Can my 17 year old fly alone on Southwest?

We consider children ages 12 through 17 traveling alone to be Young Travelers (YTs), not Unaccompanied Minors (UMs). Accordingly, our UM procedures do not apply to travelers ages 12 through 17.



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Southwest offers Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding.

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Depends on your definition of young. Here's Southwest's policy regarding family boarding: An adult traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding.

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Preboarding is available for Customers with disabilities who need a specific seat to accommodate a disability, need assistance boarding the aircraft, or need to stow an assistive device.

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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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You do need your parents' consent. Your friend could get in big trouble taking you someplace without the knowledge and agreement of your parents. And they should put it in writing including giving him or her permission to seek emergency medical treatment for you while traveling.

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TSA (Transportation Security Administration) minor travel consent refers to a document that gives permission for a minor child (usually under the age of 18) to travel without both parents or legal guardians present.

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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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Adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.
  • Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent) ...
  • U.S. passport.
  • U.S. passport card.
  • DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)


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You do not need id to check in at Southwest. You need a confirmation number and your name. You can get that by logging in to your account or by referring to the e-mail that Southwest sent you when you completed the booking. If you don't know how to do that you can check in by using a credit card at the airport.

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If you are traveling domestically, you will only need 1 valid form of identification — either your REAL ID or your passport, not both.

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A Child Travel Consent letter is a legal document that gives permission for minors to travel without their parents or legal guardian. If a child is traveling with an adult who is not their legal guardian, both the parents need to sign the consent letter.

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Up to two adults traveling with a child six years old or younger may board during Family Boarding, which occurs after the “A” group has boarded and before the “B” group begins boarding. There should be enough open seats to enable the child to sit next to at least one accompanying adult.

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Southwest allows preboarding only for customers who 1) need a specific seat on the plane, or 2) need assistance boarding the plane. If you find that having a specific seat helps with your anxiety, that would be a way for you to preboard.

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C 1-60: This is the group you will most likely get if you don't check in right on time. While the C group isn't a guaranteed middle seat, the chances are pretty high that you won't be sitting in the ideal spot.

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Getting the top levels of priority boarding is reserved for the most frequent flyers, active military members and higher fare class. You can also board early by being an AAdvantage card member. However, if you prefer other airlines, look for other travel cards that offer priority boarding and compare your options.

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