Korean Air Unaccompanied Minor Policy

Korean Air provides Unaccompanied Minor services to children travelling alone when they are not accompanied on the same flight and cabin by a parent/legal guardian who is at least 18 years old. You must make advance reservations with a Korean Air Reservation Center in your area at least 24 hours before departure and receive confirmation of your application. 

Age Requirements for Unaccompanied Minors on Korean Air

What are the age requirements for Unaccompanied Minors on Korean Air?

The following age restrictions apply to Unaccompanied Minors travelling alone on Korean Air:

• Children between 5 and 12 years are allowed to travel alone on domestic flights after booking the Unaccompanied Minor service. 
• Children between 5 and 11 years are allowed to travel alone on international flights after booking the Unaccompanied Minor service.
  Note. The Unaccompanied Minor service is not available on codeshare flights and connecting flights with other airlines.
• Children between 12 and 16 years are allowed to travel alone international flights as long as they are travelling only on Korean Air. However, they can also travel as Unaccompanied Minors (for an extra fee).

Unaccompanied Minor Reservations

How do I book the Unaccompanied Minor service on Korean Air?

To book the Unaccompanied Minor service on Korean Air, you must call the Korean Air Service Center at + (or in your city) at least 24 hours before departure and confirm service. 

Note. Korean Air does not accept online booking for Unaccompanied Minors because it is subject to a different booking procedure. 

When booking the service, you must provide the valid legal identity of the parent/adult legal guardian who will: 

1. Drop off your child at the departure airport. 
2. Receive your child at the arrival airport.

How it Works—Drop-off and Pick-up

• You/your child’s adult legal guardian must:
  • Accompany your child to the departure airport’s check-in counter. 
  • Fill out a service form and check in your child. 
• Your child will be provided an Unaccompanied Minor badge to ensure she/he is recognized by the Korean Air staff until she/he reaches the destination.
• Your child will be escorted by a staff member and taken through customs, immigration, and security check all the way to the departure gate. 
• After landing, your child will be assisted all the way through till she/he meets the designated adult guardian. 

Note. The Unaccompanied Minor service is available within a 6-hour transit period to other Korean Air flights. However, it is not available for codeshare or connecting flights to other airlines.

What to Expect During the Flight

• Your child will be assisted from departure to arrival by a dedicated staff member.
• Your child will be made to feel safe and comfortable throughout the journey. 
• A designated cabin crew will look after your child inside the aircraft. 
• The Flying Mom Service is offered on flights exceeding 5 hours, where a crew member notes down the child’s status and hands it over to the child’s parent/legal guardian at the destination airport. 

Baggage Allowance

What is the baggage allowance for Unaccompanied Minors? 

The baggage allowance for your child will correspond to his/her travel class. Although standard baggage rules apply, your child must be able to carry his/her hand baggage without assistance. 

Country Regulations 

For Unaccompanied Minors flying to Canada, the Philippines, and Vietnam, the following restrictions will apply:

• Canada
  • Passengers under 18 years entering Canada with or without a guardian (not parents) carry a Custodian Declaration Form in English/French with the parent’s or legal guardian’s signatures. Children travelling without the form will be subject to an immigration interview.
  • The Custodian Declaration Form must also include the names, addresses, and phone numbers of the parent/guardian who will be dropping off the child at the departure point and receiving the child in Canada. 

• The Philippines
  • Unaccompanied Minors below 15 years travelling to the Philippines without a permanent resident card must book the Unaccompanied Minor service and carry the documents listed below.
  • Unaccompanied Minors, as well as children travelling with their authorized custodians/guardians other than their parents, are required to submit the following documents:
    • A notarized Parental Consent Form (English).
    • A Family Relation Certificate (English).
    • An application for Waiver of Exclusion Ground (W.E.G) upon arrival.
    • Passport copy (unaccompanied minor and parent).
    • An entry fee of PHP 3,120 (~USD 60).

Note

• A minor travelling with her/his mother whose passport does not bear the father’s last name must carry a Parental Consent Form or Family Relation Certificate.
  
• Vietnam
  • The Unaccompanied Minor Service is mandatory if your child is below 14 years of age and is travelling alone to Vietnam without her/his parents or guardians. 

Unaccompanied Minor Fees/Service Charges 

The Unaccompanied Minor fees/service charges are as follows:

• On domestic flights, no service fee is charged for children between 5 – 12 years—they are only required to pay the standard adult fare. 
• On international flights, the Unaccompanied Minor fees are as follows:
  • For children between 5 – 11 years old, the Unaccompanied Minor fee (per segment) is the standard adult fare plus:
    • KRW 150,000 for flights departing from Korea. 
    • USD 150 for flights departing from the United States. 
    • CAD 150 for flights departing from Canada.
    • IDR 2,140,000 for flights departing from Indonesia. 

Note. For award flights, the Unaccompanied Minor fee is 15,000 miles.

• For children between 12 – 16 years old, the Unaccompanied Minor fee per segment (if the service is booked) is the standard adult fare plus:
  • KRW 200,000 per segment for flights departing from Korea. 
  • USD 200 for flights departing from the United States. 
  • CAD 200 for flights departing from Canada.
  • IDR 2,860,000 for flights departing from Indonesia. 

Note. For award flights, the Unaccompanied Minor fee is 20,000 miles.

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Frequently Asked Questions on Korean Air Unaccompanied Minor Policy