Travel with Children - Elite status for little ones

Just wondering how many parents out there actually try and track miles for their kids. I was fortunate enough with some deals to make my 6 year old son Delta Diamond Medallion and has been upgraded every time now.

Kids are for burning not earning.

Kids are for burning not earning.

That should really depend on routes, value, award availability etc, right?

We signed our son up on KE as soon as he turned two. KE doesn't give status to anyone under 12 (IIRC), but he's been a good little mileage earner. Which is the important thing since KE lets you pool miles within a family.

Just wondering how many parents out there actually try and track miles for their kids. I was fortunate enough with some deals to make my 6 year old son Delta Diamond Medallion and has been upgraded every time now.

Impressive. Our kiddos are under 2, so we haven't paid for their airfare yet, but they do play USAir GS.

I try to earn miles here and there for the kid (and nephews, nieces, etc. with their parents' permission). US GS comes to mind as does the random stuff like CO e-miles.

That should really depend on routes, value, award availability etc, right?

I can't remember the last time we bought them tickets.

When we fly a sa family we always buy my husband's ticket, unless he is absolutely for sure going to make AA EXP that year on business travel alone.

Sometimes we buy my ticket- I've managed to maintain Gold for the last couple of years.

If there isn't award availability for the kids, we don't go.

We book WAY out and up until this year we homeschooled so we had a lot of flexibility on when we travelled.

Status for kids is huge if you travel a lot as a family. As the OP points out, it makes it *much* easier to upgrade domestically. There are many of us here on FT with children that had status before they were able to walk. In fact, my second will have status before he is born! Gotta love DL's ability to gift status ;)

Our girls are old enough 12 and 10 in a couple of weeks) now that they fly in back while we fly in front. Yes, I know many disapprove of this, but they consistently get compliments from flight crews about how wonderful they are, so it will continue and it makes our miles go much further so we can take more trips.

Our girls are old enough 12 and 10 in a couple of weeks) now that they fly in back while we fly in front. Yes, I know many disapprove of this, but they consistently get compliments from flight crews about how wonderful they are, so it will continue and it makes our miles go much further so we can take more trips.

As I'm sure you know, you are required to pay an unaccompanied minor(s) fee in such an instance.

We have done this quite a few times in the last 1 - 2 years and they have not done so. The longest trip was to RT Curacao from LAX connecting in Miami, but we've also done it LAX-JFK and LAX-Hawai a couple of times/islands. We sit in the back row of business/first and they sit in the front row of coach. We make no attempt to hide what we are doing- we all check in together and board together. Usually our biggest complaint is the FA's spoil them to death taking them junk food.

We have done this quite a few times in the last 1 - 2 years and they have not done so.

And I completely believe that. But the fact that the agents haven't enforced the rule does not mean it doesn't apply. Don't be surprised if you are approached about it at some point, especially if you try this on a TATL/TPAC flight.

As you might guess, you can put me down in the camp that believes this is poor form---both for the poor folks stuck with your kids in economy and the folks with you in business/first who have to endure the inevitable visits. I'm certainly not against kids in any cabin, but I strongly believe they should be supervised regardless of where they sit.

(And yes, I'm sure your girls are perfect angels most of the time, but most of them aren't, and no kids are all the time.)

They never, ever enter the front cabin. Period. They have lots of homework to keep them busy (especially when we were homeschooling, I made sure to giv ehtem plenty of things they wouldn't need help with) and we glance back when using the restroom but do not walk back to visit either.

We asked the checkin agent the very first time we did this LAX-MIA-CUR, as we were using SWU's to upgrade me and stickers for my husband and she said sure- as long as they have a ticket we'll let them board and sit anywhere. I was willing to forgo the SWU and sit in back, but she insisted it was fine.

Mine are burning more than they're earning (that's life, eh?) but they're just over 2YO. I hadn't really considered status since I have very little myself. :rolleyes: Besides, who wants to be beat out for an upgrade by their own toddler because the kid is cuter ????

I will look forward to seeing what can be done with GS12 on their accounts (no pun intended).

It seems like most of the "here and there" stuff is age limited to 18. Do you all work around those by putting in a different DOB or just stick with the few that are for any age?

When there have been children discounts with the flights booked into mileage earning inventory, the cost per mile acquired from flights actually improves (with the CPM dropping).

Our girls are old enough 12 and 10 in a couple of weeks) now that they fly in back while we fly in front. Yes, I know many disapprove of this, but they consistently get compliments from flight crews about how wonderful they are, so it will continue and it makes our miles go much further so we can take more trips.
I do the same, If I get upgraded with my 6 year old and the other two in Gold don't, oh well coach it is. I see nothing wrong. They earn their wings the same way we all did.

My brothers and sisters are. And why not!

It seems like most of the "here and there" stuff is age limited to 18. Do you all work around those by putting in a different DOB or just stick with the few that are for any age?

Depends. For GS2011, lets just say that sometimes I exaggerated.