In some cases, bassinets may be available on longer international flights, but these are not approved restraints. Take perks where you can get them. Most domestic carriers offer priority boarding to families with children. If you decide not to use your child seat and check it instead, there usually is no fee. And some airlines, such as American, don’t allow safety seats in Business or First Class on certain planes. But there can be additional restrictions based on the airline and aircraft, so it’s important to check the dimensions on the airline’s website since most airlines contain detailed specifications for the aircraft in their fleets.Ĭheck seat assignments. If you are able to select your seats in advance, be aware that certain seats and even rows on the plane may not accommodate restraints due to exits or oxygen mask availability. An important point: All child seats must meet FAA requirements. Birth certificates and/or medical waivers may be required.īe sure your car seat measures up. Policies range from not stating a minimum age at all, to 2 days old (American), to 7 days old (Frontier, Spirit, and United), to up to 14 days old (Southwest). Beyond that, domestic carriers vary wildly in the minimum age for infants flying on them. Passengers under 2 years old must be accompanied by an adult. In addition, see Kids Travel Doc for specific tips on flying with infants.Ĭheck your carrier’s minimum age for babies. Get specific guidance from your pediatrician. There could be medical factors restricting your baby from flying, particularly for newborns. If you’re flying with a baby under the age of 2, keep the following in mind.īe aware of health issues. The FAA requires all children 2 and older to have their own airline seats. The safest strategy is to book a seat for your child.
And this summer, cabins may be particularly full because Boeing 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded, and empty seats may be scarce. Passenger loads have been peaking at all-time highs in recent years.
For example, Alaska Airlines states, “Lap infants sharing a seat with a parent may still sit next to their parent in a car seat if there’s an empty seat available.” (Since there's usually no charge to check car seats if you don't use them, parents may want to bring them on board just in case.)īut such gestures may be meaningless in the near future. What’s more, there have been other shifts. During turbulence and emergencies in particular, the G-forces can be far too great for anyone who doesn’t hail from the planet Krypton to properly hold on to what at least one airline calls an “infant-in-arms.”Īlthough there is still no regulation forbidding lap kids, of late there have been some changes to airline policies, which are detailed below. But the bottom line is that if the seat belt sign is on, then babies will be safest if they’re properly restrained. That said, during the course of a flight, naturally there are times when parents and caregivers will want to hold infants. Department of Transportation (which oversees the FAA) should mandate restraints for children under 2, but the proposal ultimately was rejected. In 2010, CR participated in a committee that officially recommended that the U.S. As the then acting Chairman of the NTSB stated in an official blog in 2014, “Preventable deaths and injuries have occurred in children under age 2 who were unrestrained.”
Yes, a ticket will have to be purchased for any flight on which the infant will be over 2 years old.As far as CR has been able to determine, neither the government nor the airlines have released public data on the number of unrestrained infants hurt or killed by turbulence or other emergency events. What if my child turns 2 on the trip will I have to buy a ticket for the return flight?
Will I pay for my infant to travel domestically?Ī child under 2 years old (24 months) can travel for free as long as the infant will be on the lap of another passenger for the flight. You can also choose to purchase a seat for your infant as long as you have the proper child restraint device. If one adult is traveling with more than one infant under 2 years of age, a seat will have to be purchased for each additional infant.Ī birth certificate or shot record must be presented upon check-in for any lap children under the age of two.
You must, however, inform Southwest Airlines that you will be traveling with an infant on your lap.
Do I need to reserve a seat for my infant?Ĭhildren up to 2 years old (24 months), are not required to have their own seat.