A child flying alone is one of the most stressful bookings a parent makes — and the rules are scattered across five different airline help desks, each with its own age limit, fee and booking process. This guide pulls all of it into one place: who accepts unaccompanied minors, how much each charges, how to book, what documents your child must carry, and exactly what happens on the day. Updated June 2026, with current rand fees.
Jump to
- Quick comparison — all airlines
- Age limits explained
- FlySafair unaccompanied minors
- Lift unaccompanied minors
- SAA unaccompanied minors
- CemAir unaccompanied minors
- Airlink — the strict exception
- Documents your child must carry
- What happens on the day
- How to keep the cost down
- Frequently asked questions
Quick comparison — unaccompanied minor service by airline
Every airline below treats a child travelling alone as a full-fare adult passenger, then adds the unaccompanied minor (UM) service fee on top. None of these services can be completed entirely through the normal online checkout — you always have to contact the airline.
| Airline | UM service age | Service fee | How to book | Notice / check-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlySafair | 5–11 (12+ flies as adult) | R750 per leg | Online request form, then phone verification within 48 hours | Arrive 2 hours before departure |
| Lift | 5–11 | R650 per sector | Email support@lift.co.za (not bookable online) | Adult must present child at check-in and arrival |
| SAA | 5–11 mandatory; 12–15 optional | Arranged via call centre | Call your nearest SAA office (not bookable online) | Cannot be booked in Business/First; connecting minors must arrive by 8pm |
| CemAir | 6–12 (under 6 not accepted) | Confirmed at booking | Book with CemAir reservations at least 3 days ahead | One UM per flight; check-in at least 1 hour before |
| Airlink | No standard UM service | — | Confirm directly with Airlink reservations | Children 5–11 generally not accepted to travel alone |
Age limits explained — who counts as an "unaccompanied minor"
South African airlines split young travellers into three groups, and the cut-offs matter because they decide whether the supervised service is required, optional or unavailable:
- Under 5 (under 6 on CemAir): May never travel alone. The child must be accompanied throughout the flight by a passenger who is at least 16 years old.
- 5 to 11 years (6 to 12 on CemAir): The core unaccompanied minor age band. On FlySafair, Lift and SAA the supervised UM service is required for a child in this band to fly without an accompanying adult.
- 12 and over: Most airlines treat the child as an adult for fare and handling purposes, so no special service is required. SAA classes 12–15 year-olds as "young passengers" and the UM service is optional. A 12-year-old may not act as the accompanying adult for a younger child.
One detail catches families out: the age that counts is the child's age on the date the flight departs, not the date you book. If your child turns 12 the week before travel, the rules for a 12-year-old apply.
FlySafair unaccompanied minors
FlySafair runs a clear, published unaccompanied minor service for children aged 5 to 11. The fee is R750 for each leg of the journey — so a return trip is R1,500 — and it is charged on top of an adult fare for the child. A child aged 12 or older travels alone on a normal adult fare with no service required.
How to book: Submit the unaccompanied minor request form on the FlySafair website. The call centre then contacts you within 48 hours to verify the details before the booking is secured and paid. Because of this verification step, don't leave it to the last minute — arrange the service well before your travel date.
On the day: Arrive at the check-in counters two hours before departure with the child's documents and the details of the adult collecting them. FlySafair staff supervise the child from check-in through to handover at the destination.
Lift unaccompanied minors
Lift accepts unaccompanied minors aged 5 to 11 for a fee of R650 per sector (each one-way flight). The booking cannot be made online — you contact Lift's customer support desk at support@lift.co.za to arrange it.
What's different about Lift: A responsible adult must present the child at check-in at the departure airport, complete the declaration forms before boarding, and stay with the child as long as possible. At the destination, ground staff hand the child over to the nominated adult. Lift notes that unaccompanied minors do not require a separate parental declaration beyond these forms, but the adult presenting and collecting the child is essential.
South African Airways (SAA) unaccompanied minors
SAA offers the most full-service approach. For children aged 5 to 11 the unaccompanied minor service is mandatory; for "young passengers" aged 12 to 15 it is optional and only provided if you request it. Children under 5 are not accepted.
How to book: Reservations for unaccompanied minors cannot be made online — you must call your nearest SAA office to arrange travel and obtain authorisation. The service cannot be booked in Business or First class. If the trip involves a connection, the minor must reach the final destination by 8pm.
Good to know: The child is entitled to the full adult checked baggage allowance for the cabin booked. SAA issues an identification lanyard that the child must keep on for the whole journey — it's a classification tool, so it stays on until handover. At any transit stop the child remains in the care of cabin crew or ground staff.
CemAir unaccompanied minors
CemAir serves many of the smaller regional airports, so it's often the only option on routes the big carriers don't fly. Its unaccompanied minor service covers children aged 6 to 12 — note the higher floor of 6, not 5. A child under 6 will not be permitted to travel unless accompanied by an adult.
