BargainAirTicket is an independent travel agency, we are not Southwest Airlines and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Southwest Airlines. Rules for children flying alone are set by Southwest, carry real safety consequences, and change; you can arrange the unaccompanied-minor or Young Traveler service yourself by calling Southwest directly at 1-800-435-9792 at no extra cost beyond the airline's own fee. If you'd rather we confirm eligibility and book it correctly, our agents assist by phone for a service fee, quoted before you're charged.

Sending a child alone on Southwest

Southwest requires its unaccompanied-minor service for every child ages five to eleven flying without an adult, say an 8-year-old flying Dallas Love Field to Nashville with one same-plane stop to visit a parent, or an 11-year-old going Chicago Midway to Baltimore/Washington alone for a school break. What most families don't expect: Southwest is more flexible than airlines that only book unaccompanied minors nonstop, it allows up to two stops as long as the child stays on the same aircraft with no flight-number change. It isn't offered internationally, and it isn't offered on any itinerary with an overnight connection. And for ages 12 to 17, Southwest has a separate, optional, fee-free Young Traveler program that works differently from the mandatory younger-child service. Here's exactly how each one works, what it costs, and how we set it up so your child isn't turned away at the gate.

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    First question: is your child eligible to fly Southwest alone?

    Ages 5 to 11, nonstop or same-plane

    The unaccompanied-minor service is required. Book it in advance, budget the fee one-way, and confirm the routing stays on one aircraft with no flight-number change.

    Under 5, international, or an overnight connection

    Southwest has no unaccompanied-minor or Young Traveler option for any of these three cases, under 5 can't fly alone, neither service is offered on international itineraries, and neither is offered on a routing that requires an overnight connection.

    UM service available and required, ages 5 to 11 Same-plane routing, up to 2 stops allowed with no aircraft or flight-number change, more flexible than nonstop-only carriers Ages 12 to 17 fly as Young Travelers at no extra fee Under 5: can't fly alone at all Not offered on international itineraries, any age Not offered on itineraries with an overnight connection Fee $100 one-way (US mainland) or $35 one-way within Hawaii, confirm at southwest.com Young Travelers (12 to 17) get no UM-style monitoring, even though it's free

    Southwest allows up to two same-plane stops for an unaccompanied minor, most carriers only allow nonstop.

    As long as the child stays on the same aircraft, with no plane change and no flight-number change along the way, Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service can cover a routing with up to two stops. Airlines that book this service nonstop-only simply won't fly a child alone on a route that needs a connection at all. Southwest's same-plane rule opens up itineraries those carriers can't touch. It still draws a hard line at any plane change, any flight-number change, and any overnight connection, so the flexibility has real edges worth checking before you book.
    The unaccompanied-minor day, step by step
    Book in advance

    Arrange the unaccompanied-minor service with Southwest ahead of the trip. We confirm the routing is nonstop or genuine same-plane service, check the child's age against the 5 to 11 window, and quote the fee one-way before anything is charged.

    Day of departure, drop-off

    The adult dropping the child off checks them in and completes Southwest's unaccompanied-minor paperwork at the airport. Exact hand-off requirements, what ID to bring, how early to arrive, are set by Southwest and can vary by airport, so we confirm the specifics for your departure city on the call.

    At the gate and on the plane

    Your child boards under Southwest's unaccompanied-minor procedure and is monitored by the crew through the nonstop leg or each same-plane segment, without ever changing aircraft.

    On arrival, pickup

    Only the adult authorized at booking can collect your child. Confirm Southwest's exact ID and pickup requirements when you arrange the service, getting them wrong is one of the ways a pickup gets held up.

    Who needs the service, and who doesn't

    Southwest's own age bands. Confirm current details at southwest.com.

    Under 5, cannot fly alone:

    There's no unaccompanied-minor or Young Traveler option below age 5 on Southwest. A child this young has to travel with a qualifying adult.

    Ages 5 to 11. Unaccompanied Minor status is mandatory:

    Every child in this range flying without an adult must be booked into Southwest's unaccompanied-minor program. It isn't optional, and it isn't something you can skip to avoid the fee.

    Ages 12 to 17. Young Traveler, optional:

    Southwest offers a separate optional service for this age group at no extra fee. It doesn't carry the monitoring or hand-off structure of the mandatory younger-child program.

    18 and older, travels as a regular passenger:

    An adult flies as a standard Southwest passenger; neither service or fee applies.

    The fee, two tiers, one-way

    Charged per direction, per child. Confirm the current amount at southwest.com.

    Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service is a one-way charge on top of the child's ticket, and it depends on where the trip is flown, recently $100 one-way for US mainland travel, and a lower $35 one-way for flights between the Hawaiian islands. That means a round trip carries the fee twice, once outbound and once on the return, and it applies per child rather than per family. It may be refundable under specific conditions Southwest sets, worth asking about on the call. Amounts change; confirm the current figures at southwest.com or we'll quote them exactly before anything is charged.

    Same-plane routing. Southwest's biggest advantage for this service

    The rule that opens up routes other airlines simply won't fly.

    Up to two stops, one aircraft:

    Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service allows nonstop travel or a routing with as many as two stops, provided the child never changes planes and the flight number never changes along the way. That's meaningfully more permissive than carriers that only offer this service nonstop.

    The instant a plane changes, the rule changes:

    If the itinerary requires the child to physically change aircraft at any point, a true connection, not a same-plane stop, that's outside what Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service covers on that routing.

    Overnight connections are excluded outright:

    Regardless of whether a plane change is involved, Southwest does not offer the unaccompanied-minor or Young Traveler service on any itinerary that requires an overnight connection.

    Not available internationally

    A routing restriction that applies at every age.

    Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service and its Young Traveler program are not offered on international itineraries. If any leg of your child's trip crosses an international border, neither Southwest service is an option for that leg, you'd need a different plan, whether that's a different airline for that portion of the trip or a traveling adult on that segment. Tell us the full routing and we'll flag this before you book anything, not after.

    Ages 12 to 17: Young Travelers is optional, not the same program

    Free, but without the mandatory service's structure.

    Once a child turns 12, Southwest's mandatory unaccompanied-minor requirement no longer applies. Instead, families can choose Southwest's Young Traveler service, it's optional, it doesn't add a fee, and it lets a 12-to-17-year-old fly alone with a bit of extra visibility from Southwest. What it isn't is a substitute for the younger-child program: Young Travelers don't get the same monitoring or formal hand-off procedure the 5 to 11 unaccompanied-minor service provides. Connecting flights are allowed for Young Travelers as long as there's a normal plane change and no overnight layover, the overnight-connection exclusion applies here too. If a family wants closer oversight for a young teen, that's worth discussing on the call rather than assuming Young Traveler status covers it.

    A domestic example: how the rules stack up together

    The rules make more sense once you see them applied to a real trip.

    Say an 8-year-old is flying alone from Dallas Love Field with a single same-plane stop before landing near family in Nashville. Because he's 8, Southwest's unaccompanied-minor service is required, there's no skipping it. Because the routing keeps him on one aircraft with no flight-number change at the stop, it still qualifies under Southwest's same-plane rule, even though it isn't a nonstop; a carrier that only permits nonstop unaccompanied minors wouldn't have flown this itinerary at all. Because the trip lands the same day with no overnight layover, the overnight-connection exclusion never comes into play. And because the destination is Nashville, not a stop outside the US, the international restriction doesn't apply either. Change any one of those variables, a younger child needing an actual plane change, an overnight layover, or an international leg, and the trip stops being straightforward. That's the whole reason to have someone check the specifics before you buy the ticket, not after.

    Rules vary and change, and a child can be refused at the gate

    This is the part families underestimate most.

    Every rule on this page, the age bands, the same-plane routing limit, the international and overnight-connection exclusions, the two-tier fee, is set by Southwest, and airlines revise these terms over time. A booking engine that isn't checking these specifics can sell you an itinerary Southwest's own agents will refuse at the counter: a connection that actually requires a plane change, an overnight layover, or a route Southwest doesn't support for unaccompanied minors at all. None of that is discovered until you're standing at the airport with a child who was supposed to board. Confirming eligibility before you pay is what prevents that, either with Southwest directly, or with us.

    Before you book, the checklist

    A few minutes now prevents a child being turned away at the gate.

    • The child's exact age on the travel date, under 5 can't fly alone; 5 to 11 is mandatory UM; 12 to 17 is optional Young Traveler
    • Does the routing stay on one aircraft? Up to 2 stops are fine if there's no plane or flight-number change
    • Does any leg cross an international border? Neither Southwest service is offered internationally
    • Is there an overnight connection anywhere? That rules out both services regardless of age
    • Who drops off and who picks up, confirm Southwest's exact ID requirements before travel

    Book the unaccompanied-minor service as soon as your child's travel dates are set. The same-plane rule is more forgiving than a strict nonstop requirement, but it still rules out any itinerary with a real plane change on the wrong terms, an overnight connection, or an international leg. Confirming the routing, the age band, and the fee early is what keeps your child from being turned away.

    Frequently asked

    What age can a child fly alone on Southwest?+
    A child under 5 cannot fly alone on Southwest at all. From ages 5 to 11, Southwest's unaccompanied minor status is mandatory. Ages 12 to 17 can fly alone as a Young Traveler, an optional service with no fee. At 18, a traveler flies as a regular adult passenger. Call us and we'll confirm eligibility for your child's exact trip before you book.
    How much does Southwest charge for an unaccompanied minor?+
    It's $100 one-way for US mainland travel, or $35 one-way for inter-island Hawaii flights, per child. It may be refundable under specific conditions. Amounts can change, so confirm the current fee at southwest.com or on the call.
    Can my child connect on Southwest, or does it have to be nonstop?+
    Southwest is more flexible than nonstop-only carriers: an unaccompanied minor can fly nonstop or on same-plane service with up to two stops, as long as there's no aircraft change and no flight-number change along the way. It's not offered on itineraries that require an overnight connection or a change of plane.
    Do kids ages 12 to 17 need Southwest's unaccompanied minor service?+
    No. Ages 12 to 17 can use Southwest's optional Young Traveler service at no extra fee, but it doesn't include the monitoring and hand-off procedure of the mandatory 5 to 11 unaccompanied-minor program. Young Travelers can connect with a plane change, but not on an overnight connection.
    Can my child fly alone internationally on Southwest?+
    No. Southwest's unaccompanied minor and Young Traveler services are not offered on international itineraries, and neither is offered on any itinerary that requires an overnight connection, regardless of age. We can check your routing before you book.

    Contact options

    Reach Southwest directly, or let us book the unaccompanied minor or Young Traveler service for you.

    Contact Southwest directly

    The airline's own official channels, free.

    Websitesouthwest.com
    Reservations1-800-435-9792
    AppSouthwest app

    These are Southwest's own channels; confirm current unaccompanied-minor rules at southwest.com.

    Or let a BargainAirTicket agent do it

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    BargainAirTicket is an independent travel marketplace operated by Bookmecheapest LLC, not an airline and not a representative of Southwest Airlines or any airline. "Southwest Airlines" and related marks are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to describe the ticketing support we offer. Unaccompanied-minor and Young Traveler ages, fees, routing rules and connection limits are set by Southwest, carry real safety consequences, and change frequently, always confirm current requirements at southwest.com. We assist with bookings on any airline for a service fee, quoted before you're charged.

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