How Air Canada's unaccompanied minor service works
The age and the routing decide everything. Because it is phone-only, this is exactly the kind of booking we handle for you.
A child under 8 is not eligible for the unaccompanied minor service and must travel with a passenger who is at least 16. There is no exception, so if a young child needs to travel, the plan has to include an accompanying adult.
A child aged 8 to 11 flying without an adult must use Air Canada's unaccompanied minor service, it is not optional, and it carries a per-child, each-way fee with a meal included. The child is handed off to and received by named, authorized adults at each end.
A traveller aged 12 to 17 may fly as a regular passenger or use the unaccompanied minor service by choice. If you want the supervised hand-off for a young teen, you can add it, and we can talk through whether it is worth it for your trip.
This is the rule that surprises people. The service is available on nonstop Air Canada flights only, and is explicitly barred on connecting itineraries and codeshare flights. If the only routing has a connection, an unaccompanied minor cannot be booked on it, so the nonstop matters more than the price.
Air Canada does not let you set up an unaccompanied minor online. It must be booked through reservations or a travel agent, with the accompanying and receiving adults named. That is exactly the kind of booking we do for you, so nothing is missed.
Bring valid ID for the child and full names, addresses and phone numbers for the authorized adults dropping off and picking up. Only those named adults can collect the child, so confirm everyone before the day.
The unaccompanied minor fee, ages and routing rules are set by Air Canada and change. We never publish the fee because it depends on your trip, an agent quotes it, plus our service fee, before anything is charged. You can read Air Canada's own rules at aircanada.com, and because this is phone-only, letting us book it is often the easiest path.
The unaccompanied minor rules that get children refused
Check the age and the routing before you book anything, the gate is the wrong place to find out.
Two things get an unaccompanied minor refused: a connection and an online booking. Air Canada only carries unaccompanied minors on nonstops, and only when booked by phone with the drop-off and pick-up adults named. So the cheapest routing with a connection simply will not work for a child alone. Call us, we find an eligible nonstop and set the whole thing up correctly.
Frequently asked
Can my child fly alone on Air Canada?+
Why can't I book the unaccompanied minor online?+
My only option has a connection, can my 9-year-old still fly alone?+
Does an unaccompanied minor cost extra on Air Canada?+
Contact options
Reach Air Canada directly, or let us handle it.
Contact Air Canada directly
The airline's own official channels, free.
More Air Canada help
Related guides.