Unaccompanied Children Transportation

Babies

Babies (INF) are passengers older than 7 days old and less than 2 years old when the trip starts.

If you are traveling with a baby, you can choose to:

• Buy a seat.  
  You can purchase a ticket with a child fare for your baby to travel in an approved and homologated seat for air transport, which will be accommodated in the aircraft seat. Ask us for more information when booking or check the information available on “Children's Car Seats and Restraint Systems” here.  
   
• Travel with the baby on your lap.  
  When traveling with your baby on your lap, you will only be able to be seated where there is a supplementary oxygen mask. You won’t be able to sit in rows next to the emergency exits. Your baby must remain in your lap for the entire journey.

Children

Children (CHD) are passengers who are aged between 2 and 11 years old, inclusively, when the trip starts.

All children must purchase a paid seat and travel accompanied by an adult passenger aged 18 or over, fully capable of taking care of the minor during the entire flight (including check-in, boarding, customs formalities, aircraft changes, or transits).

If the child is traveling alone, check the information regarding Unaccompanied Minor Service in the next section.

Car seats and child restraint systems

Car seats, similarly to what is regulated for cars, may be used in air transport, provided that they are certified and were designed to fit on aircraft seats.

A car seat may be accepted, as long as it meets the following parameters:

• Has to be approved for on-board use by an official state department, such as the European Regulation, and contains the label" ECE R44/03 or ECE R44/04;
• For flights from the USA, the CRS (Child Restraint Systems) must be approved by the government and it has "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft" printed on it, "United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213”; for CSD (Child Safety Device) make sure it has the label "FAA Approved under 14 CFR 21.8(d), Approved for Aircraft Use Only”
• For flights from Canada, the CRS (Child Restraint Systems) and CSD (Child Safety Device) must have labels containing the information of CAN-TSO legibly marked with at least the manufacturer’s name, subassembly part number, and the CAN-TSO number (i.g. can-tso-c100b ou can-tso-c100c),” Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 213 or 213.1”
• Must have vertically shoulder belts for the infant and allow fixation with the aircraft belt;
• This service may be confirmed only if previously booked by the passenger and accepted by SATA Azores Airlines.
• Babies traveling in car-type infant seats pay a child fare, being aware that one seat is occupied;
• Car-type infant seats may never be positioned at emergency exit rows, nor on the row immediately in front of or immediately behind the emergency row

For more information please contact us through the email info@sata.pt, the phone number (+351) 296 209 720 or visit a SATA Azores Airlines sales office.

More comfort in the cabin

Thinking of the comfort of our smallest passengers on board, in Azores Airlines’ flights we authorize carrying as cabin baggage and using inflight sleep products such as travel snugs, inflight beds, bed boxes and seat extensions that allow children to extend their legs when sitting and even lying down completely during the flight.

How to book

We provide a pleasant and fun experience with all the necessary and special attention to all children traveling alone.

You can book for unaccompanied minors through our Contact Center (+351) 296 209 720 or the email address info@sata.pt. You can also visit a SATA Azores Airlines sales office. Please note that it is not possible to book and check-in for unaccompanied minors online.

When booking, you will be asked:

• The date of birth and the child's first and last name;
• Name, relatives, and phone number of the responsible person who will accompany the child to the check-in at the airport where the trip starts;
• Name, relatives, and phone number of the responsible person who will accompany the child at the transfer airport or intermediate stopover;
• Name, relationship, and phone number of the responsible person who will be responsible for the child at the final destination airport.

Unaccompanied minor with additional assistant service

Unaccompanied children over 3 months and under 5 years old (or over 5 years old, when requested by their parents or legal guardian) can only be accepted by providing an additional assistant who will provide personalized monitoring throughout the entire flight.

A booking is required, at most 72 hours before flight departure, and requires confirmation of the company's additional assistance service. If the additional assistant request is canceled, after payment and during the 72 hours before flight departure, there will be no entitlement to any refund for the surcharge.

The price of the ticket for additional assistance is the responsibility of the parents or legal guardian (only for the flight where the service is requested) and an adult fare will also be charged to unaccompanied babies or children.

When booking, the identification and phone number of the person responsible for picking up the child at the final destination airport will be requested. If the flight has an intermediate stopover, the inexistence of a person previously designated as an escort at that airport will imply a boarding refusal.

Unaccompanied Minor Service

Children from 5 to 11 years old are accompanied from check-in until they are delivered at the destination stop to the responsible person designated by the parent or guardian when booking or mentioned in the Notice of Assistance for Unaccompanied Minors. This monitoring service is permanent and mandatory for children traveling alone or when the companion is under 18 years old or not emancipated and must be requested up to 48 hours before flight departure.

Please fill in, print, and sign the Assistance Notice for Unaccompanied Minors before going to the airport, where it must be delivered at check-in. The information contained in the form and the designation of the person authorized/responsible for the minor at the final destination must be given only by the parents or legal guardian.  
 

The number of printed copies depends on the number of flights of the unaccompanied minor:

• unconnected flight: 2 copies;
• flight with 1 connection: 3 copies.

Children from 5 to 11 years old traveling alone will be subject to a fee per flight. If you travel on a code-share basis, the fee may change according to the values charged by the company.  
 

