Flying With Grandparents, Stepparents or Another Adult: Child Consent Guide

This is a summary of the current published rule. Confirm it on the airline’s own page before you travel.

This page covers grandparents, a stepparent, an aunt or uncle, an adult sibling, a family friend, another family, a coach, or a group leader flying with a child.

If you are already at the airport, use the Airport Emergency Child Travel Consent Guide.

American Airlines: an international under-18 traveler without both parents may need consent or relationship documentation. See American Airlines child travel consent.

Delta Air Lines: destination and country rules vary. See Delta child travel consent.

United Airlines: destination-driven through the Travel-Ready Center.

Southwest Airlines: destination requirements apply; Unaccompanied Minor service is separate.

JetBlue: complete the Unaccompanied Minor form if the child is actually using UM service. That form is not a substitute for international parental consent. See UM form vs parental consent.

Frontier Airlines: Canada non-parent-adult requirements include written parent or guardian permission, parent or guardian address and phone number, and signed ID or passport copies. See Frontier Canada.

Air Canada: some destination-country rules may require both parents to sign when a child travels without parents. See Air Canada child travel consent.

Destination governments may ask for more than the airline asked for, especially when no legal parent is traveling. Confirm the live destination authority in the Family Travel Center.

Conditional. Possible documentation may include a parental permission letter, the child's passport, a birth certificate, a guardianship document, a custody order, parent contact details, parent ID copies, the itinerary, receiving-adult details, and destination-required documents. Not every family needs every item.

If a grandparent or other adult is accompanying the child on the same flight, the child is generally not an Unaccompanied Minor. Use the UM form only when the airline service actually applies.

Parental permission is signed by the parent(s) or legal guardian(s), not automatically by a stepparent. If only one parent has legal custody, that parent's papers control. If no parents travel, some destination rules — and Air Canada's current guidance where those rules apply — may require both parents to sign.

Notarization is required only where the actual document or destination rule requires it. Frontier's Canada non-parent guidance does not currently state a blanket notarization requirement.

Start online notarization only if the actual required permission document calls for notarization and format acceptance has been checked. Do not notarize an airline UM form unless that live form contains a notarial requirement.

Parent ID copies, custody orders, and destination letters may have different original-versus-copy rules. Confirm before travel.

Citizenship, dual nationality, and residency can change which destination entry or exit rule applies. An airline boarding rule does not replace those government rules.

Already at the airport, leaving today, or holding a form the airline just handed you? Identify the exact missing document first. Use the Airport Emergency Child Travel Consent Guide.

Check the official page again before you travel.