Ask the Editors—Jun 07, 2010
Posted by
Michelle Doucette, Jun 07, 2010
This week's question comes from Mel in Ohio, home to America's oldest traffic light:
What is the minimum age to fly as an adult? Can a 17-year-old do it?
Hi Mel,
The answers: younger than you may think, and a 17-year-old can definitely fly as an adult would!
The golden rule of booking a ticket for a minor is to call your airline before booking, but airlines agree that a 17-year-old can book and fly as an adult. In fact, some airlines allow children as young as 12 to fly alone without having to use the airline’s unaccompanied-minor services.
Even if your airline is happy to transport your littlest travelers without imposing their youth service (and its fees), bear in mind that some restrictions may apply, even for teens. It’s common for an airline to restrict children to non-stop flights or to ban them from the last flight of the day (if a flight cancelation results in an overnight stay, children younger than 18 may not be accepted by hotels).
Here are links to some domestic airlines’ minor policies so you can compare:
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
JetBlue
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways
A wonderful flight and safe travels to your teen!
Michelle