Applicable fees:

• Free of charge on inter-island flights;
• EUR 40 for Azores Airlines domestic flights;
• EUR 60 for flights between Portugal and Europe and Cape Verde;
• EUR 100 for flights from Portugal to Canada or the United States;
• EUR 100 for flights between Cape Verde and the United States or Canada;
• USD/CAD 150 for flights between the United States or Canada and Cape Verde;
• CAD 150 for flights from Canada to Portugal;
• USD 150 for flights from the United States to Portugal.

‌ Siblings, on the part of at least one of the parents, who travel together, and proven affiliation by checking the citizen's card or birth certificate/personal card of the name of the common parent(s), will be charged only one fee.

Young minors, aged between 12 and 17 years old, traveling unaccompanied by an adult, may take advantage of the Unaccompanied Minor Service when requested by their parents or legal guardian (service fee also applicable, as described above).

If you do not use this service, you must assess whether the unaccompanied minor is able to comply with all formalities associated with their trip, namely, check-in, security, passport control, boarding, and disembarking, baggage delivery, and proceed with all safety instructions on board in emergencies. When booking, you must inform that you won’t need the Unaccompanied Minor Service.

If you choose that the minor will travel on his/her own, that is, without any assistance from the company, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• When receiving the minor's travel ticket, check that all dates, flight times, itineraries, as well as the name, are correct. Check the airport of origin and destination, as some cities have more than one airport;
• A copy of the ticket must be printed so that the minor can carry it during the entire trip, as well as all the necessary documentation;
• The minor must have the phone contacts of the parents or legal guardian for certain situations, if necessary;
• You must inform the minor that he/she can go to a SATA Azores Airlines employee or police agent in case of any doubt and that he/she should never leave airports with a stranger;
• Also express that if they feel uncomfortable on board because of a situation or someone sitting nearby, they should call a crew member and explain their concerns.

At the airport

Your trip starts at check-in! Attend the airport at the check-in desk opening time, so that all necessary documentation is handled on time, ensuring the availability of the requested service:

• You will be asked to deliver the original documentation (photocopies are not accepted);
• The “Notice of Assistance for Unaccompanied Minor” form must be submitted duly completed and signed by a parent or legal guardian;
• Parents or legal guardians must remain at the airport until flight departure;
• The designated person who will be in charge of picking up the child at the destination airport must be 18 years of age or older and must present a valid/official identification;
• If the designated person is not present at the destination airport and if contact with them is not possible, the minor will be sent to the airport of origin on the first available flight of Grupo SATA airlines. All necessary re-accommodations will be carried out to ensure the protection and well-being of the minor, with all expenses involved being charged to the parents or responsible person.

In addition to other specific documentation that may be required by SATA Azores Airlines (such as the Declaration of Unaccompanied Minors or documents to obtain a subsidized fare), national and foreign minors residing in Portugal need the following documentation to travel:

• For domestic circulation (between Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions) of accompanied or unaccompanied minors of Portuguese nationality:
  • Valid identification document (citizen card or passport).  
     
  • On flights with domestic routes with numbering beginning with 2 and 3 (namely those with transit numbering Mainland Portugal → Azores → North America), minors of Portuguese nationality and minor of foreign nationality residing in Portugal traveling alone or without one of their legal parents must be accompanied, in addition to a valid identification document, by a legally certified travel authorization issued by the person exercising parental responsibility, in compliance with the requirement of the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), as these flights, being transit flights, are deemed international. Failure to present this document implies boarding refusal of the minor on these flights by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF). If a minor is traveling with one parent, no authorization is required. You can find more information here.  
     
• For minors of Portuguese nationality or minors of foreign nationality residing in Portugal accompanied by the person who exercises parental authority (usually the parental authority is exercised by both parents) leaving national territory:
  • Valid identification document (passport or another identification document that is valid for transport between the countries on the itinerary).  
     
• For minors of Portuguese nationality or minors of foreign nationality residing in Portugal accompanied by an adult who does not exercise parental authority or unaccompanied:
  • Identification document (passport or another identification document that is valid for transport between the countries on the itinerary) and dated written authorization with the signature of the person who exercises the legally certified parental responsibility (in notarial records, lawyers, solicitors or embassies and Portuguese consulates abroad), also granting monitoring powers by duly identified third parties, when applicable.  
     
  • Foreign minors who travel unaccompanied by the person who exercises parental responsibility and do not have legally certified authorization from that person, will not be allowed to leave Portuguese territory.  
     
• For entry of foreign minors into the national territory:
  • The competent authorities may refuse entry into the country to foreign citizens under 18 years of age, unaccompanied, or accompanied by an adult who does not exercise parental authority, or when in Portuguese territory there is no national citizen or foreign citizen regularly staying in Portugal, duly authorized by their legal representative, who is responsible for their stay.
  •  
  • In addition to the identification document (passport or another identification document that is valid for transport between the countries on the itinerary), a written, dated, and signed authorization by the person exercising parental responsibility or by both parents is required, legally certified, according to the requirements of the country of nationality and residence of the minor.

Minors will not be able to use the Unaccompanied Minor Service if:

• They have visual or hearing impairment;
• They require assistance to take medication;
• They have any type of allergy, requiring them to travel with an epinephrine auto-injector (Epi-pen) that they are unable to properly administer on their own;
• Have motor or cognitive disability.

Please make sure that the minor, in case he/she needs to take any type of medication during the flight, can administer the necessary medication on his/her own. Our crew is authorized to provide first aid only and is not authorized to administer injectables and/or provide special assistance to sick passengers to the detriment of others.

Minors must be able to feed themselves, as well as respond to basic hygiene needs and flight safety instructions.