, and complete the booking
- The southwest representative will fill out the unaccompanied minor form
- The process will be complete once you provide the ID for the minor through the registered email address.
Southwest booking at the airport
We all get anxious about our children flying alone. When you make southwest airlines booking for your minor at the airport, you will feel reassured and confident.
You can easily book a flight 3 hours before flight departure.
The following documents should be kept handy for a comfortable booking
- Photocopy of child’s birth certificate
- Copy of unaccompanied minor form
- Copy of boarding pass and booking confirmation.
The reservations at the southwest counter do all the rest.
What is the southwest unaccompanied minor fee?
- Children between 5 and 11 years can travel alone on Southwest Airlines by paying $50 for a one-way trip and $100 for a round-trip in addition to normal flight fare.
- The southwest fee for an unaccompanied minor is refundable on flight change and cancellation.
- Southwest Airlines will refund the fee to your travel funds account for future travels.
By booking a flight with southwest, you will get a cheap fare and a safe flight for your child.
Tips to prepare your child for the flight
When you have made a decision to send your child alone on the flight, you must prepare them to fly alone with Southwest. For this, you have to keep certain points in mind. Moreover, it will help your child have a pleasant journey in the air.
- Your child should have the contact information of the person coming to pick them up at the destination airport.
- Provide kids with a copy of their itineraries to avoid any kind of hassle.
- Pack some snacks and goodies for your kid.
- Make sure to charge kids’ electronic devices because there will be no power outlets on the flight.
- To monitor the kids’ flight status, install the Southwest mobile app.
Things to do after arriving at the airport
Ensure to arrive a bit early at the airport so that children can familiarize themself with Southwest crew members. Show them who are the crew members, and tell them to contact those members whenever needed. Once you arrive at the airport, go to the main lobby to complete the check-in procedure.
- Check luggage for your kid, if applicable.
- Pay the unaccompanied minor fee. For children from 5 to 11 years, you will have to pay $50 for a one-way trip and $100 for a round-trip in addition to general adult fare.
- Submit the unaccompanied minor documents.
- Get your kid’s boarding pass.
- Ensure to get yourself an escort pass to be your kid through the security checkpoint. You have to accompany them to the gate as well.
Does Southwest refund the unaccompanied minor fee?
Is there a change in the travel plan of your unaccompanied minor? Worry not because Southwest will refund the amount. The airline understands that change is inevitable, and one may need to cancel the plan. Therefore, it offers a complete refund of the unaccompanied minor fee. Southwest will send the refund if-
- Southwest cancels your flight, and you don’t want to rebook for your kid.
- The travel plan of your kid changes, and you cancel the booking. If your unaccompanied minor doesn’t travel, you can request a refund.
- The unaccompanied minor is now traveling with an adult. In that way, the kid will not be an unaccompanied minor anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What information is required on the paperwork of unaccompanied minors?
- The unaccompanied minor form requires the following information:
- Information about your child,
- Information about the parent or guardian, whoever is dropping and picking up the child at the destination
- The parent or guardian’s name, address, phone number, and alternate contact number.
Can a 14-year-old fly unaccompanied on a southwest flight?
Does Southwest Airlines require a birth certificate for minors?
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