Do airlines charge more for families?

Spoiler alert: Most do not. Of the 10 airlines featured on the tool, only three airlines — Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier Airlines — guarantee adjacent seats for young children traveling with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.



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Ticket fares for babies and children If you buy a separate ticket for a child, some airlines charge the full adult rate, while others have a discount rate for children between the ages of 2 and 11. Also, remember that you will need to arrange a passport for your baby when flying internationally.

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In fact, most regular airlines now charge for seat selection anyways. It's often around $10-$30 per seat per flight segment, so if you cave in and pay for that, it can add up quickly. You shouldn't do it. No matter which airline you're flying on, don't ever pay to select a seat.

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Child Ticket Age and Price Most airlines count any person between the ages of 2—11 as a child. You're required to purchase a seat for children, although in most cases they're considerably cheaper than the price of an adult ticket (between 25—33% cheaper).

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Travel Restrictions and Required Documentation Is your child two years old? Or turning two years old en route? If yes, then a seat is required to be purchased for all flights in which your child is 2 years old.

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Skipping seat selection doesn't mean you won't get a seat on the flight. You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don't pay for one. Even if seat selection is free, you might want to skip it if only lousy seats are available (see the upgrade hack” below).

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Here are some guidelines:
  1. Avoid the middle seat. The best seats are the window or aisle seats toward the front of the plane. ...
  2. Sit over the wing. Sitting over the wing may help you feel less turbulence.
  3. Choose emergency exit rows. ...
  4. Take a seat in the first row.


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Speak with an agent If you don't heed our advice and find yourself at the airport with a less-than-desirable boarding group, Southwest advises that you speak with a gate agent or flight attendant. They will see if any passengers are willing to move to accommodate your family if you aren't able to get seats together.

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Ryanair says if a person doesn't pay for their seat assignment, they are “randomly” assigned, which may result in them not sitting with their party. But the CAA found that when a passenger flies Ryanair, as compared to other airlines, the likelihood of being separated from their party doubled.

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Most U.S. airlines will permit children who have reached their fifth birthday to travel unaccompanied. Kids ages 5 through 11 who are flying alone must usually travel pursuant to special “unaccompanied minor” procedures. On some airlines, these procedures are required for unaccompanied children as old as 14.

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Escorting Minors to Their Gate Each airline has their own policies, but usually will approve a gate pass if you are assisting unaccompanied minors. Airlines will usually allow for a parent or guardian to enter and go through security with them and will assign you a gate pass during the booking process.

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Regular airlines generally accept the following number of minors per adult: One infant (seated on the traveller's lap). One infant and one child under 5. Two children under 5.

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