The age rules — and why nonstop vs. connecting matters
American's current policy, in plain English. Ages can change, so confirm at aa.com.
A child from 5 through 14 traveling without an adult must be booked as an unaccompanied minor. It isn't optional, and it can't be waived by writing a note.
Teens 15 to 17 may fly as regular passengers, but you can add the unaccompanied minor service for peace of mind. If you request it, the fee applies just as it would for a younger child.
A child age 5 to 7 can only fly nonstop or direct (same-plane) — no connections, period. From age 8 a child may connect, but only through one of American's designated hubs — currently Charlotte (CLT), Washington (DCA), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), New York (JFK and LGA), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Chicago (ORD), Philadelphia (PHL) or Phoenix (PHX). Book a 6-year-old on a connection and American will refuse it at the counter.
A child aged 2 to 14 can instead fly as an accompanied minor when travelling with someone at least 16 — which avoids the unaccompanied service. And the unaccompanied fee is charged once and covers additional siblings booked together on the same flight.
Very young children can't travel by themselves; they need a qualifying older traveler. If you're unsure whether your child qualifies, call before you buy — not after.
American's current fee is $150 each way plus tax, added to the ticket price; ages and hub lists are American's rules and can change, so we confirm the current ones for your child's exact date and routing before booking.
Routings American will refuse — even if a website lets you book them
This is the part that saves a ruined trip. A booking engine may sell these; American won't fly a child on them.
The whole trip has to stay on American or American Eagle — no connecting to a different carrier, and that includes codeshare and oneworld partner flights.
From the connecting city, a child can't be booked on the final departure of the day — if it cancels, there's no later flight to protect them on.
The itinerary can't require the child to stay overnight between flights.
Connections that need changing airports (for example between two airports in the same city) aren't allowed.
You check the child in with an agent at the ticket counter — not online, not at a kiosk — so arrive at least 2 hours before departure.
These are exactly the itineraries a search site will happily sell you and American will then refuse. Tell us the trip and we'll build one that's actually allowed.
What the service actually includes
What you're paying for — and where a child is supervised.
Once a child is booked as an unaccompanied minor, an adult stays with them through check-in and to the gate. American staff escort the child onto the aircraft and introduce them to the flight attendant, who keeps an eye on them in flight. If the trip connects, an airport representative meets the child and walks them to the next flight rather than leaving them to find it, and at some hubs there are supervised lounges where kids wait between flights. At the destination, the child is handed only to the specific person you designated.
Exactly which airports have supervised lounges, and the details of the escort, are set by American and can change — confirm at aa.com.
What you'll need at the airport
Missing one of these can stop the child from boarding.
Completed with the details of the adult dropping off and the adult picking up, including names, addresses and phone numbers.
A birth certificate or passport — American may ask to verify the child is within the eligible age range.
The dropping-off adult and the person collecting the child each need government-issued photo ID; American may ask for one showing a current address.
Passport, any visa, and whatever the destination country requires for a minor — see the note below on consent letters.
Plan to arrive well before departure — the drop-off adult must go to the ticket counter, then stay at the gate until the flight is in the air.
Flying internationally? There's an extra layer
The part that catches families on US–Latin America trips.
When a child crosses a border without both parents, many countries — including a number in Latin America — require a notarized parental consent letter, sometimes translated or apostilled, before the child is allowed to enter or leave. The exact requirement depends entirely on the destination and the child's nationality, and it's enforced by that country's authorities, not the airline. Getting this wrong can mean a child is turned back at immigration even with a valid ticket.
Don't guess at it. Check the destination country's consulate for the current rule, and call us as you book — we'll flag whether your route is one where a consent letter is typically expected so you have time to prepare it.
Entry rules for minors are set by governments and change; confirm with the destination's consulate and at aa.com before you travel.
Why it's a phone call, not a website
This is the one booking American deliberately keeps off self-service.
The unaccompanied minor service can't be added through aa.com or a kiosk — it has to be arranged with a live agent who confirms the child's age against the routing, checks the connection is allowed, and records who is dropping off and picking up. That's why we do it with you on the phone: we set up the service, confirm the routing is legal for your child's age, tell you the exact service fee before anything is charged (it's a per-direction fee on top of the ticket), and give you the full document list so nothing surprises you at the counter.
Before you book — the checklist
Two minutes now prevents a child being turned away at the gate.
- The child's exact age on the travel date — it decides nonstop vs. connecting
- Nonstop if possible — it removes the connection age rule and a point of failure
- Who drops off and who picks up — full names, addresses, phone numbers, and their IDs
- For international — passport and whether a notarized consent letter is required
Book the nonstop even if it costs a little more. For a young child, a nonstop erases the connection age rule, the risk of a missed connection, and the chance of a kid alone in a strange airport. When you're sending a child, the safer routing is the cheaper one in every way that matters.
Frequently asked
What age can a child fly alone on American Airlines?+
Can an unaccompanied minor take a connecting flight on American?+
Why can't I book the unaccompanied minor service online?+
What do I need to bring to the airport for an unaccompanied minor?+
Contact options
Reach American directly, or let us set up the service and check the routing.
Contact American Airlines directly
The airline's own official channels — free.
These are American's own channels; confirm current unaccompanied-minor rules at aa.com.
More American Airlines help
Related guides.