baglady

If you would post your to/from cities and dates we may be able to help you find 2 inexpensive tickets that you could use your refund towards.

As an FYI, they will not put 2 lap children in the same row of an aircraft due to the number of masks per row. They may be able to seat you near other children, it would probably depend on the airline and the agents working the check -in /gate. It is thoughtful of you to be concerned about others around you.

Flyingmama

There is an awful lot about lilyroyale's posts that I am not understanding, and I think we need a lot more information before we can make any really significant suggestions. One particular issue I am really puzzled about is lilyroyale's statement in post #10:
If you can't present a birth certificate, than I really doubt you are going to take that child aboard an airplane no matter what age or size he is. Airlines are just too spooked about parental custody issues these days to let someone simply walk onto an airplane without proper identification for the child - particularly a very, very young child who cannot be questioned.

And in post#14, lilyroyale says:
I understand how difficult it is to go to school and raise a child simultaneously. And so do most schools now days. In fact, a great many schools now offer free or reduced fee baby sitting services while you are in class. Is this not an option where you are? Have you looked into it?

At any rate, good luck on resolving your dilemma - and kudos to you for trying to stay in school.

crhptic

If they ask for his birth certificate, and discover he's older than 2 - you're hosed.

If they ask for his birth certificate, and you don't have it - you're hosed.

You can't. You're gambling, pure and simple. Either they ask, or they don't, but there is nothing you can do to make it more likely either way, unless you own some sort of a shrinking machine and can shrink your son so he looks a year younger

And if they ask, you're hosed, as I said above - there are no "magic words" to make them leave you alone.

I don't think either strategy will get you very far.

I think you have gotten some very good advice so far on this thread. I hope you do not choose to ignore it, because the posters here are very experienced in air travel (including with children) and they know what is up.

If you think your financial situation is bad now, remember, it could be worse. For example, if you show up at the airport and are denied boarding, then you are not only potentially out the money you spent on the plane ticket (if it's a nonrefundable ticket, you may forfeit some/all of the value by missing the flight), but you won't get where you're going.

Good luck.

22wingit

Not true at all on a domestic flight if the child is ticketed. There is no ID requirement at all for ticketed children on domestic flights, as long as they are travelling with a ticketed adult who claims responsibility for them. The requirement for proof of age for lap children is related to the granting of the lap-baby seating exception only. If the child is not young enough to qualify, under federal law the airline cannot legally allow him to fly without his own seat. There is no federal law that requires that the adult accompanying a child on a flight must be that child's legal guardian.

Of course, on an international flight the requirements are different. Notarized permission to travel, plus a passport where required, will usually be required for entry through the destination country's passport control checkpoint.

You definitely have a point about the business of losing the loans and blowing off the classes -- she does need to speak to her advisor about this situation. It is almost certain that the school will offer some kind of concession and/or find her some subsidized childcare, if only for a short period until she can make alternative travel arrangements.

hfly

Hang on, we're talking about domestic here, aren't we? We're also talking about most robably a 50% ticket, so what are we really talking about? $150? $200? Can this person just not borrow the money off of someone on the off chance that she needs to buy a tkt and be done with it? Also, I find the whole "because they want to make money" thing a bit stupid, besides the fact that it is actually a FEDERAL REGULATION, airlines ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY, that is what they do, they are not charities (Damn them, they charge so much for busines class, they are just trying to make money, aren't they??!!). Maybe you should ask one of your lawyer friends or other experts for a couple hundred dollar loan to back-up their advice when listening to it goes wrong. The biggest bit of info that you have left out is what your kid looks like?? Does he/she LOOK older than two?

RichMSN

I flew alone with my 22 month old daughter Sunday so my parents could get some time with her.

She's big for her age and I never even considered carrying a birth certificate. I also targeted empty flights, registered her as a lap child, and took downgrades to put myself in empty rows with her.

As a NW PLT, I can't imagine a gate agent questioning me about whether she's my child OR about her age. I guess I'll find out Thursday when I take her back home. But it's one of the few things that would certainly guarantee I'd never fly with NW again.

Swiss Tony

No, I think you'll find that the vast majority of US airlines (certainly the legacy carriers) no longer offer child discounts. Some will offer an INS50 for an under two occupying a seat but otherwise it's the same fare for adults.

Swiss Tony

Right....

The airline is looking to cover its a$$ legally and check you're not trying to duck out of paying them what they're owed.

You'd never fly with them again as a result?

