Lap child dilemma, turning 2 during the trip
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Anonymous
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We want to fly to my parents for Thanksgiving; it is a really short flight (1 hour) but extremely expensive because its Thanksgiving. I have frequently purchased a separate ticket for my <2yo toddler because it is more comfortable that way and he can sit in his carseat on the plane. However, for a 1 hour flight, I can tolerate him in my lap and would like to save $500. My dilemma is he turns 2 that weekend and will be 2 years old and 1 day on the return flight. Will the airline consider his age as <2 for the entire ticket because he is <2 at the beginning of the trip? Will they be unlikely to ask anyway? My husband and I are currently in total disagreement about this. He doesn't want to spend the money on 3 tickets and prefers to drive (9 hours with a toddler! ugh, no thanks).
So what would you do? Risk it and just buy 2 tickets or buy 3 because he will be 2 years old on the return leg? |
Anonymous
| You are stuck. Just buy the ticket. An expensive but necessary birthday present! |
Anonymous
| Book your airfare for just the two of you. Check in at the airport, tell the agent his birthday is the following week, and get a lap infant coupon for him. |
Anonymous
| Most airlines expressly state that if your child turns 2 on the trip, you must buy a seat. Check the airline's policy on lap children. If you don't buy a seat, I guarantee they will ask to see the child's birth certificate, unless your child is very small and doesn't talk. |
Anonymous
| You're stuck. If you "risk it" there's a decent chance that you will not be able to get him a seat home. If you do manage to get a ticket at the airport, it will be much more expensive than it is now. |
Anonymous
| If it's a one hour flight and you have two adults who can drive? Drive. How is a one hour flight a nine hour drive? Out kid in jammies and a pull-up and drive overnight. |
Anonymous
Yes 1 hour fly time (DC to Knoxville)- it is always posted at 90 minutes but actual air time is 60-75 minutes usually. Driving is about 8 hours (500 miles) with only adults who don't need to stop much and can be much worse with holiday traffic. I-81 is pretty bad during holiday rush. Anyway, agree w/ above posters, it is probably too risky to go the lap route. I have flown at least 10 times with him and have never been asked for proof of age; but probably not worth the risk. |
Anonymous
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You have 3 choices
1. Suck it up and buy your child a ticket 2. Drive 3. Don't go I would be absolutely SHOCKED if the airline doesn't ask you for proof of age for your son. |
Anonymous
| Can you buy a one-way ticket for him for the return portion only? |
Anonymous
| The only way I see this as a dilemma would be if you were going somewhere where you were happy to stay longer. So if you're a SAHP, and this is your only child, and you'd be glad to wait it out at your parents until the air traffic died down, then I'd say it would be OK. But otherwise, if you have to get back for work, or older sibling's school, or because your parents start to drive you nuts after 3 days, then I wouldn't risk being asked at the airport for a birth certificate, because the weekend of Thanksgiving you aren't going to be able to buy an extra ticket if that happens. |
Anonymous
| How many of you have actually been asked for a birth certificate at the airport? I flew with my child 14 times before he was 2, and was never asked. He's big too. |
Anonymous
I had a tiny kid and was asked 100% of the time. Do you really think that over Thanksgiving they won't ask? |
Anonymous
My DD is small for her age and I was asked at TG. She was 18 months at the time. More importantly, it's not a time of year when you can mess around and hope for the best. Flights will be overbooked. There won't be other options. |
Anonymous
Yes, considered this. Might look into it. Husband and I both work; didn't have foresight to request Wed or Monday off and now it is a little late to request. So stuck with the worst travel day options! oh well! My own fault for not planning better. Tempted to have my parents come here instead!! 
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Anonymous
How many times did you fly with her as a lap child? |