Unaccompanied minor

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We offer an unaccompanied minor service for children travelling alone. This is a guidance service for children aged from 5 to 11 years old travelling alone to ensure their trip is as safe and smooth as possible. The unaccompanied minor service is also available on an optional basis for young travellers aged 12 to 17 years old travelling alone. Unaccompanied minor service is required for everyone under 15 years old travelling alone to and from the United States.

Finnair is responsible for the child travelling alone for the duration of the flight from the check-in desk at departure airport to the arrival hall at the destination where their legal parent or guardian is expecting them.

The service must be reserved when booking the flight. Unaccompanied service is chargeable, please see fees further below.

Children between 5 and 11 years old

The UM service must always be booked for one or more 5–11 year-old children travelling alone or accompanied with another child.

In domestic traffic in Finland a child over 5 years is allowed to travel with a family member over 12 years without UM service. If the travelling companion is a non-family member, the minimum age requirement is 16 years.

In international traffic a child over 5-years travelling with a family member over 16 years of age is not considered as an unaccompanied minor. If the travelling companion is a non-family member, the minimum age requirement is 18 years.

Children under 5 years old

A child under 5 years-old must be accompanied by a family member at least 16 years old of age on a domestic flight, and by a person of at least 18 years old on an international flight.

Young passengers travelling alone

Young passengers travelling alone who are 12 years old or older are welcome on Finnair flights without an accompanying adult. Please note that when travelling alone to and from the United States, an unaccompanied minor service is required for everyone under 15 years old.

Finnair does not require a consent letter from a legal parent or guardian, but authorities in some countries might have such a requirement. You may contact the nearest consulate or embassy of the destination country to find out about these requirements. If a consent letter is needed, you can check the example of a consent letter (PDF).

The UM service is also available on an optional basis for young travellers aged 12 to 17 years old who are travelling alone. 

How to book

  • All Finnair branded fares (Flex, Classic, Light, Superlight) are permitted in all travel classes.  AJB- and SJB-fares according to information in the fare rule (CD-section).
  • No discounted fares (e.g. child fare) allowed.
  • No codeshare allowed. The service is possible only on Finnair marketed flights operated by Finnair or Norra.
  • Interline with other carriers is not permitted.
  • In case a child is travelling alone on return flights but unaccompanied minor service is requested only for one way: TCP information must be inserted into OSI as otherwise UM cannot be confirmed.

Name element and SR info
NM1SMITH/JESSICA (IDUM08)
SRUMNR-08

For UMNR service to 12-17 year-old children use passenger type Bnn:
NM1SMITH/JESSICA (B16)
SRUMNR-16

Contact info in OS element
When making the reservation, the contact information (name, address and telephone number) of both the person seeing off the child and the person meeting the child must be given:

OS AY JOHN SMITH OXFORD STREET 128 32855 LONDON 020 7888 5623
OS AY SARA SAARI LILJATIE 5 00260 HELSINKI 358 50 1234 555
 

Escort for UMNR upon departure and arrival must be 18 years or older.

UMNR service shall be requested for all passengers (e.g. brothers/sisters) in same PNR. The age of each child must be mentioned.

The UMNR service must be requested latest 48h before departure. If the request is added to the booking less than 48h before departure, we cannot guarantee it can be handled on time.

The transportation agreement (UM Handling Advice form) must be completed carefully in advance, at check-in at the latest.

Please note that it's not possible to purchase ancillaries afterwards via Manage booking at Finnair.com so make sure that passenger books all ancillaries when booking the flights.

Baggage allowance
Children’s baggage allowance while travelling alone depends on the ticket type they have. Please check our baggage on Finnair flights page to get more information about our baggage allowances for different routes and travel classes. Please remember that you can always purchase additional baggage as a travel extra.

Fees and EMD details

Unaccompanied service is chargeable.

Finland, Scandinavia and the Baltics: EUR40/direction
Rest of Europe: EUR60/direction
Intercontinental: EUR120/direction 

The service fee is collected per passenger and per direction.

Fee to be collected on an EMD from confirmed SR UMNR -line(s).
Normal pricing using FXG in Amadeus.
Sub code (RFISC) in the TSM: 0NJ.
An associated EMD-A will be created at issuance.

Amadeus 1A, Galileo 1G, Worldspan 1P and Apollo 1V can issue the UMNR -EMD. Other GDS users need to contact AY for issuance for the time being.

A free snack from Sky Bistro menu (not combos) is included in the unaccompanied minor service on European flights longer than 2 hours. On long-haul flights we serve a tasty hot meal. Blueberry juice and water are complimentary on all flights, except on very short flights where there is no meal service.

Unused UMNR -fee is fully refundable, regardless of the rule of the ticket.

