Lap child who turns 2 mid-trip

[Anonymous]

My son will be under 24 months when we fly out of DC, but he turns 2 while we are gone on vacation. Will I have a problem getting on the return flight with him as a lap child?

[Anonymous]

This was our situation once, and we bought a ticket. The way we looked at it, a 2-year-old is a 2-year-old, even if they're not checking the birth certificate each time we board.

[Anonymous]

I'd buy a ticket. Think of it this way: all of you will be more comfortable anyway with him in his own seat.

[Anonymous]

I think they usually they ask you his birthdate when you book the ticket, so they should know whether you need a ticket or not.

[Anonymous]

If it is a domestic flight I would not worry about purchasing a ticket as you do not need ID for the baby. If it is international you will more than likely need to purchase the extra seat because proof of his birthdate will be found on the passport

[Anonymous]

Some airlines (Southwest comes to mind) require you bring proof of age for a lap child (i.e., copy of the birth certificate). Check your airlines website.

FWIW -- The older my kids got, the harder it was to travel with them on my lap. Infants are pretty easy as they will nurse and then fall asleep. Toddlers are an entirely different beast. I definitely recommend buying a seat for your child.

[Anonymous]

Call the airline. It's far cheaper to buy a round-trip ticket now than to have to buy a one-way fare at the airport.

[Anonymous]

We have never been asked to provide proof of age - not on a domestic flight. Obviously, it would be more comfortable if you had youe own seat and one for the child. I think if you decide to go "lap" they are not going to demand proof of age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some airlines (Southwest comes to mind) require you bring proof of age for a lap child (i.e., copy of the birth certificate). Check your airlines website.

FWIW -- The older my kids got, the harder it was to travel with them on my lap. Infants are pretty easy as they will nurse and then fall asleep. Toddlers are an entirely different beast. I definitely recommend buying a seat for your child.

Yes, Southwest has always asked for our child's birth certificate every time we've flown and we've done a lot of air traveling. Not sure if the other airlines are as stringent.

The last time we traveled our child was 20 months old - still on our lap. Fortunately, it was just a "quick" flight to Chicago so we managed for 1.5hr. on our laps. I guess it really depends on the child's temperment and the duration of the flight, but we really haven't had too much of a problem entertaining or keeping our child "contained" (even with a full flight).

[Anonymous]

A very rude Delta agent demanded proof of age for my 18-month old lap child.

[Anonymous]

It's my understanding that nearly all the airlines are starting to ask for birth certificates as they look for more and more ways to bring in additional revenue. If they have a lot of empty seats, some will sell a child's seat at a discounted rate but you have to work directly with the airline (or a well-connected travel agent) vs. online booking sites.