May 17, 2014, 3:00 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
Infant and lap child fares and fees on international travel, including award & upgrades
On AA there is no charge for a lap child on domestic flights. In most instances for international travel the cost will be 10% of the adult fare in the cabin of travel (be aware in some instances / on some other airlines, it can be 25% of the cost of an adult ticket). From aa.com:
Are you traveling with an infant?
Passengers are considered infants if aged over 2 days and less than 2 years at the beginning of their journey. To travel with an infant, you must be an adult passenger aged 16 or older. Adults can travel with up to two infants and in these circumstances, can purchase an additional seat at a child fare.
Although infants can travel as early as 2 days after birth, you'll need to provide a medical certificate for infants traveling within 7 days after birth. Please contact Reservations for more information.
On U.S. domestic flights:
Infants not occupying a seat travel for free. If you prefer to book a seat for your infant, a child fare will apply.
You must call AA on the phone to add a lap infant to an existing reservation. The lap infant will NOT appear in the online reservation and receipt.
Travelers with a lap infant may check in online, for domestic flights only, and the boarding pass will be annotated with the words "WITH INFANT" immediately after the traveler's name.
On international flights:
Infants not occupying a seat benefit from a 90% discount on most adult fares
If your infant turns 2 during your trip, we'll provide you with a complimentary seat on the return flight. If the return journey is not on American Airlines, please contact the other airline to check if a seat must be purchased. (Infants and children must provide passports with any required visas; all children not traveling with both parents may be required to have a Letter of Consent signed by both parents.)
You must call AA on the phone to add a lap infant to an existing reservation, and will need to pay the fare at that time. The lab infant and fare WILL appear in the online reservation and receipt.
Travelers with a lap infant may NOT check in online for international flights and must check in at the airport.
NOTE: AA will not generally block a complimentary spare seat to be used by an infant or lap child. If seats are available at the airport, it might be possible to be assigned seating to include an adjacent empty seat if the flight will depart with sufficient empty seats.
Bassinets: These are portable, not bulkhead fastened, floor bassinet boxes. Not all aircraft may offer these, and generally are restricted to bulkhead seats.
See the bassinet thread here."]here.
See more here on aa.com.
For AA policies on required documentation for children, see here.
and
This thread regarding the use - and prohibition, on some aircraft - child safety seats.
For older threads on this topic, see:
N.B.: This thread is restricted to discussion of AA (and AA awards, upgrades) ticketing rules for infants. Please do not use this thread to discuss opinions on safety issues associated with travel with lap children versus infants with their own purchased seats. Those discussions should be carried out in the
Travel with Children forum, where many opinions have been shared and are welcome. Thank you for your cooperation.
Travel with Children forum, where many opinions have been shared and are welcome. Thank you for your cooperation.
Are you traveling with an infant?
Passengers are considered infants if aged over 2 days and less than 2 years at the beginning of their journey. To travel with an infant, you must be an adult passenger aged 16 or older. Adults can travel with up to two infants and in these circumstances, can purchase an additional seat at a child fare.
Although infants can travel as early as 2 days after birth, you'll need to provide a medical certificate for infants traveling within 7 days after birth. Please contact Reservations for more information.
On U.S. domestic flights:
Infants not occupying a seat travel for free. If you prefer to book a seat for your infant, a child fare will apply.
You must call AA on the phone to add a lap infant to an existing reservation. The lap infant will NOT appear in the online reservation and receipt.
Travelers with a lap infant may check in online, for domestic flights only, and the boarding pass will be annotated with the words "WITH INFANT" immediately after the traveler's name.
On international flights:
Infants not occupying a seat benefit from a 90% discount on most adult fares
If your infant turns 2 during your trip, we'll provide you with a complimentary seat on the return flight. If the return journey is not on American Airlines, please contact the other airline to check if a seat must be purchased. (Infants and children must provide passports with any required visas; all children not traveling with both parents may be required to have a Letter of Consent signed by both parents.)
You must call AA on the phone to add a lap infant to an existing reservation, and will need to pay the fare at that time. The lab infant and fare WILL appear in the online reservation and receipt.
Travelers with a lap infant may NOT check in online for international flights and must check in at the airport.
NOTE: AA will not generally block a complimentary spare seat to be used by an infant or lap child. If seats are available at the airport, it might be possible to be assigned seating to include an adjacent empty seat if the flight will depart with sufficient empty seats.
Bassinets: These are portable, not bulkhead fastened, floor bassinet boxes. Not all aircraft may offer these, and generally are restricted to bulkhead seats.
See the bassinet thread here."]here.
See more here on aa.com.
For AA policies on required documentation for children, see here.
and
This thread regarding the use - and prohibition, on some aircraft - child safety seats.
For older threads on this topic, see:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amer...-upgrades.html 2010-2015
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...paid-fare.html (2008)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...it-my-lap.html (2006)
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...paid-fare.html (2008)
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...it-my-lap.html (2006)
dstan
AA Forum Co-Moderator
Guide: Infant / lap child fares & fees for AA travel, including award & upgrades
Aug 30, 2018, 11:09 pm
#226
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,950
Hmm. Now that you mention that, most (probably all) of my AA experience flying with a lap child was on pmUS aircraft before US switched to the AA reservation system, so the experience that I never had seat blocks then may not be relevant to today's AA.