At the airport

​The customers need to be in time at the airport, as there are important documents to be filled in before the child is handed over to an airport representative. The child's adult escort must in all cases wait at the airport until the flight has departed.

It might be possible for the parent/guardian to escort the child all the way to the departure gate at many airports, but this depends on the airport authority policies and permit to do so can be inquired at the check-in. The parent/guardian must have a valid passport in order to escort UM through the security control to the departure gate. If a permission is received, kindly note that the escort needs an own passport or other valid travel document (not a flight ticket) to pass the security control and/or passport control.

NOTE! An UMNR transfer may only take place at HEL (AY-AY). It is not possible to have a transfer at other airports in Finland or abroad, for example: UMNR cannot be confirmed for HEL-TKU-MHQ, a direct flight HEL-MHQ must be used.

Boarding
We offer priority boarding to unaccompanied minors so they can board the aircraft first. A crew member will help the child to settle comfortably into their seat and help them to stow their carry-on items. We advise the legal parent or guardian to stay at the airport until the flight has departed. It is possible to accompany the child to the departure gate at Helsinki Airport if the escort have their passport with them. Ground crew at the check-in desk must be consulted.

Flight disruptions
In case of a flight disruption (flight delay or cancellation), we will take care of the child and guide them to the next step, and they will always be under our supervision. We will make sure to inform escorts of all the information and updates.

During the flight

Care on board
Our cabin crew will keep an eye on the child and make sure they have everything they need throughout the flight to ensure their comfort and safety.

Food onboard
On European flights longer than 2 hours a free snack from our onboard menu (not combos) is included in the unaccompanied minor service. On long-haul flights we serve a tasty hot meal. Blueberry juice and water are complimentary on all flights, except on very short flights where there is no meal service. 

Children can also purchase snacks or soft drinks from our Nordic Kitchen onboard menu. It is possible to make a payment with Visa Electron on the flights with an internet connection. Children can also bring their snacks from home.

In-flight entertainment
On long-haul flights, our in-flight entertainment has a wide range of movies, TV series, music and games for children to keep your little one entertained throughout the flight.

At the connecting airport

An UMNR transfer may only take place at Helsinki Airport (AY-AY). It is not possible to have a transfer at other airports in Finland or abroad, for example: UMNR cannot be confirmed for HEL-TKU-MHQ, a direct flight HEL-MHQ must be used.

During the layover period
If the child has a connecting Finnair flight on the same day, a ground crew member will take care of the child while waiting for the next Finnair flight. 

At the destination airport

Guidance to the arrivals hall
When the flight arrives at the destination airport, our ground crew member will accompany the child through immigration, baggage claim area and arrivals hall. Our ground crew member might not speak the child’s language but will make sure that the child is always under supervision and ensure their safety. When the child meets the designated legal parent or guardian at the arrival hall, we will verify the legal parent's or guardian's identity before saying our goodbyes.

Unaccompanied Minors travelling within Finland

In domestic traffic in Finland a child over 5 years is allowed to travel with a family member over 12 years without UM service. If the travelling companion is a non-family member, the minimum age requirement is 16 years.

UMNR may not be booked for the last domestic flights of the evening (arriving at the destination after 23:00) within Finland. The reason for this is that solving any possible problem situations (e.g. the person who’s supposed to meet the child on arrival does not show up) can be difficult to handle this late.

Unaccompanied Minors who are Italian citizens

Please note that there is a new Italian law in force that applies to Unaccompanied Minors who are Italian citizens. The law requires that children up to and including 13 years who are travelling alone must, apart from being in possession of the correct travel documents, hold an “Affidavit” signed by both parents and verified by the police. Italian UMNRs will not be allowed to travel to/from Italy without the required Affidavit.

In Amadeus the below information shall be reflected in the PNR of the UMNR;
AMADEUS EXAMPLE
*****************
SRUMNR-09
OSAY U/ MALE/DOB 12NOV87/PASSPORT NBR /VISA CHECK OK/DECLARATION FORM COMPLETED
OSAY U/ CTC LON MR/MRS JONES/PARENTS/23 THREADNEEDLE STREET/LONDON/0208 235 7866
OSAY U/ CTC FCO MR TRUMP/UNCLE/1 THE TOWER/ROMA/39 06 3543 3436
OSAY U/ CTC EMERGENCY 24 HOURS CONTACT FATHER MR JONES MOBILE 0039 547634567

On TIDFT/ROM/VI you can read latest information on how to proceed with acquiring all necessary documents.

Unaccompanied Minors who are Spanish citizens

Spanish citizens under the age of 18 who are traveling alone must have a "Parental Permission" from their parents when leaving Spain. 
This does not apply to Spanish returning to Spain. 
The permit will be verified at check-in.