Unaccompanied minors

Bookings can be made online for children under 12 years who are eligible to travel unaccompanied on Qantas Domestic and QantasLink operated flights with a QF flight number.

Travelling to and from the United States of America, important information.

Travelling to and from South Africa, important information.

If your unaccompanied minor is travelling to or from the United States of America, the child's parent or guardian is required to drop him or her off at the nominated location within the airport and must be contactable at all times.

On arrival, handover will be made to the main contact nominated by the parent, guardian or responsible adult to pick the unaccompanied minor up.

Bookings can’t be accepted for unaccompanied minors when the itinerary includes a connection to or from American Airlines. Other airlines also have limitations. Please check with the carrier operating the flight. 

When booking your unaccompanied minor on connecting flights, we will ensure that ground staff escort your child from their arrival gate to departure gate. Note the following important information about connecting flights:

• Unaccompanied minors cannot be booked on connecting flights with a transit time of more than 4 hours.
• If your child's itinerary includes any travel on an airline other than Qantas, including a connecting flight, you must make your booking through a Qantas office. This information applies only to Qantas and QantasLink operated flights with a QF flight number. If you intend for your child to travel on another airline, make sure you check with the other airline regarding eligibility for children to travel unaccompanied. Visit jetstar.comOpens external site in a new window for Jetstar's policy.

Bookings for unaccompanied minors flying internationally cannot be booked online and must be booked through a Qantas office.

Remember you can't book unaccompanied minors when:

• an itinerary includes an overnight stopover or the last flight of the day
  
• the itinerary includes connecting flights departing from different airports in the same city
• the itinerary includes a flight not operated by Qantas (even if it has a QF flight number). These flights must be booked directly with the operating carrier
• the transit time between any two connecting flights is more than four (4) hours
• your child carries medication, unless your child:
  • understands and, if asked by our staff, can explain why they need the medication;
  • can self-administer the medication; and
  • carries a supporting letter from their doctor.

See children travelling with medication for more information.

If you need to make changes to an unaccompanied minor's booking, please contact your local Qantas office and ensure the request for the child to travel as an unaccompanied minor is transferred to the new flight.
Qantas only permits changes to be made to unaccompanied minor bookings by:

• the main contact;
• a parent or guardian;
• a travel agent or person acting on behalf of any of the above; or
• Qantas airport customer service staff (in the event of a disruption).

Children travelling alone must be capable of self-administering their medication in order to travel alone. Qantas staff are not generally authorised to administer medication.

Medication is defined as any medicine from a doctor or dentist (on prescription) and from a pharmacist or over-the-counter. Examples of over-the-counter medication may include Panadol, antihistamines and hydrocortisone creams/ointments.

For children who travel with medication, you’ll need to ensure the following:

• make sure you notify us at the time of booking
• advise us of any allergies or any special requirements, and
• organise a letter from the child's doctor if your child needs to carry medication, which may include carrying an Adrenalin Auto Injector and Ventolin inhalers. The letter from the child's doctor must:
  
  • be dated within two years of the date of travel
  • be written in English
  • confirm that the child is capable of identifying the need for the medication; and
  • confirm that the child can self-administer it.

Ensure you complete the special requirements section of the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor Travel Document (PDF) for a seamless travel experience.

If your child becomes ill during travel and alternative arrangements need to be made, the parent or guardian or responsible adult identified in the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor travel Documentation is solely responsible for making such arrangements.

For travel departing from a domestic terminal, the travelling child's parent or guardian will need to complete the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor travel document (PDF) and ensure the child carries it with them to the airport.

For international travel, you’ll need to complete our international Unaccompanied Minor Wallet before check-in, which you'll need to request your Qantas office or travel agent to send out to you. Contact a Qantas office to book travel for an unaccompanied minor travelling on a Qantas international flight, or on a Qantas domestic flight that departs from an international terminal (numbered QF1-399).

If your child is travelling on a domestic flight departing from an international terminal (flight numbered between QF1 - 399), the child must bring to the airport either the completed unaccompanied minor wallet or a letter from the parent or guardian with the following information:

• full name and date of birth of the child
• purpose of travel
• full name and contact details of the authorising adult and their relationship to the child travelling
• full name and contact details of the adult who will collect the child at the final destination.

Find out more about domestic passengers departing from international terminals at Australian Customs and Border Protection ServicesOpens external site in a new window.

In addition, on international flights, the unaccompanied minor will need his or her own passport and all country specific travel documents, including any visas or authorisation letters. The person making the booking for the unaccompanied minor should make enquiries well before travel with the consulates of each country to check that all requirements are met.

The "Main Contact" nominated by the Parent, Guardian or Responsible Adult on the unaccompanied minor travel document, must be available by telephone at any time without delay while the unaccompanied minor is in Qantas' care. In the event that the nominated pickup person doesn’t meet the unaccompanied minor upon arrival at the gate for domestic flights or at the designated area for international flights and we cannot contact the main contact, Qantas may take any action it deems appropriate including handing the child over to the police.

Unaccompanied minors are required to be checked-in at the airport:

• at least 2 hours prior to departure for international services (including a domestic sector from an international port); and
  
• at least 1 hour prior to departure for domestic services within Australia.

When you get to the airport, please make yourself known to our friendly customer service agents who, will check that the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor Travel Document or Wallet has been correctly completed. If the Qantas Unaccompanied Minor Travel Document or Wallet is not properly completed, the unaccompanied minor may be transferred to the next available flight if the completion of the documentation will result in the child missing the flight originally booked.

Note that you must also present a printed copy of the supervision fee receipt at check-in. The supervision fee is refundable if your child does not travel on all flights (no partial refunds are available).