Children travelling on their own

Your child’s safety and comfort are our priority

A happy journey for them, peace of mind for you

Our Unaccompanied Minor service enables children aged 5 to 17 to travel safely and comfortably without a parent or guardian.

Policies by age

0 – 4 years
5 – 11 years
12 – 17 years

0 – 4 years

If you child is under five on the day of departure, they must be accompanied by an adult travelling on the same flight and in the same cabin. They are not permitted to fly alone or use our Unaccompanied Minor service.

5 – 11 years

Children aged 5 to 11 use our Unaccompanied Minor service for free. They must be booked on a normal adult fare and have pre-booked the service before arriving at the airport.

12 – 17 years

Children aged 12 to 17 are permitted to travel on their own adult ticket. However, if you prefer to pay to use our Unaccompanied Minor service, it costs USD 100 each way for direct flights or USD 150 each for connecting flights. Guests between 12 and 17 are not permitted to escort an Unaccompanied Minor. Legal parents below the age of 18 will be permitted to accompany infants or children with relevant identification.

Booking our Unaccompanied Minor service

Book your child’s flight

You must book a normal adult fare.

Book now

Submit a request form

Submit an Unaccompanied Minor request form. We’ll confirm within 24 hours when we've reviewed your documents and settled payments.

Submit form

Print and sign form

Print and sign the completed request form and take it to the airport with you.

A guide for children travelling alone

Preparing to fly

Please complete your unaccompanied minor form and make sure your child has everything they need to fly.

Check-in

Your child must check in at the airport at least two hours before their flight. Please be with them at check-in and stay at the airport until their flight has departed.

At the airport

Our friendly hosts will be with your child until they board. If they’re flying in Business or First, they may use our lounges in Abu Dhabi.

On board

With E-BOX and an activity pack, there's plenty to keep your child entertained. Just remember, they’ll need their own phone or tablet to watch E-BOX on shorter flights.

Connecting flights

If your child is transferring to another Etihad flight, one of our hosts will accompany them to our lounge in Abu Dhabi.

On arrival

Our hosts will help your child through immigration, baggage claims and customs. Bring your ID when you meet them at Arrivals.

Frequently asked questions

We’re here to help! Simply visit etihad.com/manage to change your child’s flight, then submit a new Unaccompanied Minor service request form.

Make sure you have submitted a new request form at least 24 hours before your child’s flight – you may be charged if you request the service at the airport. For children aged 12 to 17, you will only be requested to pay again if you change from a direct flight to a connecting flight.

Please get in touch with us if you need any assistance.

At the airport, your child can use any of our check-in counters. You must stay with your child at check-in and stay in the airport until their flight has departed.

Yes! You can reserve your child’s seat at etihad.com/manage any time after you’ve booked up to one hour before they fly. Otherwise, we’ll automatically allocate a seat for free.

See all FAQs