To be honest, I suspect with that attitude, most companies would probably prefer to be without your business...

djk7

My experience is a few years old, and our daughter was just under 24 months old, but we were never questioned. Some of if will probably come down to perception. If your child is large for their age, expect to be questioned. If your child is small for their age, probably OK. My suggestion is to let them know you have a lap child in advance, preferably with the child not around at the time. Then keep a low profile. You will most likely have no problems, but as others have said, no gaurantees.

RichMSN

Attitude? So quick to jump to conclusions.

I've flown more than 30 roundtrips with NW this year and have easily requalified PLT for next year. If I say my child is under 2, I think it's reasonable for them to accept that. I've established a business relationship with NW.

If you owned a department store and someone bought a lot of stuff from you and was one of your best (by the company's own definition) customers, would you follow that client around and ask him if he picked the watch he's wearing off the shelf just cause it's one you sell and looks new?

There's no attitude at all. But I shouldn't need to carry a birth certificate around for something like this. And if NW gave me a hard time about this I would remain (relatively)reasonable and would buy a one way ticket home for my daughter and then make sure never to fly them again.

Swiss Tony

OK, 2 points here...

1) replace "attitude" with "approach" or "stance". I was talking English attitude, not the cruder US version.

2) my main issue here isn't the fare evasion/defrauding the airline (although it remains an issue for any carrier/business), it's the consequences the airline would face from the FAA if they were caught carrying a 25 month old pax without a seat.

I'm assuming that you'll adopt the same approach and refuse to fly with them ever again if they ID your daughter when she's over 21 and tries to order a glass of wine...

flyingw2

lilyroyale is really being beat up! I'm going to guess that there are plenty of parents who have brought a two-year old on a flight as a lap-child. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it as I believe there's a safety issue involved but we all make our own decisions (i.e., purchasing a seat for a two-year old, driving faster than the speed limit, etc.).

The original post seemed to be making a complaint about poor information and asking what to do if called out. I agree that the misinformation issue is frustrating. My experience is that not all airline employees, travel agents, etc. are 100% informed of policies and regulations regarding travel with infants and small children yet many are willing to state their guesses as policy. Yes, that is frustrating!

As for what to do if asked to produce a birth certificate, I would have to suggest "play dumb". Making a scene probably isn't going to help. The best you can do is be up front that you have a lap-child and try to go under the radar as best you can. If you go in ready for a confrontation, you'll probably find one!

I must say that I've never been asked to produce documentation for my kids and I've travelled with them alone (domestically) several times. In fact, my parents have taken my niece (they would never pass as looking like her parents) along on vacation several times and never had a problem. I therefore stopped bothering to bring a copy of a birth certificate (after about two or three flights!).

baglady

I have to say, I'm really surprised by some of these posts. My daughter is very small for her age. Her father and I are both Plat with CO. We would have never considered NOT buying her a seat by her second birthday. She also knows how old she is. I've had check in agents ask her age of her. I certainly wouldn't teach her to lie just so that I could get away with not paying for a seat. It's the same at the movies or theme parks. Once she's old enough to have to pay for, I pay for her. I'm sure there are other people doing a different practice, but I have to abide by what I know to be right.

Just because I consider myself one of Continental's best customers, they still weigh my bag to ensure it's not overweight, they ask me for ID when I go into the President's Club, etc. I don't feel it's anything other than them doing their job.

Regarding birth certificates - it is not required but if any of you saw the Southwest Airline episode where they didn't think the child was under 2, the airlines certainly can require proof of age. My husband has always carried a copy of his daughter's birth certificate and a copy of his divorce decree so that there was not a problem regarding if he should be flying with her or not. He considers it peace of mind. It's the same reason I give a letter to go with my daughter if she is traveling with someone other than a parent. Not required, but the TSA seems to be asking a lot of questions lately. My daughter has been asked her name and who I am (she's 3 now but has been asked that question at least for the past year).

I feel for the OP. She is in a tough position. She's been given a lot of bad information from various sources. I think we've given her some reasonable courses of action. We have offered to help find better tickets, etc. (the 50% I believe referred to this being a one way ticket for the child) I'm thrilled she's doing things to better herself and think she has taken some very good steps toward it. I don't feel that trying to commit fraud - and it is fraud to say that a child is under 2 when they are over 2 and the rule is ONLY under 2 can be a lapchild - will help her in any way. I think there are many of us that are very willing to help her find a way to do this under the rules of the airline. We just need more information to help her get there.

kdp

Re: the Southwest Airline episodes...
The lap children who were questioned about their age were required to purchase a ticket at that time to travel. The parents were told that they could receive a full refund of the ticket price if they later produced a birth certificate proving that the child was <2 at the time of travel.

RichMSN

I would expect this treatment from Southwest. I would never carry any documentation proving that my daughter was mine, either. Of course, her mother and I are still married.