Sep 14, 2018, 9:31 am
#227
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 70
ok, played around a little bit. A few weeks ago, I had added my daughter as a lap infant for two itineraries, and noticed that the middle seat was still available to select after I had done that. Then it dawned on me this morning to try changing seats to see if the auto-block would take effect then, and low and behold, it did!
Sep 14, 2018, 11:49 am
#228
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
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Posts: 21,422
ok, played around a little bit. A few weeks ago, I had added my daughter as a lap infant for two itineraries, and noticed that the middle seat was still available to select after I had done that. Then it dawned on me this morning to try changing seats to see if the auto-block would take effect then, and low and behold, it did!
Sep 14, 2018, 12:12 pm
#229
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,950
Almost certainly nothing, and if people start using that to take advantage of this customer-friendly, undocumented policy, that will be one of the bigger failings of FlyerTalk. (It hadn't occurred to me that one could take advantage of this until your comment.)
Sep 14, 2018, 11:28 pm
#230
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 153
Actually, it would not change much.
If I would have had the feeling, that somebody tried to play the system, back in my days; I would have looked for the most obese, smelly pax, take out that I-block and put that passenger in the adjacent seat, next to Mr./Mrs. Smartypants!
If I would have had the feeling, that somebody tried to play the system, back in my days; I would have looked for the most obese, smelly pax, take out that I-block and put that passenger in the adjacent seat, next to Mr./Mrs. Smartypants!
Sep 21, 2018, 2:35 am
#231
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
How to add lap infant on AA LAX-JFK First class?
My family is flying LAX-JFK RT af the end of October. My wife and I are booking the A321T flagship first class awards and we will bring our infant, who will be just under 8 months at the time. We’ve never flown domestic with an infant before. I know the baby won’t need a separate ticket as long as she’s a lap infant, but do we need to register her at all? Do we need to notify AA, or do we just show up with the baby without telling them?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
Sep 21, 2018, 4:55 am
#232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,438
My family is flying LAX-JFK RT af the end of October. My wife and I are booking the A321T flagship first class awards and we will bring our infant, who will be just under 8 months at the time. We’ve never flown domestic with an infant before. I know the baby won’t need a separate ticket as long as she’s a lap infant, but do we need to register her at all? Do we need to notify AA, or do we just show up with the baby without telling them?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
Domestic, duh.
Last edited by JJeffrey; Sep 21, 2018 at 6:19 am
Sep 21, 2018, 6:00 am
#233
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Wholly domestic itimeraries and the domestic components of international itineraries do not incur taxes, fees, or ticketing costs for infants in arms (lap children) and will simply appear as on the sponsoring ticket. International taxes, fees, and ticketing must be handled through the tariff department but given your domestic itinerary, this does not apply here.
You can add the infant to one of your tickets at the airport or by phone however you will not be able to check in via app/online. You’ll only need to provide the infant’s age in months and name. A passport for the infant in arms or lap child is only required for itineraries that include international segments.
On some very small aircraft (not applicable here) agents will be required to confirm that there are sufficient oxygen masks in the row and side where you are seated.
Eight months is a wonderful age, especially if they aren’t walking just yet and if you need to bounce or soothe them while standing up, you’re quite close to the forward galley.
Happy trails!
You can add the infant to one of your tickets at the airport or by phone however you will not be able to check in via app/online. You’ll only need to provide the infant’s age in months and name. A passport for the infant in arms or lap child is only required for itineraries that include international segments.
On some very small aircraft (not applicable here) agents will be required to confirm that there are sufficient oxygen masks in the row and side where you are seated.
Eight months is a wonderful age, especially if they aren’t walking just yet and if you need to bounce or soothe them while standing up, you’re quite close to the forward galley.
Happy trails!
Last edited by enpremiere; Sep 21, 2018 at 6:07 am
Sep 21, 2018, 6:04 am
#235
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 6,663
Sep 21, 2018, 6:09 am
#237
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
US carriers, including AA, do not charge for infant tickets on domestic flights. You may handle the infant ticket at any point up to and including the gate. Given all the other hassles associated with infant travel, why not call now and have AA add the infant ticket to the existing PNR and associate it with your other tickets and be done with it?
Note that this is a wholly different situation from the international situation where AA would charge 10% of the then available F ticket for the infant.
Note that this is a wholly different situation from the international situation where AA would charge 10% of the then available F ticket for the infant.
Sep 21, 2018, 11:25 am
#238
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
My family is flying LAX-JFK RT af the end of October. My wife and I are booking the A321T flagship first class awards and we will bring our infant, who will be just under 8 months at the time. We’ve never flown domestic with an infant before. I know the baby won’t need a separate ticket as long as she’s a lap infant, but do we need to register her at all? Do we need to notify AA, or do we just show up with the baby without telling them?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
On on a tangent, seatguru doesn’t show a bassinet in this plane. Is that correct?
Moderator
Sep 21, 2018, 3:54 pm
#239
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Here and there
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,551
Sep 21, 2018, 6:17 pm
#240
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
e.g. book award on Qantas for SYD-LAX connecting to AA for LAX-ORD
it would be possible to get a SYD-LAX ticket for the infant just for the cost of the taxes if issued by Qantas and then just travel on AA domestically free of charge
This would be a lot cheaper than getting AA to issue an award ticket at 10% of the adult fare plus taxes