Flying with children Children travelling alone
Children travelling alone
Many children travel independently with Air New Zealand every year. From check-in to arrival, our children travelling alone service helps make sure they’re supported every step of the journey, giving parents and caregivers peace of mind.
Whether your child can travel alone depends on their age, where they are flying, and whether they need extra support during the journey. Age is based on your child’s age on the day they travel. You child can only travel as an unaccompanied minor on Air New Zealand operated flights.
Please refer to the children travelling alone terms and conditions for more details.
| Under 5 years | No | They must travel with an adult 15 years or older, except for flights to and from Canada where the adult must be 16 years or older. |
|---|---|---|
| 5 to 11 years | Yes, on eligible routes | They must be booked as a child travelling alone. Airband is included where available. |
| 12 to 16 years | Usually yes | They may be able to travel independently, or you can choose extra support where available. |
| 17 years and over | Yes | They can usually travel as an adult passenger. |
| Can they travel alone? | What you need to know |
|---|---|
Under 5 years | |
No | They must travel with an adult 15 years or older, except for flights to and from Canada where the adult must be 16 years or older. |
5 to 11 years | |
Yes, on eligible routes | They must be booked as a child travelling alone. Airband is included where available. |
12 to 16 years | |
Usually yes | They may be able to travel independently, or you can choose extra support where available. |
17 years and over | |
Yes | They can usually travel as an adult passenger. |
Eligibility requirements
Same day domestic New Zealand journey e.g. Invercargill - Christchurch - Auckland | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
One single sector international flight e.g. Auckland - Tokyo | Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight within the South West Pacific plus one same day domestic New Zealand journeye.g. Rarotonga - Auckland - Gisborne | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight to/from the South West Pacific plus one same day domestic New Zealand journeye.g. Nelson - Auckland - Hong Kong | Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight to/from the South West Pacific plus one same day single sector international flight within the South West Pacific e.g. Los Angeles - Auckland - Sydney | Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
Two single sector international flights within the South West Pacifice.g. Sydney - Auckland - Rarotonga | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
| Under 5 years | 5 to 7 years | 8 to 11 years | 12 to 16 years |
|---|---|---|---|
Same day domestic New Zealand journey e.g. Invercargill - Christchurch - Auckland | |||
| Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight e.g. Auckland - Tokyo | |||
Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight within the South West Pacific plus one same day domestic New Zealand journeye.g. Rarotonga - Auckland - Gisborne | |||
| Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight to/from the South West Pacific plus one same day domestic New Zealand journeye.g. Nelson - Auckland - Hong Kong | |||
Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
One single sector international flight to/from the South West Pacific plus one same day single sector international flight within the South West Pacific e.g. Los Angeles - Auckland - Sydney | |||
Must travel with an adult 15 years or olderExcept for all flights to and from Canada whereby the adult must be 16 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
Two single sector international flights within the South West Pacifice.g. Sydney - Auckland - Rarotonga | |||
| Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Must travel with an adult 15 years or older | Permitted as an unaccompanied minor | May travel alone or as an unaccompanied minor at parent/guardian request |
Book for your child to travel alone
You can book flights online for eligible children travelling alone. Enter your child’s date of birth and we'll show you the flights they can travel on.
When booking, you will need to provide:
- The name and contact details of the person who will drop your child off at the airport. They must wait at the airport with the child until the flight has departed.
- The name and contact details of the person who will collect your child at their final destination. They must show valid ID before your child can be released to them,
- If you need to update these contact details, you can do so online in manage booking.
If you regularly book a travel for children travelling alone, you can speed up the booking process by saving drop off and pick up contact details in your Koru account.
How much does it cost?
Children travelling alone are charged at the best available adult fare, plus an additional service fee.
You cannot book your child on a seat only fare when they are travelling alone. They must have a fare type that includes a checked bag. This is to ensure their journey is as comfortable as possible.
You will not be able to pre-select seats or book a Skycouch™ for any children travelling alone. Your child will be seated near a crew area so they can be easily supervised throughout the flight.
Service fees
Per child one way
NZD $30
NZD $80
If booked at the airport
Applies if the child has not been booked as a child travelling alone prior to check-in at the airport
NZD $45
NZD $120
Day of travel
From check-in to arrival, our team will support your child every step of the journey. They’ll be guided through the airport, cared for by our cabin crew during the flight, and handed over safely to their nominated pick-up person at their destination.
Medical conditions
If your child has a disability, we'll do all we can to support them in travelling unaccompanied. In some cases, though, this may not be possible depending on the support they need.
Please contact our Paxcare Team in advance so we can talk through your child's needs and make sure we can provide the right support. If your child has a medical condition that may need clearance before they fly, our team can help you with that too.
| Requirement | Must travel with an adult aged 16 years or older who can administer any medication | Must travel with an adult aged 16 years or older who can administer any medication | May travel by themselves provided they have a doctor's letter advising that they are able to self-administer any medication | May travel by themselves after obtaining MEDA clearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDA form required | MEDA Part 1 | MEDA Part 1 | MEDA Part 1 MEDA Part 2 | MEDA Part 1 |
| Approval | Medical unit approval not required | Medical unit approval not required | Approval of the medical unit is required and may be granted on a case-by-case basis | Approval of the medical unit is not required unless there are other underlying medical conditions |
| 5–11 years | 12–13 years | 14–15 years | 16 years |
|---|---|---|---|
Requirement | |||
| Must travel with an adult aged 16 years or older who can administer any medication | Must travel with an adult aged 16 years or older who can administer any medication | May travel by themselves provided they have a doctor's letter advising that they are able to self-administer any medication | May travel by themselves after obtaining MEDA clearance |
MEDA form required | |||
| MEDA Part 1 | MEDA Part 1 | MEDA Part 1 MEDA Part 2 | MEDA Part 1 |
Approval | |||
| Medical unit approval not required | Medical unit approval not required | Approval of the medical unit is required and may be granted on a case-by-case basis | Approval of the medical unit is not required unless there are other underlying medical conditions |