Infant seat for free?
Jul 20, 2005, 10:40 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2004
Programs: SSSS Preferred, UA 1K
Posts: 309
Infant seat for free?
Hi.
I typically fly UA, and am not familiar with AW's policies re: infants. We'll be flying SMF-LAS on AW; a non-stop flight with a 3 month old trumps a couple thousand miles on UA.
On United you can purchase a seat for an infant for 50% off full fare, but it doesn't seem AW offers a reduced fare for infants. The web site did say that infant carriers (child seats) could not be brought on as carry-on luggage (presumably if you have a lap child) and needed to be checked, however it suggested that they could be _used_ (and not checked) if there was a seat available. Does that imply that if there are seats avail the infant can fly in their own seat for free?
Is there a strategy for getting the infant carrier to the gate in case there is a free seat (I dunno AW's loads between SMF-LAS-SMF, but for the mid-week-mid-day flights we'd be taking I'm sure it isn't full)? We'd be taking the carrier anyways for the rental car and like to make sure it is packaged up well enough to survive checking if it couldn't be brought aboard.
Thanks.
I typically fly UA, and am not familiar with AW's policies re: infants. We'll be flying SMF-LAS on AW; a non-stop flight with a 3 month old trumps a couple thousand miles on UA.
On United you can purchase a seat for an infant for 50% off full fare, but it doesn't seem AW offers a reduced fare for infants. The web site did say that infant carriers (child seats) could not be brought on as carry-on luggage (presumably if you have a lap child) and needed to be checked, however it suggested that they could be _used_ (and not checked) if there was a seat available. Does that imply that if there are seats avail the infant can fly in their own seat for free?
Is there a strategy for getting the infant carrier to the gate in case there is a free seat (I dunno AW's loads between SMF-LAS-SMF, but for the mid-week-mid-day flights we'd be taking I'm sure it isn't full)? We'd be taking the carrier anyways for the rental car and like to make sure it is packaged up well enough to survive checking if it couldn't be brought aboard.
Thanks.
Jul 20, 2005, 10:49 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Friendly FA in AZ
Programs: Empty Seat Program
Posts: 96
Hi anotherbrian!
I'm not sure about reduced pricing for infants.
But as far as bringing the infant seat on, it is standard accepted practice system-wide that if you are travelling w/a lap child, you bring the seat w/you to the gate in hopes there will be an extra empty seat in your row.
If it turns out they can not get you an extra seat, the infant seat will be tagged with a pink gate valet tag and you leave it at the bottom of the jetway. You pick it up again when you get off the aircraft.
Infant/child boosters, strollers, car seats are not allowed to be stowed onboard.
If you decide not to purchase the seat for your child, try to get your preassigned seats set up as a window/aisle combo. ie: you in an 'A' seat, spouse in a 'C' seat (or D & F). Since middle seats are the last to go, in the event the flight does not fill up, you will be left with an empty seat in your row.
I'm not sure about reduced pricing for infants.
But as far as bringing the infant seat on, it is standard accepted practice system-wide that if you are travelling w/a lap child, you bring the seat w/you to the gate in hopes there will be an extra empty seat in your row.
If it turns out they can not get you an extra seat, the infant seat will be tagged with a pink gate valet tag and you leave it at the bottom of the jetway. You pick it up again when you get off the aircraft.
Infant/child boosters, strollers, car seats are not allowed to be stowed onboard.
If you decide not to purchase the seat for your child, try to get your preassigned seats set up as a window/aisle combo. ie: you in an 'A' seat, spouse in a 'C' seat (or D & F). Since middle seats are the last to go, in the event the flight does not fill up, you will be left with an empty seat in your row.