Qantas Unaccompanied Minor Policy

For your youngster, traveling alone can be both terrifying and exciting. For this reason, the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor service offers amenities like separate lounges during transit for unaccompanied youngsters at the Melbourne, Canberra, Victoria, Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane Airports. It also includes the option for your child to be escorted through Immigration and Customs by Qantas Customer Service Agents for overseas flights.

The airline provides this service on selected connecting Qantas flights, and you can book domestic flights online. Unaccompanied minors will be charged a fee of 75 USD for domestic flights and 100 USD for international flights, depending on the location.

This is to cover some of the additional services and facilities needed for a pleasant and pleasurable flight experience for minors traveling unaccompanied.  Children traveling with an adult who is 15 years of age or older, such as a parent, guardian, or sibling, are not compelled to use these extra services and facilities.

How Qantas Unaccompanied Minor Policy Works?

Children under the age of 12 are deemed unaccompanied minors by Qantas if they are traveling without the supervision of:

• Parents or Guardians of the child
• Sibling who is 15 years or older
• An adult nominated by the child’s parent or guardian

Please note – If your child is not booked as an unaccompanied minor where necessary, he or she may be refused passage at the airport.

Booking Qantas Flight Reservations for Unaccompanied Minor

The unaccompanied minor fee is payable per destination. For instance, if you reserve an unaccompanied minor for a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Sydney, you would be charged for both inbound as well as outbound flight . More information can be found in the pricing table below.

Unaccompanied Minors are not permitted to pre-purchase extra luggage or a preferred seat. Passengers would be offered seat selection at the time of checking in at the airport.

Let’s understand how you can book the flight, and the required fee for domestic as well as international routes – 

Domestic flights

International flights

If your booking an unaccompanied minor flight to and from USA, or South Africa, here’s the important information –

Booking Restrictions Under Qantas Minor Policy

As per Qantas unaccompanied minor policy, international reservations cannot be made online. These must be purchased or booked at the airport up to 4 hours before the scheduled departure. 

Remember that you cannot book unaccompanied minors if:

• An itinerary may contain an overnight layover or the day’s last flight. 
• Involve connecting flights that leave from various airports in the same city.
• An unoperated flight by Qantas is included in the schedule.  Direct reservations with the operating airline are required for these flights.
• Any two connected flights have a travel time of more than four (4) hours.
• If your child carries medication, he or she:
  • Understands the need for the drug and, if questioned by the airline’s staff, can provide justification;
  • Can take medication by themselves;
  • Brings a letter of recommendation from their physician.

Important information for Nominated Parents or Guardian

While the unaccompanied kid is in Qantas’ custody, the designated parents or legal guardian must be reachable via phone at any time without delay. In addition – 

• The airline reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary, including turning the unaccompanied minor over to the police, in the event that the designated pickup person does not meet the unaccompanied minor upon arrival at the gate.
• Unaccompanied minors must check-in at the airport at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure for international departure.
• For flights within Australia, the check-in must be completed at least 1 hour prior to the scheduled departure.
• When you arrive at the airport, kindly introduce yourself to our helpful customer service representatives who will verify that the Unaccompanied Minor form has been correctly filled out. 
• If the documents Qantas Minor traveling alone are incomplete, the minor may be moved on the next available flight trip if doing so will cause them to miss their originally scheduled flight.
• If the child does not fly on all flights, the unaccompanied minor fee is refundable. 

Reservation Changes for Qantas Unaccompanied Minor

Please contact your local Qantas office to make modifications to an unaccompanied minor’s reservation and make sure the child’s travel is scheduled for another date.

Qantas only allows changes to unaccompanied minor bookings by:

• The primary contact 
• A parent or legal guardian
• Third-party travel  agency 
• Representative of any of the aforementioned parties
• Member of the Qantas airport customer care team 

Essential Documents Required for Unaccompanied Minor Travel

The parent or legal guardian of the traveling child must fill out the Unaccompanied Minor form. Make sure the child brings it alongside other documents with them to the airport for flights within Australia.