The big constraint: CemAir accepts only one unaccompanied minor per flight, so you must book and confirm with CemAir reservations at least three days before departure. Leave it later and the single UM slot may already be taken. The fee is confirmed at the time of booking.
On the day: An "Unaccompanied Minor Consent Form" must be completed, listing who will collect the child and an alternative contact. The accompanying adult checks the child in (with photo ID and contact details) and the child's travel documents go into a secure pouch handed to the ground agent. Check in at least one hour before the flight. At the destination, CemAir staff verify the collecting adult's photo ID before releasing the child.
Airlink — the strict exception
Airlink is the outlier. Its published policy states that a child aged 5 to 11 will not be permitted to travel alone, and children under 5 may never travel unaccompanied. In practice this means Airlink does not run the kind of supervised UM service the other carriers offer for younger children, so a child under 12 generally needs an accompanying adult (aged 16 or older).
Documents your child must carry
This is the part that gets families turned away at the gate. Every passenger — including minors and infants — must present acceptable identification, or boarding is denied. For a South African child travelling domestically, the accepted documents are:
- A valid passport (or an emergency/temporary travel document), or
- An original birth certificate — abridged or unabridged — or a certified copy no older than three months, or a digital copy, or
- For teens aged 16 to 18, a green ID book or ID card (or a certified copy no older than three months).
On top of the child's ID, bring the contact details and identity of the adult collecting the child at the destination — airlines verify the collector's photo ID before handover. Pack everything in one clearly labelled folder or pouch so nothing goes missing in transit.
What happens on the day — step by step
- Arrive early. Two hours before departure for FlySafair, at least one hour for CemAir. The accompanying adult cannot drop and dash.
- Check in at the counter, not the kiosk. Unaccompanied minors are handled at the staffed check-in desk so the forms can be completed and the child formally accepted.
- Complete the declaration / consent form, naming the collecting adult and an alternative contact in case of disruption.
- Hand over the document pouch to the ground agent and confirm the child understands who is meeting them and to recognise their documents.
- Stay until the flight departs. The accompanying adult must remain at the airport until the aircraft has actually left, in case of a delay or cancellation.
- At the destination, the collecting adult presents photo ID matching the booking before the child is released.
A few things that make the journey easier: make sure your child knows exactly who is meeting them, explain why their documents matter and that the identification lanyard (on SAA) stays on, and brief them on what to do if a flight is delayed. Tell them they can always ask the cabin crew for help.
How to keep the cost down
The UM fee is fixed per airline, but the total cost of the trip isn't:
- Book direct, non-connecting flights. The fee is charged per leg or sector, so a one-stop itinerary effectively doubles the service fee — and adds a transit handover. A nonstop route is cheaper and simpler.
- Compare the all-in fare across airlines. The child pays an adult fare plus the UM fee, so a R750 FlySafair fee on a cheap fare can still beat a "cheaper-sounding" option on a pricier base fare. Add it up properly.
- Watch the once-12 threshold. If your child turns 12 close to the travel date, booking after their birthday can remove the UM fee entirely — though you then lose the supervised handover, so weigh comfort against cost.
- Book early for CemAir. With one UM slot per flight, the seat can sell out for unaccompanied children even when the flight isn't full.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can a child fly alone in South Africa?
FlySafair, Lift and SAA accept unaccompanied minors from age 5 to 11; CemAir from 6 to 12. Under 5 (under 6 on CemAir) a child may never fly alone. From 12, most airlines treat the child as an adult who can fly without the supervised service.
How much does the unaccompanied minor service cost?
FlySafair charges R750 per leg, Lift R650 per sector. SAA arranges the service through its call centre, and CemAir confirms the fee at booking. The fee is added on top of an adult fare for the child.
Can I book it online?
Not fully. FlySafair uses an online request form plus phone verification; Lift, SAA, CemAir and Airlink all require you to contact reservations directly.
Does my child get a baggage allowance?
Yes — the child travels on an adult fare and receives the full adult checked baggage allowance for the cabin booked.
What if my route is only flown by Airlink?
Airlink generally does not accept children aged 5 to 11 travelling alone. Confirm directly with Airlink, and if they can't help, check whether another carrier serves the same city pair or whether an accompanying adult is the only option.
How early should we arrive?
Earlier than usual — two hours for FlySafair, at least one hour for CemAir. The accompanying adult must check the child in, complete the forms, and stay until the flight departs.
Related guides
Fees and policies were accurate at the time of writing (June 2026) and are set by each airline, not by VistaVoyage. Airlines change their rules without notice — always confirm current fees, age limits and documents directly with the airline before booking. This guide is general information, not official airline policy.