smag

Hi all!

This is my first time utilizing Avios to book a flight and first time flying Aer Lingus. We’re trying to go to Dublin from Newark NJ next May. We have a 1 year old that I want to have her own seat w/ car seat. I’ve heard it’s a pain to book an infant with a seat because upon entering their birth date it automatically adds them as a lap infant if under 2 years old. The advice I was given from an acquaintance is to book the ticket with a different birth year, then call and have them update her information. My questions are:
1. Has anyone done this before and is this the appropriate way to go about it?
2. If calling to update info, would I be contacting Aer Lingus directly or Avios.com?
3. If I were to call and book directly with Avios instead would this be easier? Not sure how their customer service is or how to use the points via phone booking. I’ve hear wait times can be long so I don’t want to risk calling the wrong place and wasting a ton of time.

We’d be transferring our Amex points so I want to make sure I have all the information before transferring and risking losing them if we’re unable to book our 1 year old a ticket with points.

TIA

FlightDetective

Your acquaintance is correct, if you want to book a seat for the infant, you would put their birth date so they are over two years old, which will allow you to book the seat. You can then use a car seat, as long as it's on the list of types here - https://www.aerlingus.com/prepare/tr...ed-6-24-months - the site also says in this instance, you should "buy a seat for the infant" - which is what your acquaintance said to do.

Usually with a booking via Avios, you should contact Avios to amend the date of birth, but you should be able to telephone Aer Lingus directly to change the date of birth as well. Since it's an Avios booking, you may not have the Aer Lingus booking reference to hand (these all begin with a number two, as in 2AB12C) so have the ticket number to hand when calling the airline directly. This will be on the confirmation and begin 125- (so it will look like - 125-1234567890). They should then be able to find the booking easily enough. There will be no issue changing the date of birth, as people do this with infants to get them their own seat often enough.

I have no experience telephoning Avios to make a booking directly, I've always done it online, so it would be your call as to whether you call them or not.

smag

thank you so much! This is immensely helpful!

irishguy28

This is incorrect. The documentation supplied by Avios after making the booking always clearly indicates the Aer Lingus PNR in the top corner of page 3 (as the "Airline Check-In Reference")

Unfortunately, the booking tool frequently fails (particularly at the payment stage) so calling in to make a booking is sometimes necessary. In my most recent experience of this - last December - they were also unable to "find" the aborted booking and simply take payment, so it became a tortuous process of reading and spelling 4 passengers names to an English girl who was confused by even the simplest of Irish names....

FlightDetective

Oh, that is excellent - I didn't know it had the EI reference on it. Thanks for pointing that out!

That telephone experience sounds fun. Reminds me of when an English guy called and asked for "Kay-oh-me". I had no idea who it was, so he tried to explain and then I realise he meant Caoimhe She said she was well used to her name being difficult for some people. I am sure the Daithi's of the world, not to mention the Aisling's, Siobhan's, Aoife's and Mairin's of the world also feel the pain, and that's before the surnames!