Unaccompanied Minors

To ensure a safe, comfortable and fun trip for the unaccompanied child traveler, Northwest has established a program for children traveling without an adult 18 years of age or older.

If your child will be traveling alone, please contact Northwest Reservations to book their travel. Northwest will waive the ticketing fee on tickets purchased through our Reservations Department for children participating in our unaccompanied minor program.

Children between the ages of 5-14 may travel unaccompanied when participating in Northwest's unaccompanied minor program. An unaccompanied minor fee will be assessed prior to departure and certain exemptions to this fee apply. Please see the chart below for details. In addition, the following policies have been established:  

• Any child age 5 through 14 traveling without an adult 18 years of age or older must participate in the Unaccompanied Minor Program. All rules and fees apply.
• Children ages 5 through 7 may fly unaccompanied on nonstop, direct flights only, even when traveling with another child age 8 through 17 (no connections that change planes allowed).
• Children ages 5 through 14 will not be accepted on red-eye flights.
• Children ages 5 through 14 will not be accepted on the last direct flight of the day. A direct flight is a flight which allows an intermediate stop between origin and destination, but does not involve a change of aircraft.
• Children ages 8 through 14 will not be accepted on the last connecting flight of the day.
• Overnight stay itineraries are prohibited.
• Red-eye flights are defined as departures between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. local time. The following are exempt from the red-eye restriction:
  • International Flights
  • Domestic short-haul flights (2 hours or less)
  • Flights to and from Alaska and Hawaii
• Unaccompanied minors will not be accepted for international travel if their itinerary includes a connection to an off-line carrier. Northwest code-share partners are not included in this restriction. For domestic travel involving connections to another carrier, please contact Northwest Reservations for policy and charges information.
• Reservations must be confirmed to the child's final destination.
• The Northwest unaccompanied minor service is mandatory for children ages 5-14, and optional for children ages 15-17. The ticketing fee will be waived if the unaccompanied minor service is purchased for children ages 15-17. The Direct Ticketing Charge will not be waived if the service is declined.
• Northwest will provide supervision for children accepted under the program from the time of boarding until the child is met at the final destination.
• Up to four children (related or not related) traveling together will be assessed only one service fee.
• Children under the age of 5 are not eligible for unaccompanied minor services and must be accompanied on the same flight and in the same compartment by a passenger at least 18 years of age.
• Unaccompanied minors must be checked in with an agent. They are not eligible to use the self-service check-in devices