How can I get my 2 yr. old on a plane w/ me without having to pay adult price. maybe free?

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southrntrnzplnt

I work for an airline. You may be required to provide proof of age if the child looks close to two and is obviously that old. You can contact the airline's reservation line and request a child's fare. The FAA recommends you have your child seated in a FAA approved child safety seat. So, take the booster seat onboard with you. If you try to sneak your kid by as a lap child or "Infant in Arms" and you are questioned and can not provide the documentation you will be required to pay the fare that is available at check in. Unfortunately this is for your childs safety. Plus as well as in a car, a child should be restrained. You never know when you will hit turbulance or if the captain has to make a sudden stop while on the taxiway, you arent expecting it and you may not be prepared to grab hold of them. While air travel is safer by far, adults are encouraged to keep their seatbelts on at all times. Its like driving in a car and keeping your seatbelt on but not your childs.

You are ALWAYS welcomed to request pre-boarding. Always approach the gate agent before boarding time and ask if you could pre-board with your child. If you have a stroller, make sure you have it tagged well before boarding time and have it folded up at the end of the jetway before you board the plane. Pre-boarding will help prevent any back ups especially if we are in a quick turn situation. Always arrive at the gate in plenty of time. We start boarding 30 min before departure and would like to know who needs preboarding no less than 15 min before boarding so that we can organize with the crew. If you need assistance with your child if flying alone, any agent will be glad to help you with that. Be advised many child saftey seats do not fit in the bulkhead seats as well and your child should always be in the window or middle seat, never an aisle. If you are traveling as a family, you may not sit in or behind the exit row.

Sorry if this is bad news. Some people do get away with it, but just be prepared to pay if you try to sneak by and get caught. You could be caught at the gate if a ticket agent doesn't catch it. You are required to have the phrase "Infant in Arms" on your ticket, and flight attendants will have a manifest of all lap children. They can remove you from the flight if you are caught sneaking the child in your lap and they are obviously over 2. These are worse case scenario's and I have had nasty situations at the ticket counter because a family could not show proof their child was under two and I have had crew members request a family be removed because they insisted their child was over two but too big to be a lap child. I had no choice but to charge them or deny boarding. If you check in with a lap child it is mandatory for some airlines to have the name of the child as well as the birthday in the record for passenger manifest purposes. This allows the flight attendants to know who is on the aircraft as well as for emergency purposes allows us to know exactly how many people are on the plane as well as if weight and balance becomes an issue on smaller aircraft.

Websites will not provide discounted rates for children, allow plenty of time to call the 1-800 reservations line or go to the airport during an off peak hour to purchase the childs ticket.

Elizabeth

Many airlines allow you to bring a "lap child" - age limit may be "under two" or "two and under" and you can hope for an empty seat to put your child in. If the flight is full, though, you will be forced to hold your toddler on your lap for the entire flight.

Beware: while several airlines don't require proof of age to show your baby is under two, some do, and if you show up at the airport with no ticket and no proof that your child is under the age limit, you will be forced not only to buy a ticket for the toddler, but pay full last-minute fare as well. Ouch.

tigrisow

maybe if you put your kid on your lap the whole way?...you shouldn't have to pay the full adult price, anyway...you should only have to pay half...but talk to the different airlines and see if they're willing to at least lower the price if you carry the child in your lap...

dcgirl

It's not very safe for a child of any age to travel in arms. You would never, ever dream of putting your child in your lap in the car; you would insist on strapping the child in a safety seat. An airplane goes a lot faster and a lot further than a car. It does not make sense for you to worry more about the child's safety in a car than in an airplane, travelling up to 10 times as fast! Please contact the airline, let them know you will have a child in a car-seat and they will give you a discounted rate but you will still be purchasing a seat for the child. Then secure the safety seat to the airplane seat (flight attendants will help you with this) and strap the child in.

peanutz

Most airlines charges child rate below 12 years, again vary from company to company, so you might want to inquire first before making your purchase. Baby in arms usually is free, unless you want a seat to put the cot.

lindaringstaff

Many airline will let children under two fly free if they are on someone's lap, but you have to decide if you really want to have your kid on your lap the whole flight...

Polly Prissy Pants

I think SouthWest Airlines flies kids that are 2 and under for free. You have to provide proof though (birth certificate)

Caz

Put him in a suitcase and check him in with the rest of your bags!

MattCan

For flights wholly within the US you can usually take a child under 2 yrs old for free, but the child sits on your lap. This is not recommended as it is 1) uncomfortable as all get out (you will have 34 inches of personal space if you are lucky). 2) It is a drag for the passengers around you becuase in moving your child, or the child adjusting itself you will joustle the people next to you, bump the peole in front of you and shake the trays of the people in back of you, but most important 3) it isn't safe! For the same reason toddler/infant must ride in a car seat in a car.

I would never do this for a flight over 2 hours long, and the price for a flight under two hours is likely low enough to be worth the piece of mind. Buy the kid a seat.

Incidentallyeven if you want your child to sit on your lap, you will have to pay certain taxes when traveling internationally. These taxes can be pretty hefty, up to $300 for some destinations.

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