Etihad Airways unaccompanied minor

Etihad Airways runs its Unaccompanied Minor service for children aged 5 to 17. For ages 5 to 11 it is free of charge, but the child must be ticketed on a normal adult fare and the service pre-booked before you reach the airport. Ages 12 to 17 may fly alone without it, or add it for USD 100 each way on direct flights and USD 150 each way where the journey connects. The Unaccompanied Minor form is due at least 24 hours before departure. Call +1-888-890-4009.

*Last reviewed August 2026.*

Etihad unaccompanied minor age bands: who the service covers

Etihad sets its boundaries by age, and the wording differs meaningfully between bands, so it is worth reading rather than skimming.

Etihad states that its Unaccompanied Minor service is available for children aged 5 to 17, and that children under the age of 5 are not allowed to travel alone on Etihad flights. That lower limit is absolute — there is no paid workaround and no discretion at the desk.

For the 5 to 11 band, Etihad's own wording is that these children can use the service free of charge, that they must be booked on a normal adult fare, and that they must have pre-booked the service before arriving at the airport. Regional reporting in the UAE describes the service as compulsory for that band; Etihad's published wording sets it out as the conditions attached to a child of that age flying alone. Either way, treat it as required rather than optional.

From 12, the position changes. Etihad states that children aged 12 to 17 are permitted to travel on their own adult ticket, with the Unaccompanied Minor service available as a paid option if the family prefers it.

Note that some third-party guides describe Etihad's service as covering ages 5 to 15. Etihad's own pages say 5 to 17, and that is the figure to work from.

What the Etihad Unaccompanied Minor service costs

Etihad prices this differently at each end of the age range, and the shape of the cost is easy to misread.

For the 5 to 11 band, the service itself carries no charge. The cost lands in the ticket: the child must be booked on a normal adult fare, which means giving up whatever child discount would otherwise have applied. On a long-haul Etihad sector that fare difference is usually larger than any handling fee would have been, so families who assume "free service" means "cheap ticket" are surprised at the quote stage.

For the 12 to 17 band, the service is genuinely optional and genuinely priced. Etihad publishes USD 100 each way on direct flights and USD 150 each way for journeys that involve connecting flights.

Two conditions travel with those figures. Etihad states that if you request the service at the airport, you may be charged — it does not publish how much, so do not build a plan around a late request. And Etihad notes that optional fees may differ if you are flying with a partner airline or on an Etihad codeshare flight (EY\*), which makes the operating carrier of every sector something to confirm rather than assume.

The Etihad Unaccompanied Minor form and the 24-hour deadline

The form is the mechanism that makes the whole service happen, and it is separate from the ticket.

Etihad requires an Unaccompanied Minor form submitted at least 24 hours before departure, and it must be completed in English. This is not a box ticked during a normal online booking — you buy the flight first, then submit the request form against that booking reference.

Once you have submitted it, Etihad reviews the documents and settles the payment where one applies, and confirms within 24 hours. Read those two 24-hour periods together: a form filed at the absolute deadline leaves no room for Etihad to come back with a query about a document, a name spelling or a contact number. In practice, "at least 24 hours" is a floor, and a form submitted at the same time as the booking is what you actually want.

The form is also where the journey's human details are recorded — who is dropping the child off, who is collecting them, contact numbers at both ends. Those entries are what airport staff check against identification later, so a nickname or an outdated phone number entered here becomes a problem at Arrivals rather than now.

How to book an Etihad unaccompanied minor, step by step

The sequence matters, because the service attaches to an existing booking rather than creating one.

First, book the flight on an adult fare and note the booking reference. Etihad's route for this is to purchase an adult fare and then complete the online Unaccompanied Minor request form against it. For a child aged 5 to 11 the adult fare is a condition of the service, not a choice; for a 12 to 17-year-old the adult fare applies in any case.

Second, submit the Unaccompanied Minor form in English, at least 24 hours before departure, with the full details of the adults at both ends.

Third, wait for Etihad's confirmation, which the airline says comes within 24 hours of it reviewing your documents and settling any payment. Do not travel to the airport on an unconfirmed request.

Fourth, re-confirm after any schedule change. A rebooking onto a new flight number does not reliably carry a service request with it, and a connection that was inside Etihad's transit limit on the old timetable may not be on the new one.

If Airlaza issued the ticket, our desk lodges the Unaccompanied Minor request with Etihad on your behalf and checks the connection times against Etihad's own limits before we quote. Call +1-888-890-4009, 24 hours a day.

What Etihad needs from you: documents at both ends

Etihad builds the handover chain from identification, and every link in it is checked by a person rather than a system.

Build in two safeguards that cost nothing. Name a second authorised adult at the arrivals end with full details, in case the primary person is delayed on the road — Etihad does not publish what it does if nobody appears, and that is not a policy you want to discover live. And put a printed card in the child's cabin bag with the collecting adult's full name and number on it, because phones run out of battery on long sectors.

Connections and transit through Abu Dhabi

Etihad's network is built around a single hub, so most unaccompanied minor itineraries that are not point-to-point involve a transfer at Abu Dhabi — and that transfer has a published ceiling.

Where a child is transferring in Abu Dhabi to another Etihad flight, Etihad states that a host accompanies them to a lounge, and that the maximum transit time for an unaccompanied minor is eight hours. A nine-hour layover is not a long wait to be endured; it is an itinerary outside the service.

Design the itinerary around these limits before you look at price. A cheaper routing that breaks the eight-hour rule, or that puts a sector on a partner metal, is not cheaper once it has to be rebooked.

At the departure airport: two hours early, and you stay

Etihad's departure procedure contains one instruction that catches parents out more than any other, so plan the day around it.

