"Lap-Child Rules" - Flying

Charise75 said:

Is there another form of ID I can show them??

Click to expand...

How about your son's passport?
I got my son's birth certificate less than 2 weeks after applying for it at the office that does birth certificates.

Immunization record also works. I have also used the signed temporary Birth certificate that the hospital gave me upon release.

My dd was only about 6mo but we had trouble getting a birth certificate, so I brought her vaccine chart that had her dob and pediatrician signatures, and they didn't even blink about it. I figured that even a birth certificate doesn't have a picture id:twocents:

ctbcleveland said:

Thanks everyone! We ponied up the money for our first trip too....but my cousin did not. I will suggest the aisle window strategy to solve their problem.

Click to expand...

To add to that book the aisle and window of the very last row, or as far back as you can. The middle seat in the last row will be one of the last rows available.

I never believe the gate agents and take matters into my own hands (of course I was a flight attendant before so that makes it easier). I board at the very end of boarding and (if I have a ticket, we fly stand by as my dh works for the airlines) have booked seats at the back of the plane, the window and the aisle if it's 3 across. On my way back I let the f/a know I'm trying to use my carseat (I get a gate check tag for it but don't leave the seat at the gate). On my way back I make note of any open seats. When I get to my row I let the middle passenger know that they may be more comfortable in one of the other open seats (and tell them where there are) since I have small children w/me. They usually right away offer to take the aisle and then realize any other seat on the plane would be better than crammed in the last row w/me and my children. I let the f/a in back know that I've suggested this person move to an open seat I saw in row x if it's alright. They always say sure and then usually, viola I have a seat for my lap child. They may still fill it w/a stand by but this strategy has worked for me anytime there is an open seat on the plane.

vonfirmath said:

If they question whether he is under 2, yes, you really need the birth certificate to prove it.

It's going to be hard to explain why you never bothered to get one before 22 months too.

Do you have ANYTHING else with his birthday on it that you can take and hope they give you grace?

Click to expand...

Southwest is the only one that has required it of me but I'd be sure to have something the closer the child is to 2.

Eclipsepearl said:

Hi everyone,

I'm an ex-Flight Attendant. Just to clear up some points that came up in this thread...

First of all, that is correct. If you have purchased a seat for your child and if the seat is FAA approved, it can't be refused. Here is the documentation. You may want to print it up and bring it with you next time you fly. I think the information is on page 16 (if I remember correctly).

http://web.nbaa.org/public/ops/ac/AC120-87A.pdf

Both the FAA and the AAP recommend using a car seat on board.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/travelsafetytips.cfm
http://www.aap.org/patiented/flyingbaby.htm

Please note that it is a myth that a child has to suck on take-off and landing. I had purely breastfed babies who had their own seats and refused pacifiers and nothing bad ever happened to their ears. Also, parents panic and wake sleeping children on take-off...not necessary! Just have a doctor look in his or her ears before flying. If there's an infection, it can be treated. No amount of sucking will help the pain of flying with an ear infection. By contrast, healthy ears can handle pressurization changes.

Keep them in the seats for both take-off and landing.

hth!
Sharon
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

P.S. I've been on this forum before. It just keeps unregistering me, for some reason. Same screenname and password...

Click to expand...

Another previous flight attendant here. Sucking can help on decent as the pressure is increasing in the cabin. It will do nothing on ascent as the pressure is reducing. In general though the ears handle it just fine and if they are hurting they will cry and crying is the best thing to help pop the ears. It does the same thing as us opening our mouths to get the ears to pop sooner.

My 5 year old and dh flew in July within 24 hours of both being diagnosed with middle and outer ear infections. They were both fine, although the dr. did give my dd tylonel w/codeine as a precaution for the pain.

jerenaud said:

Very true... but they don't make it easy to buy a seat for a younger child. I recently booked our flights for a summer trip, on Air Canada. I booked online because the 1 888 number repeatedly warns that there is a $25 charge per booking if you use the agents rather than book online. However, when I tried to enter my younger daughter's true birthday, the system kept rejecting it, as she'll be under 2 when we fly. I ended up entering an incorrect birthdate just to please the system - hopefully it doesn't backfire when we go to check in. I couldn't believe how difficult it is to *buy* a seat - I wasn't asking for a free seat!

Click to expand...

When I was booking with Air Canada I came across the same issue, so I called the toll free number to ask what to do - the lady booked my tickets for me free of charge, but also suggested that if I ever try to book again to just put in an incorrect birth date to force the system to allow me to book a seat. :twocents: