Children's Airfare Rules

Child airfare used to be cheaper. The standard domestic fare for a child over the age of 2 used to cost 80 percent of the price of an adult's plane ticket, but today children between the ages of 2 and 12 mostly fly at the adult rate. The good news is that lap-sitting (with some restrictions) is still allowed for infants, and there are some other ways to save on child airfare.

Lap Seating

If you are able to restrain your child (under age 2) on your lap throughout a flight, and you are traveling within the United States or to Canada, Mexico or most of the Caribbean, you will be able to score a free flight for her. If you are traveling abroad with your child, typically a lap-seat fare is about 10 percent of the adult fare. These lap deals are great for anyone with a child who is not prone to squirming and wandering the aisles. If your child manages to escape your lap, you will likely be disqualified from the free lap-sit option and may even have to disembark the plane before it takes off. Also, if you have more than one child under age 2, some airlines post a limit on how many lap-sitting children are allowed per flying adult.

Older Children and Flying

For domestic travel and travel to Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico, airfare for children 2 and older almost always costs the same as adult airfare. Sometimes a discount will arise within a package deal. For example, Disneyland packages occasionally offer free child airfare with purchase of adult fare and a set amount of park tickets. In most travel circumstances, however, you should not count on finding such deals.

International Flights

If you plan to travel to Canada, Africa, Japan or China you will likely see child fares similar to the ones that you used to be able to find everywhere. Child fare discounts can fall between 50 and 80 percent of the price of an adult ticket.

Tips for Flying With Children

--Although the FAA condones lap-sitting for infants under age 2, it also notes that in times of air turbulence, an approved child restraint system (CRS) would be more appropriate. In order to use a CRS, you must pay for an extra seat for your child.

--Depending on the day you fly, you may be able to score a free seat for your lap-sitting child because your flight may not be full. Heavy vacation and business travel days will not afford you this luxury.

Warnings

--Some airlines require documentation of your child's age if you are planning to bring her on your lap. A birth certificate should suffice on a domestic trip, but overseas travel warrants a passport for everybody in the family.

--If your child will turn 2 while you are on your trip, check with your airline to determine whether you are required to pay for her return trip.

References

• Federal Aviation Administration: Child Safety on Planes
• The Bub Hub: Plane Travel with Children
• Fox News: How to Avoid Paying Full Fare When Your Child Flies

Resources

• TravelWithKids: Discount Airfares