Traveling as an Unaccompanied Minor (UM Service)

Many parents understandably feel unsure when their child travels alone. Most airlines, however, offer a so-called Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service. With this service, your child is looked after by specially trained airline staff – from check-in until handover to the authorised person at the destination airport. Age limits and regulations vary depending on the airline.


The UM service generally includes:
 

  • Assistance at check-in
  • Escort through security and passport control
  • Support during boarding
  • Special attention during the flight
  • Priority handover at the destination airport to the designated pick-up person


An additional fee per route is charged for this service, depending on the airline.

UM Service by Airline
(relevant for our destinations – information without guarantee, please verify directly with the airline at the time of booking)

Swiss

  • UM service mandatory: 5–11 years
  • UM service optional: 12–17 years
  • Children under 5 years are not allowed to travel alone


easyJet

  • No UM service
  • Unaccompanied minors accepted from 16 years
  • Children under 16 must travel accompanied


British Airways

  • No longer offers a classic UM service
  • Unaccompanied minors accepted from 14 years
  • Children under 14 must travel accompanied


Air Malta

  • UM service mandatory: generally 7–11 years
  • UM service optional: for older minors upon request
  • Age limits may vary depending on the route


Austrian Airlines

  • UM service mandatory: 5–11 years
  • UM service optional: 12–17 years


Ryanair

  • No UM service
  • Minimum age for unaccompanied travel: 16 years

     

Does friLingue provide supervision for children travelling alone?

1. Language stay at a friLingue camp in Switzerland
(Arrival in Switzerland by plane from abroad)

Outbound flight
A parent or an adult designated by you accompanies the child to check-in and hands them over to the airline’s UM service.
At the airport in Geneva, Zurich or Basel, the child is handed over by airline staff to a previously communicated friLingue staff member. We then accompany your child safely to the camp by car or train.

Return flight
A previously communicated friLingue staff member accompanies the child to check-in and hands them over to the airline’s UM service.
At the destination airport, the child is handed over by airline staff to the person designated by you.

Important
The ID or passport number of the person collecting the child on the return flight must be communicated to friLingue at least 48 hours before departure.
This person cannot be changed afterwards.

Fees
In addition to the airline fee, friLingue charges for organisation and supervision:
CHF 100 per route / CHF 200 return.

2. Language stay abroad
(Language stay outside Switzerland with flight travel)

Outbound flight
A parent or an adult accompanies the child to check-in (no friLingue staff member present).
At the destination airport abroad, the child is handed over by airline staff to a previously communicated staff member of the partner school or, if agreed, to the host family.

Return flight
A previously communicated staff member of the partner school or a representative of the host family accompanies the child to check-in.
At the Swiss airport, the child is handed over by airline staff to the person designated by you.

Important
The ID or passport number of the person collecting the child at the Swiss airport must also be communicated at least 48 hours before departure.
A change of the designated pick-up person is not possible after this deadline.

Fees
Most partner schools charge an additional service fee in addition to the airline fee.
The corresponding costs are listed on our website and in the registration form under “Extras.”