The child must check in at an airport check-in desk at least two hours before the flight — this is not an online check-in journey. From that point, Etihad states the child is accompanied at all times by a dedicated staff member, from check-in until they are met at the destination, and its hosts stay with the child until boarding.

The instruction that changes your plans is this: Etihad asks the accompanying adult to stay at the airport until the child's flight has departed. Not until the child clears security, and not until boarding — until the aircraft has actually gone. If the flight returns to stand, is delayed at the gate or is cancelled after boarding, you are the person who has to be there. Arrange your own transport, parking and onward plans on that basis.

Bring the identification you named on the form, arrive earlier than the two-hour minimum at peak periods, and say your goodbyes at the desk rather than trailing through the terminal. The escorted route begins there by design.

In transit and on board: what the escort actually covers

It is worth being precise here, because the distance between what a parent imagines and what any airline provides is where the anxiety sits.

Etihad's commitment is continuity of supervision: a dedicated staff member accompanies the child from check-in until they are met at their destination. That is a named person handing off to another named person, not a single carer travelling the whole way. On board, the child is a passenger the cabin crew are specifically watching rather than one with an assigned attendant, which is the standard across the industry.

At Abu Dhabi, the connecting experience is the lounge: a host meets the child from the inbound flight and takes them to wait there before the onward departure, within that eight-hour ceiling.

Pack the cabin bag accordingly. A charged device and headphones, a snack the child will actually eat, any medication with clear written instructions, and a small amount of local currency. Anything that requires an adult to administer, decide or supervise beyond ordinary supervision should be discussed with Etihad in advance rather than assumed — Etihad does not publish a medication-administration service, so do not plan around one.

Arrival and handover: the two minutes that matter

Etihad closes the chain the same way it opened it, with identification.

On arrival, Etihad's hosts assist the child through immigration, baggage reclaim and customs and bring them to Arrivals. There, the parent or nominated adult presents identification before the child is handed over. Staff check that against the details recorded on the Unaccompanied Minor form, and the child is released only when it matches.

This is exactly why the form entries have to be precise. A passport name that differs from the name written on the form, or a last-minute substitution nobody told Etihad about, stops the handover — correctly, because the check exists to protect the child rather than to inconvenience you.

Etihad does not publish what happens if nobody arrives at all, so plan around that silence: name a backup adult with full details on the form, make sure both understand they will be asked for photo identification, and keep the departure-end guardian contactable for the whole journey. If plans change while the child is in the air, contact Etihad before the aircraft lands rather than afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Etihad unaccompanied minor age limit?

Etihad's Unaccompanied Minor service covers children aged 5 to 17, and children under 5 are not allowed to travel alone on Etihad flights at all. For ages 5 to 11 the service applies and is free of charge on an adult fare. From 12, children may travel alone on their own adult ticket.

How much does the Etihad UMNR service cost?

Nothing for children aged 5 to 11, though they must be ticketed on a normal adult fare rather than a discounted child fare. For ages 12 to 17 the optional service costs USD 100 each way on direct flights, or USD 150 each way where the journey involves connecting flights.

How do I submit the Etihad unaccompanied minor form?

Book the flight on an adult fare first and note the booking reference, then complete Etihad's online Unaccompanied Minor request form in English against that booking. It must be submitted at least 24 hours before departure, and Etihad confirms within 24 hours of reviewing your documents and settling any payment.

Can a 12-year-old fly alone on Etihad?

Yes. Etihad permits children aged 12 to 17 to travel on their own adult ticket without the Unaccompanied Minor service. If you would prefer the escorted handling, you can add the service for USD 100 each way on a direct flight or USD 150 each way where the journey connects.

How late can I request the Etihad unaccompanied minor service?

Etihad requires the Unaccompanied Minor form at least 24 hours before departure, and states that if you request the service at the airport you may be charged. Because Etihad also takes up to 24 hours to confirm, submit the form when you book rather than at the deadline.

Can an Etihad unaccompanied minor connect through Abu Dhabi?

Yes, within a published limit. Where the child transfers in Abu Dhabi to another Etihad flight, a host meets them and accompanies them to a lounge, and the maximum transit time for an unaccompanied minor is eight hours. Longer layovers fall outside what Etihad will supervise.

What documents does Etihad need for a child flying alone?

A completed Unaccompanied Minor form in English, the child's valid passport and any visa required, plus photo identification for the adult dropping the child off and the adult collecting them. Etihad also references the child's birth certificate among the identification a legal guardian provides.

Do parents have to stay at the airport with an Etihad unaccompanied minor?

Yes. Etihad asks the accompanying adult to stay at the airport until the child's flight has departed — not until check-in, security or boarding. The child must also check in at an airport desk at least two hours before the flight. Plan your parking and onward transport around that.

Who can collect an Etihad unaccompanied minor at the destination?

Only the adult named on the Unaccompanied Minor form. Etihad's hosts assist the child through immigration, baggage and customs, and the collecting adult must present identification at Arrivals before the child is released. Name a second authorised adult on the form as a backup in case of delays.

Can a child under 5 fly alone on Etihad?

No. Etihad states that children under the age of 5 are not allowed to travel alone on its flights, and the Unaccompanied Minor service begins at 5. A child younger than that must travel with an accompanying passenger — there is no paid service that changes this.

Get a written quote for a child flying alone on Etihad

Airlaza quotes Etihad fares in writing and lodges the Unaccompanied Minor request as part of the booking, including the named adults at both ends and their contact details. We check every connection against Etihad's eight-hour Abu Dhabi transit limit and confirm the operating carrier of each sector before quoting, so you are not sold a routing the service cannot cover. No card details are taken on this site. Call +1-888-890-4009 or email sales@airlaza.com.