How does Unaccompanied Minor Travel Work with Emirates?

Emirates promises a memorable flight for unaccompanied minors. An unaccompanied minor service is optional for children aged over 12. But you must book the service for children aged between 5 and 11. Children below 5 are not allowed to travel without an adult accompanying him or her. Here are the highlights of how Emirates unaccompanied minor policy works.

• Get in touch with Emirates up to 12 hours before departure to arrange unaccompanied minor service.
• A specialist member of the Emirates team will meet your child at the check-in desk.
• The maximum connection time allowed is between 4-8 hours.
• Overnight stay at the connecting airport is restricted.

Our HolidayGlobes blog will walk you through the unaccompanied minor policy of Emirates.

Is It Mandatory to Buy Unaccompanied Minor Service on Emirates?

You will have to compulsorily buy an unaccompanied minor service if your child is below 12 and he or she is travelling alone. It is optional for children over 12. This service may not be available on Emirates flights which are not direct. You will have to pay a fee of $50 per way for this service. Here are the various ways available for booking an unaccompanied minor.

• A local Emirates office can assist you. - Addresses of the local Emirates office can be found on the website.
• Take the assistance of LiveChat - Begin a chat session on website and place your request.
• Call Emirates customer service. - The numbers for all cities are available on Emirates website.

Emirates unaccompanied minor fee you pay may be refundable under a few conditions. You can visit or contact HolidayGlobes to learn about refundability of this fee.

Are There Restrictions on Booking Unaccompanied Minors with Emirates?

Emirates Unaccompanied minor rules don’t permit you to leave the airport until the flight has departed. There are restrictions on whether you can book a child on a connecting flight. If the connection is up to 4 hours and the connecting flight is on a different airline, you may be able to book the child. A connection time of up to 8 hours is allowed if the connecting flight is operated by Emirates. Here are some restrictions booking on Emirates unaccompanied minors on connecting flights.

1. They are not allowed an overnight stay unless they have a local guardian to take care of them at the connecting airport.
2. 8 hours of connection time is available only at Dubai and this is subject to approval.  

What Documents does an Unaccompanied Minor need to travel?

A birth certificate proving the age of the unaccompanied minor, along with the travel documents, is needed. Passport and visa would be required on international flights. To ensure the child doesn’t have difficulty accessing them, they should be placed in the handbag. Here are the other requirements needed when you book an unaccompanied minor.

• A declaration of indemnity. - This is a parental consent to be filled up at the airport.
• Verifiable ID of the guardian who will meet the child at destination. - You will have to submit copies of the guardian's ID.
• Submit yours and the guardian’s contact details - Address and phone numbers will be required.

A few airports have unaccompanied minor lounges. The minor will have access to facilities like internet surfing here. You can visit or contact HolidayGlobes to obtain details of airports where Emirates has these lounges.