Unaccompanied Minor Service
American Airlines and American Eagle's unaccompanied minor service allows
children in certain circumstances to travel alone on our flights.
We have established the following guidelines for our unaccompanied minor
service.
- Children 5 years and older may travel on American Airlines or American Eagle on non-stop or same-plane flights
- Children must be 8-14 years old to travel itineraries requiring a connection on American Airlines or American Eagle
- Children 15-17 years old are considered young adults and are not required to use the unaccompanied minor service. However, the unaccompanied minor service is available to them upon request and under the same provisions
- Connections to flights of other airlines are permitted only when allowed by the rules of the connecting carrier. We are not responsible for unaccompanied minors while they are traveling on other carriers
- A fee is assessed for providing unaccompanied minor service
When taking your child's reservation, we will request telephone
numbers for parents or guardians. At check-in, you will also be asked to
provide names, addresses, and home and business phone numbers for you and the
party meeting your child. This information is used in identifying the party
meeting your child upon arrival, and it will assist us in contacting you if
necessary. We recommend checking in early at the airport to ensure that you
have adequate time to complete the required paperwork and preboard your child.
The welfare of unaccompanied minors is a matter we take very seriously. In
advance or upon check-in, if there is a possibility that your child's flight
might be delayed or misconnect for any reason, we may change your child's
flight schedule, including the departure date.
An airport representative will assist your child at the connecting city, escort
your child to his or her next flight, and deliver your child to the person
meeting him or her at the destination airport. We do not accept reservations
for an unaccompanied child if it would mean his or her connecting flight would
be the last flight of the day.
Additional details on our unaccompanied minor service are available from
Reservations.
Helpful Suggestions:
- You should stay with your child until he or she boards the aircraft
- Provide your child with an extra copy of his or her contact phone numbers
- Before going to the airport, explain what will happen during the child's trip. This may include teaching him or her about airplanes, sounds, connecting flights, etc. - in general, just what to expect
- Provide your child with books, food, or other items which can help entertain him or her during the trip
- Let us know if it is your child's first flight so that, if time permits, we can give him or her a little extra attention
Customers with Disabilities
American Airlines and American Eagle endeavor to provide passengers with
disabilities dignified, professional, and courteous service at all times. We
have a team of employees who regularly consult with disability advisory groups
on how we can improve airline accessibility and the quality of our service.
Reservations Special Assistance Coordinators
American Airlines and American Eagle Reservations Offices maintain a staff of
Special Assistance Coordinators (SACs) who work with customers who have identified
themselves as having disabilities. The Reservations representative who responds
to the customer's initial call passes pertinent information to an SAC, who
calls the customer back. A toll-free number exists for customers with
disabilities to follow-up on travel arrangements with the SAC office. Airport
and in-flight personnel are notified of special service requests.
Pre-Reserved Seats
American Airlines and American Eagle block a limited number of seats on each
aircraft to accommodate customers who identify themselves as having a qualified
disability. Adjacent seats are provided, under certain circumstances, for
customers with disabilities who must travel with a companion for assistance.
Assistive Devices
American Airlines and American Eagle accept motorized and non-motorized
assistive devices for transport. When necessary, we will disassemble and
reassemble wheelchairs or assistive devices for customers when they travel.
American Airlines and American Eagle provide storage for one passenger's collapsible,
manual wheelchair in the cabin of each aircraft. This service is available on a
first-come, first-served basis and has priority over carryon baggage belonging
to other customers who board at the same city, provided the customer follows
the preboarding procedure. In-cabin stowage space for assistive devices cannot
be pre-reserved, but American Airlines and American Eagle accept carryon
wheelchairs, provided they collapse to fit in an overhead bin or under a seat.
Non-collapsible wheelchairs/scooters are accepted as checked baggage. These
items can be checked at the main ticket counter or the departure gate. American
Airlines and American Eagle offer a special wheelchair service that allows you
to check your wheelchair at the departure gate and claim it at your arrival
gate free of charge. Although you can arrange to claim your chair at the
connecting city, we recommend that the chair be checked through to the final
destination. The additional time required to claim and recheck your chair at
the connecting city may compromise your ability to make your connection.
American Airlines and American Eagle have wheelchairs and our representatives
provide wheelchair service at connecting airports. Please let us know you will
need this assistance when making your reservation.
Assistive devices approved for cabin transport do not count towards the
combined number of checked and carryon baggage a passenger is allowed free of
charge, nor do they count towards the limit on carryon items you may bring on
board.
Boarding Assistance
If you have special needs, upon request, preboarding assistance will be
provided to you, allowing you the opportunity to be seated prior to general
boarding. A special aisle chair is available to assist you if you are unable to
walk, and all of our jet aircraft are equipped with specially designed seats
that feature moveable aisle armrests to help make seating easier.
Therapeutic Oxygen
American Airlines provides onboard therapeutic oxygen, subject to availability.
This service is not available on American Eagle flights. The Reservations
Special Assistance Coordinators arrange for this service upon 48 hours advance
notice. A doctor's prescription is required advising of the liters per minute
flow rate. A fee is charged for this service.
Complaint Resolution Officials for Customers with Special Needs
We have employees at airports who are trained as Local Complaint Resolution
Officials (LCROs) and are available during operating hours. A Corporate
Complaint Resolution Official is available to assist LCROs 24 hours per day,
seven days per week.