Skip to content
A girl beside an adult at an airport. Illustration of airport assistance for children.More than just a transfer

Airport assistance for children travelling alone

Unaccompanied Minor Services at London Airports

We collect your child from school or home, help with check-in and hand them over to airline staff when an Unaccompanied Minor (UM) service has been booked. On arrival, we meet your child and take them to school, family or a nominated adult.

Arrange airport assistance Services and prices
  • Named
    chaperone
  • Parent
    updates
  • In-person
    handover

Before departure

Airport departure assistance

For a child returning home for the holidays, the journey starts at the school gate. We collect your child from the agreed adult, travel to the correct terminal and help before departure. Where an airline UM service has been booked, we hand your child over to airline staff in accordance with the carrier’s procedure.

  • Collection from school, home or a host family.
  • Help with check-in and luggage.
  • Handover to airline staff when a UM service is booked.
  • Remaining at the airport for the time required by the airline.
  • Confirmation to parents when our assistance is complete.

On arrival

Airport meet and greet

Landing is only part of the journey. We agree in advance who will meet your child, the collection procedure and the destination address. Our service ends with an in-person handover to the nominated adult, not simply a drop-off at the entrance.

  • Confirmation of the terminal and meeting point.
  • Collection from airline staff when a UM service is booked.
  • Help with luggage and getting into the vehicle.
  • Transfer to school, family or another agreed address.
  • Confirmation to parents that the handover is complete.
An adult and child walking through an airport terminal. Illustration of accompanied travel.

Is your teenager flying independently without an airline UM service? We can arrange a meeting or assistance in the public area of the terminal. The airline decides whether your child may travel alone. Without a booked UM service, a formal handover by airline staff should not be assumed.

Clear arrangements from enquiry to handover

How it works

  1. Tell us about the journey

    Your child’s age, travel date, flight details, addresses and the help needed.

  2. We assign your chaperone

    We confirm their name and contact details, the handover arrangements and the total price.

  3. We accompany your child

    We follow the agreed arrival or departure plan and stay in contact with the family.

  4. We confirm the handover

    We tell you who received your child and confirm that our service is complete.

Service pricing

What your price includes

We reserve a named chaperone’s time for your child’s journey. The assistance required and any waiting time are agreed before the booking is confirmed.

Departure assistance
with airline UM service

On request

The time required at the airport is specified in your quote. Check-in assistance, handover to airline staff and remaining at the airport as required by the airline.

Arrival assistance
with airline UM service

On request

Collection arrangements and timings are agreed in advance. Collection of your child, help with luggage and handover to the nominated adult after the transfer.

Additional
time

By agreement

The rate for additional time is agreed before booking. We keep parents informed if additional time is needed.

Before confirmation, you receive a full quote covering the transfer, airport assistance, included time and estimated parking costs. Check-in assistance is included in the departure package for children with an airline UM booking.

Get a transfer quote
How are waiting time and flight delays charged?

Your confirmation states when airport assistance begins and how much time is included. If flight details change in advance, we agree a revised schedule. A flight delay does not, by itself, incur a separate penalty.

If the required time at the airport has already begun and exceeds the included period, the agreed additional-time rate and actual parking charges apply. The same period is not charged twice as both transfer waiting time and airport assistance.

The assigned adult remains until the agreed handover arrangements and airline requirements have been fulfilled, not simply until the paid hours end. If the flight is cancelled, we agree the next steps with the parents.

Assistance for teenagers travelling without an airline UM service, or for several children, is quoted according to the arrangements required. A price from the vehicle booking calculator does not automatically confirm airport assistance for a child.

Before booking the flight

Can your child fly alone?

Airlines have different age limits and procedures for children travelling alone, and not all offer an Unaccompanied Minor service. Before buying a ticket, check the operating airline’s requirements, the route and the necessary documents. LAT provides ground assistance and transfers; this does not replace the airline’s UM service.

Airline rules for children travelling alone

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

As a parent, you need to know more than your child’s arrival time. You need to know who will meet them and who will receive them at the end of the journey. That is why we start by confirming these details.

For transfers to a school in the UK, we confirm the staff member receiving your child, the correct entrance and the agreed arrival time. Your confirmation will include the handover arrangements and contact details.

Who will meet and accompany my child?

Before the journey, we provide the name and contact details of your child’s assigned chaperone. When an airline UM service is booked, these must match the details in the airline’s documentation. Any necessary replacement is agreed in advance; we do not simply send a different driver.

Can you meet a child travelling without an airline UM service?

Yes, provided the airline permits your child to travel independently. We meet them at an agreed point in the public arrivals area. Without a UM booking, a formal handover by airline staff should not be assumed. We agree the meeting point and how to stay in contact before the journey.

How long do you stay at the airport before departure?

For as long as required by the agreed handover procedure and the airline’s rules. This may mean waiting until the flight has departed or take-off is confirmed, rather than leaving after check-in. The included time and the rate for any additional time are set out in your quote before booking.

What happens if the flight is delayed or cancelled?

We contact the parents to agree the next steps and any changes to the schedule. Once your child is in our care, they will not be left without a responsible adult simply because the included hours have ended. Additional waiting, a possible return journey and any extra costs are discussed in line with the confirmed booking terms.

What information do I need to provide?

Your child’s age, travel date and flight number, the operating airline, details of any UM booking, collection and destination addresses, and contact details for the parents and receiving adult. Parents need to check the travel documents and any required consent in advance. Please also tell us about luggage and any child car seat requirements.

Can I book this as a standard airport transfer online?

No. The online form can calculate the vehicle price, but meeting your child, helping in the terminal and arranging the handover require separate confirmation. Please discuss these requirements with us before booking. A chaperone travelling on the same flight must also be arranged separately.

Start with the travel details

Let’s plan your child’s journey

Tell us the date, flight, your child’s age and the help needed. We will agree the airport assistance and handover arrangements with you.

Contact us