We are sending our son to the east coast for part of winter break. My wife shopped for tickets using the flight aggregators we normally use, but they don't seem to allow searches for unaccompanied minors. Some prevent the search using the UI:
KAYAK allows you to select a child alone, but then stops the search with this notice:
About unaccompanied minors
KAYAK does not currently support searches for unaccompanied minors. We recommend that you check the minimum age requirements as well as what other fees apply for the airline you plan to book with, before you book.
Some airlines offer a mandatory unaccompanied minor service for a charge. Visit our airline fees page www.kayak.com/airline-fees.
Most airlines charge a full fare as well as require a charge for unaccompanied minors. Therefore, you may perform your search for an adult.
Fortunately, we fly out of small airport with limited options, so my wife went to each airline's website, got a quote and kept track on a spreadsheet. If the airline charged an extra fee for unaccompanied minors, she just tracked that too.
But why don't fare aggregators allow passengers to compare prices for children flying alone? Is it some sort of liability issue? Or is it difficult to get an accurate quote including additional fees?