We recognise that there are times when your child will take a journey without you, a school tour for example. However, they would still need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. Here’s everything you need to know.
We offer a Junior Explorer, Unaccompanied Minor service for children who are flying alone on any direct flight service across our domestic network.
Our Unaccompanied Minor service is mandatory for children between the ages of five (5) and under twelve (12) years who are travelling alone.
A child who has reached their 12th birthday and is not older than 15 years of age and is traveling unaccompanied is considered by us as a Young Passenger and may travel alone, with a secured booking as an adult. Customers may request our Junior Explorer service should the Young Passenger be travelling for the first time, or if it is preferred for assistance to be offered, always ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the young passenger.
HOW TO BOOK FOR AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR “JUNIOR EXPLORER”
- Unaccompanied Minor bookings can only be completed by a Parent or Legal Guardian of the child.
- In accordance with the Zimbabwe Child Act of 1972, we shall classify a “Parent” as the father or mother of a person born of, or legitimated by, a lawful marriage or the mother of an illegitimate person and includes a stepparent and, except in Part VII, an adopter as specified in the act.
- In accordance with the Zimbabwe Child Act of 1972, we shall classify a “Guardian” as a person, in relation to a child or young person, who has the custody, charge or care of the child or young person, either permanently or temporarily.
- For the purpose of this requirement a Legal Guardian is an adult aged 18 year or over who has been formally appointed with the legal authority to take care of a child should anything happen to the parents. Guardians are responsible for taking all parental decisions. A Legal Guardian is further defined according to the aviation industry best practice as a person acting in lieu of parents in the event of death or legal incapacity of parents.
- Contact our Call Centre or visit a fastjet sales shop to secure your child’s flight and arrange the Unaccompanied Minor service up to three (3) days before the day of travel.
- Ensure that you have the following details on hand to share with our booking agent.
- Full Name and Surname of the Unaccompanied Minor
- The age, including the Date of Birth of the Unaccompanied Minor
- The full Name & Surname, Address, Contact Details of the Parent and Guardian designated to drop off and the designated pick-up person.
- Travel for Unaccompanied Minors is available on flights that arrive at their destination before 20h00 local time.
- Once we approve the booking the payment for the flights and relevant fees must be made in full within the prescribed booking hold period.
This service is exclusively available on our domestic flight network only and is not offered on any fastjet international flights,
UNACCOMPANIED MINORS SERVICE FEE
- A service fee of USD80.00 will be charged per booked flight per Unaccompanied Minor.
- All service fees charged are non-refundable and non-transferable even if unused.
- This fee is in addition to all other fees and charges that may apply.
- Standard fares apply.
BAGGAGE & PERSONAL ITEMS
- Children travelling alone are entitled to the full checked baggage allowance.
- We recommend that they do not carry more than necessary as cabin baggage to avoid items been misplaced or left behind in the aircraft.
- Please ensure that all personal items are labelled, and the items can be easily identified by the child.
- Do not place any valuables in their cabin baggage or checked baggage.
- The child remains responsible for carrying and safekeeping of all their baggage and personal items (with the exception of travel documentation where we will assist with safekeeping).
CHECK-IN
- The Parent or Guardian must be present at check-in to complete the required travel consent and disclaimer form for the Unaccompanied Minor.
- Photo identification for the Parent or Guardian shall be required for the verification process applied at check-in on the day of travel.
- Only the following forms of identification shall be accepted for the Parent or Guardian named in the booking.
- National Identity Document
- Valid National Passport
- Temporary Identification documents are permitted provided they are accompanied by an affidavit which is no older than three (3) months.
- Only the following forms of identification presented on behalf of the Unaccompanied Minor by the Parent or Guardian named in the booking shall be accepted.
- Original Birth Certificate abridged or unabridged (or a physical certified copy thereof that is no older than 3 months) for domestic travel.
- Valid National Passport for international travel.
- Failure on the part of the Parent or Guardian to present valid photo identification, including the specified information required for the Unaccompanied Minor shall result in denied travel.
- No other adult shall present the child for check-in other than the Parent or Guardian named in the booking.
- The standard check-in procedure will apply. Check-in will open two (2) hours before departure and will close 40 minutes before the scheduled departure of a flight. No exceptions will be made for late check-in for an Unaccompanied Minor. You are expected to allow enough time to complete the documentation and formalities before the check-in closes.
- Should an Unaccompanied Minor, not arrive on time for the flight, a new booking must be made.
- Unaccompanied Minors will not be accepted for travel on standby.
- Unaccompanied Minors may make use of the ValuePlus Dedicated Check In counter.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
- Every country requires special documentation, such as a notarised letter, stating that the Unaccompanied Minor has permission to fly alone. We recommend contacting the nearest embassy/consulate for more information.
- Parents or Guardians shall be responsible for completing all travel and immigration forms on behalf of the child. This must be done at check-in. Fastjet shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions made in any of the required travel and immigration forms completed.
Domestic Travel
- An original birth certificate or a
- Physical certified copy thereof that is no older than 3 months.
- Travel consent letter from the Parent or Guardian.
- This service is exclusively available on our domestic flight network only and is not offered on any fastjet international flights.
General
- Your child must be in possession of all necessary travel documentation..
- Parents or Guardians shall be responsible for completing all travel and forms on behalf of the child. This must be done at check-in. Fastjet shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions made in any of the required travel and forms completed.
HELP THROUGH THE AIRPORT
- A member of our friendly team will be introduced to your child at our check-in desk, just before it is time for you to say goodbye.
- They will ensure that the Unaccompanied Minor is assisted at the security checkpoint including immigration and passport control if your little one is travelling internationally, before heading to their dedicated boarding gate.
