Unaccompanied minor service

[First_Flyer]

Greetings, fellow SQTalkers

I am considering sending my children by themselves on a short hop KUL-SIN on SQ's value fare. I was wondering do any charges apply and how do i request this service?

ps. My other alternative is Silkair/MAS, and was wondering if it was the same policies with SQ.

Thanks in advance

[pavion]

I am going to try my best but these are policies which are approximately 1-2 years old

1) It's free
2) Cabin crew take great care with the children, one of my friends went to Cape Town and she loved the flight - they gave her alot of gifts and a very interesting ticket jacket, on the other hand for people like me, they aren't distracting.
3) If your children sit in the middle, no man is allowed to sit next to the minor unless it is an aisle seat or a window seat and the man is not supposed to move from the aisle to the middle seat
4) Anyone under 17 HAS to go as a unaccompanied minor

I think you will do fine with Singapore Airlines, but if anything has changed, I can't say for sure.

[BOSqq]

My younger brother flew as a UM last June to LAX. The service is indeed free. You would just need to fill out the UM form, which you can get from any SQ office or you can download it from SQ's website. When you check in, just hand in the form. Your child will of course board first even before First class, Business class, PPS, and *G. The cabin crew will check in with your child most of the time on board to see if they're doing okay. Once arrived at destination, your child will probably disembark last to wait for the airport staff. The one who is picking up your child must sign a form and show his/her ID to the airport staff, and you'll be all set.

[zxcvbn]

4) Anyone under 17 HAS to go as a unaccompanied minor

An adult can choose to sign a "Unaccompanied Minor Waiver Form" (I believe it is also available online), to waive UM services for a passenger.

The passenger will then be allowed to proceed through immigration etc. on his/her own, and usually the cabin crew will still offer assistance to the UM on board.

[fone]

I'm also considering sending a brother-in-law on a flight to LAX, have a few additional questions here. So the UM will be escorted through transit (in NRT) as well (how about lounge access if UM were to fly business)? So UM will be escorted from check-in, through security / immigration to the gate? How about for arrival? Through immigration / customs as well and when does it end?

[First_Flyer]

I'm also considering sending a brother-in-law on a flight to LAX, have a few additional questions here. So the UM will be escorted through transit (in NRT) as well (how about lounge access if UM were to fly business)? So UM will be escorted from check-in, through security / immigration to the gate? How about for arrival? Through immigration / customs as well and when does it end?

It's quite simple actually. You drop of the child at the check-in counter (UM must check-in at the airport), and he/she will be personally escorted to the aircraft and will board first. As for the lounge, i'm not sure. Upon arrival the person whom you registered will pick up the child.

[fone]

Just unsure how the transit will really go as well as the arrival.

Ok, in SIN I'm sure the service is good, but will the UM be accompanied throughout the transit in NRT (with English or Mandarin speaking personnel?), Japanese english can be hard to understand sometimes, especially for a UM with poor grasp of english to begin with. I'm sure my brother-in-law would love to grab some sushi or udon (either at the lounge or the food court/sushi restaurant).

[First_Flyer]

Just unsure how the transit will really go as well as the arrival.

Ok, in SIN I'm sure the service is good, but will the UM be accompanied throughout the transit in NRT (with English or Mandarin speaking personnel?), Japanese english can be hard to understand sometimes, especially for a UM with poor grasp of english to begin with. I'm sure my brother-in-law would love to grab some sushi or udon (either at the lounge or the food court/sushi restaurant).

If he's connecting to/from another flight, you'll have to arrange with the other airline. I was in the NRT lounge the other day and their English is quite okay.

[9V-SIA]

An adult can choose to sign a "Unaccompanied Minor Waiver Form" (I believe it is also available online), to waive UM services for a passenger.

The passenger will then be allowed to proceed through immigration etc. on his/her own, and usually the cabin crew will still offer assistance to the UM on board.

Not advisable.

Last June, arranged to meet my 15 year old daughter in London.

She flew in from SIN, I flew in from JFK.

Wanted her to experience traveling alone so I signed an UM waiver form in SIN before I left.

UK immigration gave her a hard time.

It was a good thing grandfather was outside waiting for her.

They called for him over the PA.

Guess things are different since I flew unaccompanied to LHR as a 13 year... old..

[Savage25]

UK immigration gave her a hard time.

That's not related to her being an UM. They can give anyone a hard time.

[fone]

If he's connecting to/from another flight, you'll have to arrange with the other airline. I was in the NRT lounge the other day and their English is quite okay.

So I presume SQ will take care of everything, if he is going to fly SQ all the way to LAX?

I only knew that the last time I was shopping at NRT, all in Japanese, they only pointed to the total amount on the cash register (and thus I know how much to pay). Asked the SK II girl about what's inside the packages and she understood but all she did was point at the sample package that was opened. No spoken English. Or maybe that I've stayed too long in LA, where English standards might not be that good amongst immigrants (ie I just went to a korean place to eat and the English standard was quite bad, just went to social security office and they were making spanish and english announcements, not to mention the chinese businessmen who cant converse well in English).

[soarbeyond]

I was sent as a UM to JNB about 3 years back
Got escorted around the terminal and to the gate,got the bulkhead row & had the 2seats next to me blocked,got lots of food and chcolates throughout the flight.Upon arrival,got secorted past immigration to the arrival hall.
Same thing happened on the return trip

[Slabofbutter]

Unaccompanied minor service by SIA?

Hi everyone! I need your help regarding the UM service offered by SIA.
I'm thinking of travelling to hongkong with 2 of my best friends for a vacation some time soon and we are considering taking SQ. We are only 16 and i read on the SIA website that we have to travel as a UM. The problem is, we are not sure whether to have the UM service offered by SIA. The service is pretty good but i heard that we'll be escorted all the way and have priority boarding that is way earlier than everyone else.(i don't want to sit and hobo in the aircraft!) Plus we would really like to explore the airport too and no one would be picking us up at the destination airport!
At the same time, we might need help with the immigration and check-in especially at hk intnl airport. So if anyone has taken the UM service by SIA recently, could you tell me how it's like? And if you waive the service, will the flight attendants know you are an unaccompanied minor? Would it be reflected on your boarding pass? Will you still be entitled to any benefits? Thanks for all your help!!


P.s sorry for so many questions!!

[Guy Betsy]

If you're as savvy as you seem, then you don't need UM service really!

The info on SQ website says "..This service is mandatory for unaccompanied children aged 5 and under 12 years, and is optional for those aged 12 to under 18 years old."

So you can opt out of it if you need to.

http://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/tr...with-children/

You don't need 'help' at HK airport. You fill out immigration form when the flight attendants give them out. Upon arrival you follow everyone and then just queue up at the immigration counters. Then you pick up luggage and exit!

If you don't know your way around, you just ask anyone.

There are no 'benefits' to being an UM. except maybe you will be seated at the rear of the plane so that the FAs can keep an eye on you. If you're younger, ie 8-12, you may be given a soft toy and some colouring books. But even as young adults, you may nicely ask for them if you want! So if you want to venture round the aircraft, don't opt for UM service. And make sure that there's someone who will sign u in, and be guarded everywhere you go, and then you will be marched right up to the arriving party who will sign you out. If you don't have anyone, you cannot be a UM really.

[brette]

The only thing (I think), a parent or guardian needs to sign a "UM Assistance and Handling Waiver form" (Below age 18). Can be downloaded, no big deal.