Flying solo this summer: Emirates prepares to welcome more than 3,500 young travellers

Emirates is preparing for one of the busiest time periods for its Unaccompanied Minors Service, as families begin their summer holidays before the new school year in Dubai. Over the next two weeks, Emirates will welcome more than 3,500 children who will travel independently using the acclaimed family-friendly service. Over the past five years alone, more than 250,000 children have travelled with Emirates using its Unaccompanied Minors and Young Passenger services. Most young travellers are aged 11 years and under, with the busiest routes connecting Dubai with the UK, Russia, Kenya, France, India and Egypt.

When children are flying without their family, Emirates is there every step of the way. Designed to give parents and guardians complete peace of mind, Emirates' Unaccompanied Minors Service provides dedicated support from check-in through to arrival, ensuring children enjoy a supervised and safe trip from check‑in until destination, with plenty of fun and memorable moments along the way.

A Parent & Guardians guide to Emirates’ Unaccompanied Minors and Young Passenger Service

Book with confidence up to 24 hours before

Children aged 5 to 12 years travelling alone are required to use Emirates' Unaccompanied Minors Service and travel on an adult fare. The service can be booked up to 24 hours before departure through Emirates LiveChat, by calling 00971600555555 or any local Emirates office.

Young travellers aged 12 to 15 years may travel independently without the service at their parent or guardian's discretion. However, families who would like additional support can request the Young Passenger Service for USD 50 per flight, subject to availability, with the same dedicated supervision and support provided throughout the journey.

Children aged 5 - 12 years old can also travel in a different cabin class from their parent or guardian on the same flight, but they will be charged an adult’s fare. The child will be considered ‘accompanied’ and won’t have access to the Unaccompanied Minors Lounge and special services.

Begin the journey at Emirates Unaccompanied Minors Lounge

When parents and guardians bring their young flyer to Dubai International Airport (DXB), they can go straight to the newly renovated Unaccompanied Minors Lounge near the check‑in area. Proof of identification must be provided to Emirates by the person dropping off the child and the guardian will need to sign a permission form. Children will be swiftly checked in and can then relax with video games on new PlayStation 5 Pro consoles, enjoy free Wi‑Fi, and comfortable sofas. In the dedicated and private space supervised by the Emirates team, kids can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks while they wait for their flight and use the children’s bathrooms.

Get support and supervision from a trained Emirates specialist for the whole journey

At the airport, a specialist member of Emirates’ team will meet the child at the Unaccompanied Minors check‑in desk. The Emirates specialist stays with the child all the way through the airport, taking care of them and carrying their passport for safety. The specialist helps them through security and immigration, facilitating priority boarding so that the child has time to get settled on their flight, before introducing them to the cabin crew at the aircraft door for the next stage. While in the air, Emirates cabin crew are on hand to make sure the young flyer has a comfortable and memorable journey. Parents and guardians can request any special dietary requirements in advance and advise whether the child would like to sit by the window or the aisle, or seat siblings together. Emirates cabin crew regularly check on the child to ensure they are enjoying their trip, are eating their meals and whether they need any support in adjusting their seat or inflight entertainment system.

Have fun onboard with Emirates cabin crew

Children onboard Emirates can pass the time with complimentary toys and giveaways, more than 100 video games and a huge array of children’s content on the award-winning inflight entertainment ice, including new release movies, Disney Classics, Marvel Studios and Star Wars collections, and the complete Harry Potter movies series, CBeebies, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. 

If it’s the child’s birthday, parents and guardians can order a cake 48 hours before the flight and Emirates cabin crew will celebrate the special occasion. Special memories are captured with a Polaroid camera, so children have a keepsake of their travels.

Arrivals accompanied by Emirates team

Once children land at their destination, a specialist member of Emirates’ team will be at the aircraft door to welcome them. The child will be accompanied through the airport until they meet their parent or guardian at Arrivals, and proof of identification must be provided to Emirates by the person collecting the child.

Emirates’ unaccompanied minor service for connecting customers

The safety and security of children is of the utmost importance to Emirates - a family friendly airline. Some terms and conditions are in place to protect children from an uncomfortable journey. If the child is transferring from an Emirates flight to another Emirates flight at Dubai International (DXB), the maximum connection time allowed is 8 hours. If the connection time is above 8 hours, this will be subject to approval from Emirates. Children on connecting flights will be brought to an Unaccompanied Minors Lounge to rest and wait before being brought to their flight and handed over to cabin crew. If they need to go into the airport for a meal, they will be accompanied by an Emirates specialist. A young passenger is not permitted to stay overnight at their connecting airport unless an adult guardian is arranged to meet and care for them at the transit point, and this is subject to Emirates approval.