For international travel, you’ll need to complete the international wallet before check-in. 

Your child must bring either the completed unaccompanied minor wallet if they are flying domestically and are leaving from an international terminal. It includes – 

• Full name 
• Date of birth 
• Purpose of the trip 
• Full name and contact information of the adult who authorized the travel 
• Full name and contact information of the adult who will pick up the child at the destination.

On international flights, the unaccompanied minor will also require

• A passport
• Necessary visas or authorization letters
• Country-specific travel documents

Please note – Before arranging travel arrangements for an unaccompanied minor, the person making those arrangements should verify with the embassies of each nation to ensure that all conditions are met.

Connecting Flight for Qantas Unaccompanied Minor

When you book an unaccompanied minor on a journey with a connecting connection, the UNMR service team will assign a ground personnel to take your child from their arrival gate to departure gate. Keep in mind the following crucial information regarding connecting flights:

• Unaccompanied minors cannot be booked on connecting flights with a transit period no less than 4 hours.
• You must make your reservation through a Qantas office if your child’s schedule involves any flights on an airline other than Qantas.

Unaccompanied Minor Travel To/From USA

If your unaccompanied minor is flying to or from the United States of America, the child’s parent or guardian must leave him or her off at the designated airport site and must be accessible at all times. In addition – 

• On arrival, the unaccompanied minor will be handed over to the main contact named by the parent, guardian, or responsible adult.
• The unaccompanied minor must complete the check-in at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure. 
• When the itinerary involves a connection to or from American Airlines, reservations for unaccompanied minors cannot be accepted.

UNMR Journey From Check In to Arrival

Here’s the step by step journey of the unaccompanied child’s travel with Qantas from check-in to onboard, and during the arrival. This is the essential guide for parents/legal guardians who are making the travel arrangement for their children to fly alone. 

Checking In for the flight

Inform the check-in agent at the airport that your child is flying alone and submit the completed Unaccompanied Minor Documents. Please emphasize to your child the value of keeping all documents, including their passport, safe at all times.

The airline will advise you – 

• The time to meet a Qantas cabin crew member at the appropriate departure gate for a domestic flight.
• The time to meet a Qantas ground staff representative who will accompany the child through Customs and Immigration to the departure gate for an international flight 

The person who is escorting the unaccompanied minor to the airport is required to wait there until the plane takes off.

For travel to the United States, the child’s parent or guardian must accompany the youngster to the airport

Inflight

During onboard, the airline crew will constantly check on the unaccompanied minor.

Arrivals

The Qantas cabin staff member will deliver the youngster to the designated pick-up person after landing. This person must be at least 18 years old or have a sibling who is at least 15 years old. The parents who would be greeting the child at the airport must present the following documents – 

• Valid photo ID
• A copy of filled unaccompanied minor form.

Acceptable form of photo ID include – 

• A valid passport
• Driver’s license
• Any document issued by the Commonwealth of Australia

Parents who are receiving the unaccompanied minor at the arrival can also carry an acceptable form of non-photo ID. It includes – 

• Medicare Card
• Debit/Credit card
• Government-issued card
• Library card
• Qantas frequent flier card

Book Unaccompanied Minor Qantas Flight with Medication

To be allowed to travel alone, children must be able to administer their own medication. In general, the crew members onboard are not permitted to offer medication. You must ensure the following for children who are traveling with medication:

• When making a reservation, please let the airline know about any allergies or special needs. If your child has to carry medication, such as injectors/inhalers, you should also arrange for a letter from the child’s doctor. The doctor’s letter must include the following:
  • Letters must be dated within two years of the travel date, and are drafted in English.
  • Attest to the child’s ability to recognize the need for the drug
  • For a hassle-free journey, make sure you fill out the particular requirements in the Qantas minor form (PDF).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Qantas Minors Policy