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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