Japan Airlines (JAL) minors flying alone

Does Japan Airlines offer services for children traveling alone?

Japan Airlines considers that a child is traveling alone when he/she isn’t accompanied on the same flight by an adult. To ensure the child’s comfort and safety, Japan Airlines provides assistance at the airports and on board.

Which are the age restrictions on Japan Airlines flights for children traveling alone?

In the case of domestic flights, Japan Airlines offers mandatory Kids Travel Support Service for children 6 or 7 years of age traveling alone. The service is optionally available for children up to 11 years.

In the case of international flights, children aged 5 to 11 (inclusive) may travel alone only as Unaccompanied Minors. Reservations for Unaccompanied Minors cannot be made online.

Kids Travel Support Service

If you require this service, you have to call JAL’s reservations system when booking your flight. When arriving at the departing airport you must check in at JAL Smile Support Center – with this process you should arrive with ample time for check-in. If the flight is expected to end short or bypass the destination due to weather conditions, then the Unaccompanied Minor will not be allowed to check in and board the flight.

You must download a  Kids Travel Support Service Request Form / Unaccompanied Minor consent form (Handling Advice) on JAL’s webpage, fill it out, and be ready to hand it at the departing airport. If you have any information about the Unaccompanied Minor that you think the airline has to know, JAL will give you a ‘Smile Message’ for you to fill out and pass the children’s information.

It is allowed (mandatory for domestic flights) to escort the Unaccompanied Minor to the boarding gate, but only one person is allowed through this process. At the arriving airport, the Unaccompanied Minor will be escorted to the Arrival Hall by JAL staff. The person who is receiving the Unaccompanied Minor should stand close to the JAL Smile Support Service passenger meeting point. At the departure airport, it is mandatory for the responsible adult to show evidence that the child will be met at the destination airport by another responsible adult.

Family Service on International Flights

Japan Airlines offers a unique service designed to assist you in an overseas transfer, return from an overseas office, and travels to get together with a family member working overseas. This service includes:

  • At the departing airport, JAL staff assists the passenger from check-in to boarding the plane. There are exclusive counters and lounges (located in the departure lobbies) at Narita Airport Terminal 2 and at Kansai International Airport.
  • During the flight, the attendants will take care of you in order to make your flight more comfortable, they will provide you, as necessary, with baby beds, paper diapers, a “JAL BABY CRUISE” (includes baby food for infants under two years, a spoon, and an apron), and food for your baby over two years.
  • At the arrival/transfer airport, JAL will guide you through immigration, etc., and, where necessary, they will guide you through the check-in counter of the airline.

All the passengers (spouse alone, spouse with a child under 16, a child who is 12 or older and under 16, a family member who is 60 or older, or adults and children under 16, provided that the number of children exceeds the number of adults) who travel on JAL flights with normal fares, Business saver, Economy saver flex fare, Economy saver, or with JMB award on first and business class will be eligible for the Family Service. Unfortunately, this service is not provided to the passengers who are traveling on codeshare flights operated by JAL’s partner airlines.

To apply for this service, passenger must call the JAL International Reservation two days (seven days in peak season) before your departure date, and it is needed that you state the purpose of the travel, the name of the family member you visit (relationship and the name of his company), telephone numbers of his overseas house and office, and the number, name(s), age(s) of the children you’re traveling with. Japan Airlines will provide you with the “Family Service Sticker”.

More information here >>