Do Infants Need Airline Tickets?

Tickets for Infants: Do You Need Them?

When planning for traveling that includes air travel with an infant, some of the initial things that come to the mind of travelers are: Does the infant require his/her own airline ticket? This is especially crucial from the perspective of logistics and cost implications. Here is what deserves parents™ attention when it comes to buying tickets for their infants.

What Do We Need to Remember About Airline Rules?

While some airlines have clear policies regarding tickets for infants and children, others may differ in how they handle such situations. Most of the airlines have a policy of regarding any person aged two and above as another individual with a separate seat and ticket. However, for younger infants, there is no strict limit as to when they should be fed or how much they should consume.

The majority of the airlines in the world come with the policy that infants that are below the age of two years can travel for free, provided that they will be accompanied by an adult. The only downside is that the child has to be on the lap of the adult for the whole period of the flight. It is notable that an adult is usually able to have not more than one lap infant. It should be noted that the airline does not offer an additional seat designated for the baby. Unfortunately, families cannot take this option if the infant should require his or her own seat.

For the lap infant, there often aren't tickets to buy, but there may be things that the family needs to let the airline know beforehand. This is important so that the airline will be able to accommodate the additional passenger's baggage allowance and other rules regarding weight capacity. Some airlines may charge a nominal service fee for lap infants to board the plane as well.

These free-ticket policies are often restricted to domestic flights in the home country of the airline in question. That is why various rules adopted in different flights may include buying tickets for infants even on international flights.

Buying a Separate Seat

However, majority of airlines do not insist on the purchase of the ticket; many parents prefer to purchase a separate ticket for the infant even if the option to be seated on the lap is available. Why might parents decide to do this? There are a number of reasons that can make parents choose this option.

First, this provides a suitable means of having the infant being placed in his or her own car seat or any other safety restraint in the airplane. This is safer than having baby travel on an adult's lap, if not in a car seat or any other safety belt. It is also beneficial for parents who are constantly anxious about their children.

A purchased seat also ensures that families get to sit together rather than be separated in case there are passengers who did not show up for flights. Although there are regulations that allow passengers with lap infants to sit on the lap of another passenger, some airlines may remove you from the flight if you have paid for a ticket that entitles another person to the seat. The fact that it says ‘ticket’ means that when the infant is bought a ticket, he or she is like any other passenger.

Furthermore, some families also provide other reasons, such as, Â It is cheaper to pay extra for a separate seat than to hold a baby for hours. It provides flexibility, and it allows the use of a stroller or some equipment to engage the baby.

The following are the demerits of buying a seat:

Yes, for an infant, there are certain benefits that come with buying an airline ticket, but there are also some drawbacks.

One is just the additional cost and expense incurred in purchasing something which may not be used as anticipated. Many infants fall asleep for a good part of most flights and therefore having to pay for a seat where the child will not be using is not always financially sensible.

There are also many other regulations concerning car seats and strollers that make the travel with these items even more complicated then having to buy another ticket for the baby. The rules concerning checking or gate-checking strollers, or carrying car seats on the plane or any other conveyance, as well as installation of the car seat, there are certain regulations that parents have to know.

They also have no assurance that baby will be comfortable in his or her own seat for long durations too. Parents may still require to take them in their arms and to comfort them for most of the flight, which would then negate the need for purchasing the additional ticket.

Checking Policies Before Booking

Since different airlines make different decisions regarding the costs of separate plane tickets for infants, it is in the parents™ best interest to look into these individual policies. Basically, many airlines make use of the free lap infant policy, but specific aspects that include the number of accompanying adults, international flights, fees and many others can be different in each airline.

Today some airlines offer choices that cost™ slightly extra, in which the passenger can buy an adjacent seat to the adult traveler. This enables parents and the infants to get space without having to purchase a ticket squarely in the baby's name. However, such types of additional services that can be availed during travel vary from one airline to another.

For those who are planning to travel domestically rather than internationally or fly on specialty routes, it is best to compare all the policies regarding the infant tickets before purchasing. It is advisable for parents to conduct some background research before selecting an airline and a specific flight that will guarantee the best experience as they set out with the baby.

Although children under a specific age can legally travel without tickets and sit on an adult's lap, the parents have to decide whether it makes sense for several reasons, such as safety, the child's and their own comfort, flight plans, and other circumstances. Learning about the policies concerning infant tickets enables the families to make the decision based on their knowledge of what is available from the airline.