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Can a 16 year old travel alone on Southwest?

Our Unaccompanied Minor program is only for children ages five through 11 years old. Children 12 and older are allowed to travel independently as Young Travelers. However, you should decide whether a Young Traveler is capable of and comfortable with doing all of the following independently: Navigating all airports.



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Will minors need an ID to fly domestically? Neither Southwest Airlines nor the TSA require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. There is, however, an exception for Unaccompanied Minors traveling on Southwest Airlines.

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Children under 18 may need a Letter of Consent to travel internationally without both parents.

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Child age at the time of unaccompanied travel Children ages 15-17 are permitted to travel as a standard passenger, Go to footer note, provided they can present a valid ID to security personnel. If parents or guardians prefer, they can also travel as an unaccompanied minor.

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Child age at the time of unaccompanied travel Children ages 15-17 are permitted to travel as a standard passenger, Go to footer note, provided they can present a valid ID to security personnel. If parents or guardians prefer, they can also travel as an unaccompanied minor.

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Some airlines permit this for kids as young as 12. When a child has reached this minimum age for traveling alone without unaccompanied-minor procedures, the airline does not require evidence of parental permission to travel alone. If the child has a passport, he or she can even travel internationally.

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Passengers over the age of 16 may travel without an adult. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. the best seats and in-flight amenities.

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Can a child older than 11 years of age be treated as an Unaccompanied Minor? No. Our Unaccompanied Minor program is only for children ages five through 11 years old. Children 12 and older are allowed to travel independently as Young Travelers.

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Children under 18 may need a Letter of Consent to travel internationally without both parents.

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Original or photocopies of government-issued identification (e.g., passport, birth certificate, government-issued photo identification card) are the only acceptable forms of proof of age. Electronic screen shots, phone images, or immunization records are not acceptable.

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Employees may ask for age verification at any point, so please travel with a copy or original form of any government-issued ID, such as a birth certificate or passport for your child. A medical release for travel is required for any infant under 14 days old.

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In addition to Real ID-compliant driver's licenses and identification cards, the following documents are also acceptable for flying within the United States: S. passport or passport card. DHS trusted traveler cards (e.g., Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST)

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Any persons under 18 travelling without their parents or guardian are required to present an international travel permission declaration form signed by their father, mother or guardian at the check-in desks.

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Young adults (15 – 17 years of age) If your young adult isn't using the unaccompanied minor service and their flight is delayed or canceled, they will be accommodated as an adult customer. Keep in mind, many hotels won't allow young people to check-in unless they are accompanied by an adult.

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The law does not say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it's an offence to leave a child alone if it places them at risk. Use your judgement on how mature your child is before you decide to leave them alone, for example at home or in a car.

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United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requests written consent from both parents or the parent who is not accompanying the minor for minors (those less than 18 years of age) traveling to the U.S. alone or accompanied by only one parent. This written consent must be in English.

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Children between the ages of 16 and 18 years old can travel by themselves, as long as they've got all the usual travel documents and meet all the legal requirements (please see below).

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All children, including infants, must have their own passport or Trusted Traveler Program document for U.S. entry. Carry documents for traveling with minor children. If you are escorting a minor child without the parents, have a letter from both parents indicating that you have permission to travel with the minor.

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Lap children between the ages of 6 to 36 months can travel onboard in car seats. Further, if you prefer this option, you have to pay full fare for that particular seat for the baby, irrespective of the baby's age.

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At 16 years, you are considered an adult and can travel alone for domestic travel. International travel for unaccompanied minor service is between 5 and 17 years of age. You are an adult at 18 years old and can travel alone.

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