ORDAirport Guide

Children flying alone through O'Hare

O'Hare has no unaccompanied minor rule. Each airline sets its own, and Travelers Aid can't escort a child under 18. American's ages, fee and steps.

Two worn navy gate seats beside a blue-tiled column and a window in a Terminal 3 holdroom at O'Hare.
Gate seating, Terminal 3, O'Hare

O’Hare leaves this one to the airlines. The airport publishes no unaccompanied minor rule, so the airline you fly sets the ages, the fee and the handoff. Travelers Aid at the airport can’t fill the gap, because its page says it “cannot provide in-person assistance to children under the age of 18 traveling alone.”

American’s rules are below, because its page spells them out. For United, and for any other carrier, check the airline’s own policy before you book.

What the airport covers and what it doesn’t

The airport’s Traveling with Children page lists the Family Lounge, nursing rooms, changing stations, diaper vending machines and restaurants with kids’ meals. It says nothing about a child flying alone. Our families and kids page lists the Family Lounge and the all gender restrooms.

The airport’s airlines page sends you to each carrier’s website for its latest information. United Airlines uses Terminals 1 and 2, and American Airlines uses Terminal 3. Our airlines page shows the terminal for every carrier.

American’s ages, fee and booking

Chicago (ORD) is on the list of connection airports American allows for ages 8 to 17.

Age What American requires
0-4 Cannot travel alone
5-7 Unaccompanied minor service required, gate escort and guardian contact required, nonstop flights only
8-14 Service required, gate escort and guardian contact required, nonstop flights or a connection through an airport on American’s list
15-17 Service optional with the fee still applying, gate escort and guardian contact required, same flights as ages 8-14

The fee is $150 each way, plus applicable taxes, in addition to the ticket price. American says flights within the U.S. are subject to a 7% tax. The fee covers additional siblings on the same flight, and you book an unaccompanied minor by phone.

American doesn’t allow a child to travel alone when the trip includes:

  • Flights on another airline, including codeshare and oneworld partners
  • Ground or co-terminal connections where the child must transfer from one local airport to another
  • The last flight of the day from the final connection city, unless it’s the only flight
  • Overnight connecting flights

A trip that changes between O’Hare and Midway falls under the second item.

At the counter and the gate with American

  1. Arrive at least 2 hours before the scheduled departure. American checks in on Terminal 3’s Departures and Check-In level. A child traveling alone can’t check in online or at the kiosk, so you go to a ticket counter agent.
  2. Bring the papers. You fill out an unaccompanied minor form, which stays with the child for the whole trip, and any Customs and Immigration documents. American asks for a birth certificate or passport as proof of age. You also show your REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable ID, such as a passport or U.S. military ID. American also asks for your phone number and the name, address and phone number of the adult meeting your child.
  3. Take the security pass. The ticket agent gives you a pass from the airport ticket counter so you can walk your child to the gate. Our security page lists every checkpoint and its published hours.
  4. Tell the gate agent. You stay at the gate until the flight is airborne, and the gate agent lets you know when it is.

TSA says it doesn’t require children under 18 to show identification on flights within the United States. It adds that unaccompanied minors eligible for TSA PreCheck must show an acceptable ID for expedited screening, and it sends questions about airline ID rules for travelers under 18 to the airline.

American says children under 18 may need a Letter of Consent to travel internationally without both parents. Its page also lists extra papers for Brazil, Italy, Mexico and Spain. On trips outside the U.S., American says you may not be able to escort your child through security in some airports, and a team member takes the child to the gate.

American doesn’t hold or give personal medication to an unaccompanied child. Its flight attendants check on the child as duties allow but can’t continuously monitor the child.

Connecting at O’Hare on American

American’s service includes an airport escort to help your child to the gate for flight connections. Chicago (ORD) is also on American’s list of airports with unaccompanied minor lounges, where children wait for a connection and play games while supervised by American business partner personnel. The page doesn’t say where the O’Hare lounge is or when it’s open, so ask American.

Passengers changing terminals ride the Terminal Transfer Bus, which requires a boarding pass. Our connecting flights page has the details.

Meeting a child who lands at O’Hare

To meet your child at the gate you need a gate pass from the American ticket counter and one of the IDs listed above. An American team member brings your child to you. Before American releases your child, you show your ID and sign the required paperwork.

American recommends arriving at least 2 hours before your child’s scheduled arrival, which gives you time to get the gate pass and reach the gate.

When a flight is late or cancelled

If your child misses a connection because of a delay or cancellation, American contacts the people listed on the form and arranges a different flight on American. When a missed connection means an overnight stay, American says it arranges accommodations, meals and supervision.

American also says it may not accept unaccompanied minors when weather or other factors are expected to disrupt flights in one or more cities on the itinerary. A 15 to 17 year old who isn’t using the service is accommodated as an adult customer. American tells those teens not to leave the airport unless a uniformed team member or police officer accompanies them, or unless they’ve spoken with a parent or designated adult.

Where to ask in the terminal

Travelers Aid Chicago volunteers staff the information desks. They answer questions about O’Hare, such as how to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 5. Travelers Aid’s page lists prolonged supervision among the things it can’t do. Our information desks page lists every desk by terminal.

The gate desks are staffed Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. The airport’s pages disagree on the weekend close: the Travelers Aid page says 8 p.m. and the Terminal Accessibility page says 7 p.m. The lower level desks run 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, and the Multi-Modal Facility desk is staffed 24 hours.

Travelers Aid’s Terminal 2 office is across from the Family Lounge, and its phone is (773) 894-2427. The office is open Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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