Southwest Airlines has long been among the top 10 airlines in the world across all criteria. If we specifically talk about safety and security, the service offered at Southwest Airlines is unparalleled. Consequently, if you are choosing Southwest for minors flying alone to their travel destination, you can rest assured of their security provided you have abided by the Southwest Unaccompanied Minor policy (more on this below).

As per Southwest Airlines, children below the age of 12 travelling alone are called “Unaccompanied Minor”, whereas children between the ages of 12 and 17 are called “Young Travelers” (often abbreviated to YT). Southwest only takes bookings of Young Travelers.

Keep reading to learn more about Southwest minor policy, Southwest unaccompanied minor age, & other details concerning the same. Overall, the booking process for young travellers is straightforward in Southwest.

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Southwest Airlines Unaccompanied Minor Policy

The child has to have sufficient maturity and capability to travel alone. This will include but not be limited to boarding, deplaning, checking in, passing through the security lines, & claiming luggage without the need for any adult supervision or any assistance from Southwest staff. This should be true in all cases: nonstop, connecting service where your child may require you to change planes, same-plane service with intermediate stops, etc.
Talking about assistance, Southwest does not monitor young travellers during the travel journey. So, your ward must be mature enough to request aid from Southwest Employees.
If you buy tickets for your ward, you must be a guardian or parent with the authority to pick them up.
Southwest Airlines does not allow Young Travelers to travel to/from international destinations.
Also, if there is an overnight connection, Southwest again does not allow Young Travelers to take a flight.

Drop-off and Pickup Guidelines for Southwest UMNR

This is highly crucial; hence, it needs to be mentioned separately. You should be aware of the procedure for dropping off and picking up your minor.

For Drop-off: you need to carry a Non-Passenger Escort (NPE) pass at the drop-off point, which you will get at the ticket counter. Following that, you can accompany your younger traveller through security all the way to the departure gate. Also, it would help if you stayed at the gate till the flight has departed.

For Pick Up: here, the parent or guardian should arrive at the airport early so as to collect the escort pass and be present at the arrival gate number not later than 45 minutes prior to landing.

Obviously, a parent or guardian needs to present a government-issued photo ID in order to escort your minors to the Pickup and drop off.

How to Book Southwest Flights for Unaccompanied Minor

You have three ways to make a booking on Southwest Airlines:

Either you go to the official website of Southwest & book flights directly for a minor.
Speak to an airline customer representative directly to make a booking request. If you need any further clarification regarding policy, you can ask them directly.
Another option is to go to the Southwest ticket counter at the airport and make a reservation for the minors.

Conclusion

Thus, you are aware of all the pointers that you need to make a successful travel booking for your minors. Just go through the above information to follow them, and you will be good to go.