- They will stay alongside them all the way through the airport until meeting our cabin crew member at the aircraft door.
- Parents and Guardians should remain at the airport until the flight has departed and with approval from a fastjet representative.
BOARDING
- Our Unaccompanied Minors will always board the plane ahead of all other passengers and will remain seated on arrival until all other passengers have disembarked before our Cabin Crew hands them over to a fastjet representative.
CARE INFLIGHT
- Our cabin crew will ensure that our Unaccompanied Minors have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable journey.
- The Unaccompanied Minor will receive either window or aisle seat, and if they are travelling with a sibling or member of the same family they will be seated together.
- Our cabin crew will assist the Unaccompanied Minor to their assigned seat. If they are travelling with any cabin baggage, we will assist them by placing the item safely underneath the seat in front of them. We do recommend that cabin baggage is kept to a minimum to ensure that no item is left on board or misplaced.
- Once the Unaccompanied Minor has settled into his/her allocated seat and all personal items are safely stowed, our cabin crew will show them how to fasten their seatbelt and will make sure they are familiar with all safety standards and the location of the lavatories inflight.
SUPPORT ON ARRIVAL AT DESTINATION
- A friendly fastjet team representative will be at the aircraft door to welcome the Unaccompanied Minor at their arrival airport.
- Unaccompanied Minors will disembark the aircraft only once all the other passengers have disembarked.
- Unaccompanied Minors will be assisted with any drop and fly baggage to collect from the aircraft steps and our cabin crew will remind them to take all their personal items with them. Before proceeding to the airport terminal.
- Assistance will be provided at all key touchpoints, including the security check points, port health, immigration and baggage collection.
- The designated pick-up person meeting the Unaccompanied Minor at the arrival airport shall produce a valid national identity document or valid passport as proof of identification before the minor is assigned to their care with all their personal belongings and required travel documents.
- The person collecting the Unaccompanied Minor must be 18 years of age or the legal age as specified by the country of origin and destination. The designated pick-up person collecting the Unaccompanied Minor, must present their national identity document or passport which shall be verified by a fastjet representative escorting the Unaccompanied Minor against the information contained in the travel consent and disclaimer form completed by the Parent or Guardian before the minor shall be assigned to their care with all their personal belongings and travel documents. The verification of the designated pick-up person for international travel will include the verification of his or her residential address and contact details where the child will reside as contained in the travel consent and indemnity form and consent letter. They should arrive at the airport no later than thirty (30) minutes prior to the flight’s scheduled arrival time. Arriving late may cause unnecessary distress to the child and may require us to involve the local law authorities.
INFORM YOUR CHILD
- We will do our best to ensure that your child has a pleasant journey from start to finish. However, there are a few things you can do to make it easier:
- Make sure your child knows who the designated pick-up person is to meet them at the arrival airport.
- Explain the importance of their travel documents and health certificates as may be required and ensure they can recognise each item.
- Explain that they must not disembark the aircraft unattended and must wait for the cabin crew’s assistance.
- Explain that they must follow all the requests from our staff.
- We will give every Unaccompanied Minor an identification lanyard. Explain that this cannot be removed as it is a form of classification.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
- Unaccompanied Minors are children between five (5) years to under twelve (12) years of age.
- Children under five (5) years of age shall not be accepted as Unaccompanied Minors.
- Young Passengers between twelve (12) and under sixteen (16) years of age may be accepted as adults.
- The Unaccompanied Minor must be able to understand and communicate in English.
- The Unaccompanied Minor must be able to attend to his/her own personal needs, this shall include using the lavatory unassisted whilst on the ground and inflight.
- For safety and security reasons, we will reserve the right to refuse travel if a child is not booked as an Unaccompanied Minor.
- All bookings for Unaccompanied Minors must be secured and confirmed directly with us via our Call Centre of fastjet shop three (3) days before the travel date.
- Unaccompanied Minor services may not be secured online via our website, Travel Agent or via an online travel website.
- Unaccompanied Minors may only travel on point to point flights.
- Fastjet shall not provide any escort or service for Unaccompanied Minors to or from other flights. Parents or Guardians shall be responsible for any transfer of the Unaccompanied Minor between connecting flights.
- Unaccompanied Minors are only accepted if booked directly with fastjet.
- Travel for Unaccompanied Minors is available on flights that arrive at their destination before 20h00 local time.
- The Unaccompanied Service must be arranged and approved per flight. The service fee shall be charged per flight.
- Acceptance of a child to travel unaccompanied will be subject to the assessment and approval of fastjet, after the Parent or Guardian has provided us with the required information and completed travel consent and disclaimer forms.
- Unaccompanied Minor bookings for the same day of travel will be not accepted.
- All Unaccompanied Minor service fees charged are non-refundable and non-transferable even if unused.
- Parents or Guardians shall be responsible for completing all travel and immigration forms on behalf of the child. This must be done at check-in. Fastjet shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions made in any of the required travel forms completed.
- Parents or Guardians at the departure airport are to wait at the airport until they receive confirmation from a fastjet representative that the flight has departed and must ensure that the scheduled arrival times of the flight are shared with the designated pick-up person at the arrival airport.
- All baggage items must be clearly labelled and easily identified by the Unaccompanied Minor.
- Other than the limitations of liability prescribed in our Standard Terms and Conditions, Fastjet shall not be responsible for the safe keeping of the Unaccompanied Minors’ baggage and personal items, with the exception of travel documentation where we will assist with safekeeping.
- Should an Unaccompanied Minor not be collected within a reasonable time on arrival at a destination, a fastjet official will inform the Parent or Guardian of the alternate arrangements to collect the child from the dedicated law enforcement authorities at the arrival airport.
- These conditions apply and must be read in conjunction with our standard Terms and Conditions of Carriage.