At Jetstar we love welcoming young passengers on board, but we don’t offer an unaccompanied minor service. A young passenger must meet all the relevant requirements listed below and our independent traveller requirements to be able to travel independently.
Quick facts
- To travel without a parent or guardian, children need to be aged 12 and above. Proof of age is required at the airport
- A parent or guardian will need to accompany their child to airport check-in and have ID
- If more than one child is travelling, age restrictions apply and vary by airline
- Further documentation is required for certain flights
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Important note for parents or guardians
Jetstar Airways (JQ) flights
A young passenger is regarded as being able to travel independently if they are currently attending or enrolled in secondary school and:
- can show proof at check-in that they are currently attending or enrolled in secondary school; and
- can meet our Independent Traveller Requirements.
ID and proof of age requirements
For a young passenger aged 12 years or over, proof of age can be acceptable as proof of secondary school enrolment, because in Australia and New Zealand, anyone 12 years and over is generally required to be enrolled in secondary school.
So, any of the following forms of identification can be used to verify secondary school attendance or enrolment and must be presented by a young passenger at check-in:
- Passport or birth certificate, (proof of age for passengers who are 12 years and over);
- School ID card from a secondary school (can be from a previous year and may be expired); or
- Letter from the secondary school on school letterhead stating the year and confirming current attendance or enrolment in current secondary school (including enrolment in secondary school for the coming year after graduation from primary school).
Please remember, a young passenger must be able to carry their valid ID for the duration of their flight.
Children who are not yet 12 years old, enrolled in or attending secondary school will be regarded as unable to travel independently and must be accompanied by an appropriate accompanying passenger.
To make a booking for a young passenger aged under 12, who is enrolled in high school and can meet the ID requirements, please Contact us.
All young passengers travelling alone on a Jetstar Airways (JQ) flight connecting to a Jetstar Asia (3K) or Jetstar Japan (GK) flight, must be at least 12 years old to travel and be able to meet any additional requirements.
Checking in on Jetstar Airways (JQ) international flights
A young passenger travelling alone on a JQ international flight should meet all the above requirements, always have a valid passport and have a parent or guardian present at all times with them during their check-in.
If no parent or guardian is present at check-in and our staff have reason to believe the young passenger may not have permission from a parent or guardian to travel alone, the young passenger may be refused check-in until permission to travel alone can be confirmed.
Passengers travelling to Vietnam
Vietnamese passport holders
On international flights to Vietnam, passengers younger than 12 with a Vietnamese passport, must be accompanied by an appropriate accompanying passenger.
Non-Vietnamese passport holders
On international flights to Vietnam, passengers younger than 14 with a non-Vietnamese passport, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Jetstar Asia (3K) flights
All passengers aged over 12, but younger than, 18 years old, travelling alone on a Jetstar Asia (3K) flight, or a Jetstar flight connecting to a Jetstar Asia (3K) flight, must:
- Have a parent or guardian download, print, fill-in and sign the declaration form to give them permission to travel alone; and
- Be accompanied to the airport check-in counter by a parent or guardian who must show valid ID and present the signed declaration form to a Jetstar team member.
Acceptable forms of identification to verify a young passenger’s age are:
- Passport; OR
- Birth certificate.
For full details of the process and all requirements, see Young passengers on Jetstar Asia (3K) flights.
The requirements for accompanying passengers for children have also changed for all Jetstar Asia (3K) flights, see Independent travellers and accompanying passengers.
Young passengers travelling alone on flights connecting to Jetstar Asia (3K)
Any young passengers aged 12 and over, but younger than 18, travelling on a Jetstar Airways (JQ) or Jetstar Japan (GK) flight that connects to a Jetstar Asia (3K) flight must also follow this process from their departure airport.
If two or more passengers, aged 12 and over but younger than 18, are travelling together on a 3K flight, then each passenger will need to complete the process outlined above.
Jetstar Japan (GK) flights
For any domestic Japan flights operated by Jetstar Japan (GK) passengers who are 2-11 years of age will not be eligible to travel unless they are accompanied by an appropriate accompanying passenger aged 12 years or older. Infants (under 2 years) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, or an accompanying passenger who is at least 15 years old.
Passengers aged 12 years or above may travel alone (subject to meeting our Independent Traveller Requirements).
Acceptable forms of identification to verify a young passenger’s age are:
- Passport; OR
- Birth certificate.
For any international flights operated by Jetstar Japan (GK) passengers below the age of 12 will not be eligible to travel unless they are accompanied by an appropriate accompanying passenger who is 15 years or older. Passengers aged 12 and above may travel alone (subject to meeting our Independent Traveller Requirements).
See Independent travellers and accompanying passengers for further details.
Important note for parents and guardians
Even if a young passenger meets all the above requirements, a parent or guardian should still assess if the young passenger is independent enough to travel alone on a Jetstar flight, before a booking is made. Jetstar is not able to provide supervision or assistance, because we don't have the systems, staff or facilities to do so. So, if a parent or guardian feels their child needs supervision, they should not book them to travel alone and instead should book them to travel with an accompanying passenger.
See Independent travellers and accompanying passengers for further details.