Alaska Airlines Now Charges Lap Infants Standard Rates for Partner Award Bookings
Anya Kartashova December 02, 2018
Alaska Airlines has surprised program members and issued a disclaimer regarding its lap infant policy on partner award tickets.
“Lap infant ticketing: We are no longer able to guarantee that lap infants will be accepted with your international partner award ticket. Until further notice, Mileage Plan members will need to book seats for infants at the standard mileage rate on international partner award bookings. For travel wholly within the US, or wholly on Alaska Airlines, standard lap infant policies apply.”
What this means is that instead of paying 10 percent of the full fare or nominal taxes, new parents will have to shell out the same number of miles for their child younger than 2 years old as they paid for themselves to fly together.
It’s hard to tell whether the new procedure is more frustrating than having to call the operating airline, as well as Alaska, and waiting on hold for hours in hopes of finding an agent who knows how to handle infant tickets on partner awards correctly. Perhaps, the new system will save both the agents and the travelers a lot of headache and make your trip a lot more comfortable—a car seat fits in an airplane seat and makes the trip safer for the child.
On the other hand, booking business-class tickets for the whole family for travel on Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines, for example, just got a lot more expensive. You have to plan such trips more carefully and collect Mileage Plan miles more actively.
As a reminder, the new arrangement doesn’t affect award tickets on flights operated by Alaska Airlines. You can add an infant to an existing reservation by calling 1-800-252-7522.
Does the new infant policy on partner awards affect your future travel plans?
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+1. I've seen many children that were better behaved than some self-important DYKWHIAs. If you want to be free from distractions of other people - then fly private. What makes you think that you're more important than anyone else, or entitled to a quiet flight? If a parent pays for a seat for their child, they have every much as right to be there as you do whether you like it or not. Do you stoop to the child's level and get nasty if they annoy you? Between IRROPS, weather, mechanicals, crew issues, delays, misconnects, TSA, and more, travel is far from a stress-free experience. Should people try to be polite and courteous? Absolutely - we're all in the same boat. But that's also a two-way street.
Agree with adenzin7. People have kids because they enjoy their kids and want to be a parent. One does not leave their kids on a holiday, That's not how it works. Geez. Despite your claims there's a few baby incidents here and there with them crying. So what. Get over it. I have been a passenger with lots of cranky and selfish adults that I'd rather not be close to. I've had passengers that absolutely stink on flights, some that have soiled themselves on flights, etc fairhsa, I bet you''re no jewel either. You always have the choice to charter your next flight Good luck.,
yeah sure, leave em with a stranger so that the parents can enjoy some alone time. because all those years before they could't do that. I hope you will never be a parent, I would feel sorry for your kid!
Perhaps the new parents can give themselves and all the other passengers a break by leaving the infant with a babysitter and enjoying a relaxing holiday instead. Quite why anyone thinks an infant should pay less than an adult, give the disruption many of them cause, is beyond me. Give them a proper seat, with a safe baby-carrier installed and everyone will be better off.