How do I book a flight with a lap child?

You can either add the lap child at the time of booking or you can call at a later date and add the child. Note that even after your child has been born, most airlines have minimum age requirements to fly, usually starting at 7 days old. Check with your airline to confirm how young your baby can be when they fly.



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You can do this by selecting “Infant on lap” as a traveler during booking or at check-in. There can only be one infant on lap per adult on your reservation. You may also need to show a birth certificate to prove your child is under two.

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When you travel with a child under 2 years old, you may choose to travel with the child on your lap (infant-in-arms) or travel with your child in an FAA-approved child safety seat. To use a FAA-approved safety seat, you must purchase a ticket for your child so they have a reserved seat.

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You can either add the lap child at the time of booking or you can call at a later date and add the child. Note that even after your child has been born, most airlines have minimum age requirements to fly, usually starting at 7 days old. Check with your airline to confirm how young your baby can be when they fly.

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A parent who purchases airline tickets for a family should receive a guarantee from the airline that it will seat the parent and child together without fees or a last-minute scramble at the gate or having to ask other passengers to give up their seat to allow the parent and child to sit together.

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You can either add the lap child at the time of booking or you can call at a later date and add the child. Note that even after your child has been born, most airlines have minimum age requirements to fly, usually starting at 7 days old. Check with your airline to confirm how young your baby can be when they fly.

MORE DETAILS

Lap infant fares on international flights Most international flights allow children under 2 to fly as lap children, but with one big difference — it's usually not 100% free. Typically, if you're flying on a revenue ticket, you must pay the taxes and fees for your lap infant plus, in some cases, 10% of the fare.

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Infants or children under 2 years of age can travel on the lap of an adult for free (within the United States) or at a reduced fare (for international travel).

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Our step-by-step guide explains how to easily add an infant-in-arms to your ticket yourself.
  1. Go to My Trips.
  2. Go to the Special Service Requests section and select “Open” under the Infant in Arms icon.
  3. Click the + button next to “Request Infant in Arms” for the flight(s) the infant or child will be on.


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Will I pay for my infant to travel domestically? A 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.

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If a child turns 2 years during the trip, they need to have a child ticket instead of infant ticket, due to the seating on the return flight.

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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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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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Children 12 and under may accompany an enrolled parent or guardian in the TSA PreCheck lanes without restriction. Children 13-17 may join enrolled adults when traveling on the same reservation and if the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the child's boarding pass.

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Water for babies is allowed in reasonable quantities in carry-on bags. Remove this item from your carry-on bag to be screened separately from the rest of your belongings. Please see traveling with children for more information.

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Airlines allow baby food, formula, and breast milk in a carry-on bag, but the TSA has a 3-1-1 rule for liquids, including all baby food items. Each passenger is allowed 3.4 ounces or less of liquid, gel, or aerosol products per container, and all containers must fit in one clear, quart-size bag per person.

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