Southwest® will allow children ages 5 through 11 to travel as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM). This travel may be booked online at Southwest.com® or with one of our Employees at the ticket counter or by phone.

Southwest charges a UM service charge for each way. Multiple Unaccompanied Minors may travel together on the same reservation. You will have to pay the Unaccompanied Minor service charge each way for each UM to travel. Please visit our Optional Travel Charges page for pricing.

When booking, the parent/guardian must make sure the child's reservation is on a nonstop flight or a flight that makes a stop but does not require a change of planes. Southwest does not permit Unaccompanied Minors to fly to or from international destinations, on itineraries with connecting flights, or on Getaways by Southwest™ vacation packages.

Unaccompanied Minors are not monitored continuously throughout the travel. Only children with sufficient maturity who are able to travel with limited adult supervision should fly as an Unaccompanied Minor on Southwest Airlines®.

Ready to book? Here’s what you need to know:

• You’ll need the following information about the person who will be dropping off the child, the person who will be picking up the child at their destination, and an alternate person available at the destination:
  • Name
  • Relationship to the child
  • Address
  • Phone numbers (including area code)
• Service Charge: When booking for an Unaccompanied Minor, you will be required to pay the Unaccompanied Minor service charge.
• If you purchase a Basic fare for your child, Southwest will assign a seat at check-in (which begins 24 hours prior to original scheduled departure). If you purchase a Choice Extra, Choice Preferred, or Choice fare, you will have the option to select a seat for your child or you may purchase a seat (if available).

Preparing an Unaccompanied Minor for Travel:

• Make copies of the itinerary
• Provide the child with the contact information for whoever’s picking them up
• Download the Southwest app to monitor their flight status
• Refer to the U.S. Department of Transportation's guide, 'When Kids Fly Alone'
• Send food and water with the child in case they get hungry
• Charge the child’s electronic device(s) before leaving for the airport—in-seat power is not available onboard all of our aircraft and each Customer is limited to one power bank/portable charger, which must be carried on. No power banks may be in checked baggage. Learn more.
• A child's parent or legal guardian can obtain a Rapid Rewards® account for the child so that the child can access Free WiFi (where available) during the flight with their permission. All Rapid Rewards rules and regulations apply and can be found at Southwest.com/rrterms

Dropping off an Unaccompanied Minor at the Airport:

• Stop at the ticket counter to obtain a gate pass that will allow you to go through the security checkpoint. A valid photo ID and a copy of the child's itinerary are required to obtain a gate pass.
• To pass through the security checkpoint, you’ll need the gate pass and a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, a state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), or another acceptable form of identification as required by TSA.
• Arrive at the gate no less than 45 minutes prior to the flight's original scheduled departure time. Check-in with a Southwest® Employee at the gate and advise them that you are dropping off a UM. Be sure to give yourself enough time to park, check-in at the Southwest ticket counter, and pass through the security checkpoint.) Review our suggested arrival times.
• Give the Southwest Gate Agent the completed UM paperwork you received at the ticket counter. Make sure that the information on the UM paperwork—including flight number and destination airport—matches what is shown on the UM's itinerary.
• The Unaccompanied Minor form will be inserted in the Unaccompanied Minor lanyard, which must be worn by the child for the duration of the flight.
• The child will be escorted onto the aircraft by a Southwest Employee before general boarding begins and will be introduced to the Southwest Flight Attendant as an Unaccompanied Minor.
• You must stay in the gate area until the child’s flight is in the air—we’ll let you know when you can leave the boarding area.
• Call the parent/guardian picking up the child to let them know that the flight has departed.

Onboard Expectations for the Unaccompanied Minor:

• A Southwest Flight Attendant will check on the child periodically, as duties allow, but will not continuously monitor the child throughout the flight.
• The child is required to always wear the UM lanyard around their neck.
• The child must follow instructions given by Southwest Employees, including those regarding wearing a seatbelt.
• The child must have sufficient maturity to know how and be capable of requesting help from a Flight Attendant (e.g., ringing the call button or getting the Flight Attendant’s attention).
• Make sure that you and the parent/guardian picking up the child are available to answer phone calls during the flight time in the event of a flight irregularity.
• The child should wait to be escorted off the plane by a Southwest Employee and remain with the Employee until custody has been transferred to the parent/guardian.

Picking up an Unaccompanied Minor at the Airport:

• Check Southwest.com® for the suggested airport arrival times at the child's arrival city. Arriving at this time will give you time to get your gate pass at the ticket counter and proceed through the security checkpoint to greet the child in their flight's gate area.
• Stop at the ticket counter to obtain a gate pass that will allow you to go through the security checkpoint. A valid photo ID and a copy of the child's itinerary are required to obtain a gate pass. If the UM's flight is scheduled to arrive after the ticket counter and/or security checkpoint is closed, proceed to the Baggage Service Office to let the Southwest Agent know you're picking up a UM. If the security checkpoint is closed, a Southwest Employee will escort the child past security to meet the parent/guardian.
• Arrive at the gate no less than 45 minutes prior to the flight's scheduled arrival time. Check in with a Southwest Employee at the gate and let them know you’re picking up an Unaccompanied Minor. (Be sure to factor in time to park, check-in at the ticket counter, and pass through the security checkpoint.)

More information can be found in our Unaccompanied Minor Terms and Conditions.