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FrDoes SWISS offer a service for children traveling alone?
For all children under 18 years old who are traveling alone, without a parent or guardian, SWISS offers the Unaccompanied Minor service, which takes care of children before, during and after the flight when they are traveling alone.
When is the Unaccompanied Minor service mandatory?
Depending on the child’s age, the Unaccompanied Minor service is mandatory or optional:
| Child’s age | Unaccompanied Minor Service |
| Up to 2 years | Not available (infants must always be accompanied by an adult). |
| 2 – 4 years | Not available. Must be accompanied by a brother/sister 16 years of age or older or a person of minimum 18 years of age. |
| 5 – 11 years | Mandatory when traveling alone. Optional* when accompanied by a minor aged between 12 and 17 years. |
| 12 – 17 years | Optional*. |
| *If the UM service is requested, the UM fee applies for the Unaccompanied Minor and r and the accompanying passenger(s). | |
Unaccompanied Minor Service
The Unaccompanied Minor service is only available through SWISS Service Center. You must book both the ticket and the service by phone. Also, the child’s entire journey must be booked on one ticket. The service is only available if all flights are under the same flight ticket number. SWISS cannot guarantee the connecting flights and, therefore, is unable to offer the Unaccompanied Minor service if the child is traveling with several tickets.
Documents
An Assistance form (Handling Advice form) must be completed on a computer and printed out in several copies. Two copies of the form are required for each sector (for example, four copies will be required when traveling Zurich-London-Zurich). If the person who is to meet the child fails to turn up at the destination and the child has to fly back, your signature on the form confirms that you will reimburse the costs for meals, transfers or overnight accommodation.
The minor must be in possession of all travel documents required for the journey (identity card, passport, visa, etc.). For Unaccompanied Minors, parents’ permission to travel is required in many cases, and, without this document, the authorities may refuse entry or exit.
Assistance
A parent, or an authorised adult, must accompany the child to check-in, present the signed forms and remain at the airport until the flight has taken off. SWISS assistance staff will collect the child from check-in, accompanying him/her through passport control and security to the gate.
For the duration of the flight, a member of the cabin crew will look after the child. At the destination, the child will be welcomed at the gate by SWISS assistance staff and accompanied through passport control and customs. The adult designated to meet the child must arrive punctually at the terminal and present identification.
Fees
The fee for the Unaccompanied Minor service apply for SWISS flights:
| Flight sector | Fee per child and sector |
| Within Europe (including within Switzerland) | CHF 70 EUR 60 USD/CAD 90 |
| Intercontinental | CHF 120 EUR 100 USD/CAD 150 |
Examples:
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