Do you get free flights if you give birth?

Sadly, it seems to be something of a myth. Very few airlines are known to have granted a newborn free flights for life.



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Do babies fly free? Babies and toddlers under 2 years old aren't legally required to occupy an airplane seat and can instead travel as a lap infant on their parent's ticket. Lap infants are generally free of charge, although you may pay a percentage of the full fare if you're traveling internationally.

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“In most other cases, the child would assume the citizenship of their parents. It's also possible that the child would be given the citizenship of the nation in which the aircraft was registered, regardless of where it departed or landed. This rule only applies to prevent the child from being stateless.”

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Lap infants are generally free of charge, although you may pay a percentage of the full fare if you're traveling internationally. Even though you don't officially need to purchase a ticket for your under-2-year-old, leading experts agree that it's much safer to buy an airplane seat for your baby.

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Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.

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The airlines may require an age proof to ensure infant qualifies for infant fare. If you don't provide a proof, you may need to pay full fare to travel. A birth certificate is universallly accepted (from experience).

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Secure Flight requires airlines to ask for the following information when a passenger makes a reservation: full name, date of birth, and gender. Providing the additional information will help prevent misidentification.

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When you travel with a child under 2 years of age, you may choose to travel with the child on your lap (infant-in-arms) for free on all flights within the United States. Our step-by-step guide explains how to easily add an infant-in-arms to your ticket yourself.

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While experts recommend waiting until after the 2-month mark to fly with a newborn, you may find that after that your baby is a great traveler. For many families, the sweet spot is between months 3 and 8.

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An infant is considered fit to fly if:
  • You can produce a passenger medical form, also known as a medical release for travel, signed by a physician stating that the baby is healthy enough to fly.
  • You have a copy of the baby's birth certificate as proof of age.


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Diaper bags, soft-sided cooler bags with breast milk, child safety seats, strollers and medical or mobility devices don't count toward your personal item or carry-on.

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You may transport this item in carry-on or checked bags. For items you wish to carry on, you should check with the airline to ensure that the item will fit in the overhead bin or underneath the seat of the airplane.

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Children's strollers and child safety seats are not counted as part of the standard baggage and therefore can be easily checked for free. For your convenience, these items may be checked at the curbside, the ticket counter or at the gate. Child safety seats may be brought on board the plane in certain circumstances.

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