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
Apr 23, 2016, 10:32 am
#46
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 45
Indeed. Rather it's often been the case that the operating carrier at the airport charges my relatives way less for lap child tickets purchased the night before or on day of travel than what the adult ticketing carrier asks when doing the lap child booking, for example, over the phone with AA weeks or months in advance. It's not always a huge difference, but the price difference may vary (in either direction) from phone call to phone call even when the calls are done within minutes of each other or overlapping in time.
I already booked it. CX was $415 and JL was $315. My award ticket is business class both ways.
Guess I got lucky?
Apr 23, 2016, 1:34 pm
#47
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Is $730 a good deal to fly roundtrip business class for a lap-child going between SFO and Tokyo and back in business class? I've seen it done for a very good chunk less than that; but it's also not as bad as it could be.
Apr 23, 2016, 1:43 pm
#48
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
Apr 25, 2016, 1:57 pm
#49
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Teaneck, NJ
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 699
I was told a lap child to Cancun was 10% of fees plus taxes so I assumed around $125 per child, but I just got off the phone and only paid $17 for JFK-CUN RT. Anyone know why that is?
Apr 25, 2016, 2:49 pm
#51
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Teaneck, NJ
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Marriott Silver
Posts: 699
Are the taxes to Mexico only $17? I thought they were closer to $75 per ticket. And in a different forum I think they said there used to be no fees on AA to Mexico, but they changed it and now it's back to 10%. Really just curious but obviously happy to save a few $.
Apr 25, 2016, 2:55 pm
#52
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
Fare $0
USDA APHIS Fee (XA) US$3.96
US Immigration Fee (XY) US$7.00
US Customs Fee (YC) US$5.50
Total $16.46
May 6, 2016, 8:52 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: CLT
Programs: Hilton Diamond, AA Gold, base with everyone else
Posts: 152
Child Fare on AA
Hello all,
I am planning to take a trip on AA with my daughter. When I called a travel agent, they provided me with airfare for me and another one for her. She received the child fare which is about $150 less than mine.
When I went on AA.com, it always pulled the same airfare for both hers and mine even when I had entered her as a child on my search. Is this something that I would have to call AA customer service for to get the child fare?
The reason I prefer going online was because it allowed me to find different/better routing myself than to have to go back and forth with the travel agent. Granted that I didn't see the exact routing and priced that on AA.com as what the travel agent had given me.
This is for international flight which part of it is flown on other airlines in addition to AA.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
FHD
I am planning to take a trip on AA with my daughter. When I called a travel agent, they provided me with airfare for me and another one for her. She received the child fare which is about $150 less than mine.
When I went on AA.com, it always pulled the same airfare for both hers and mine even when I had entered her as a child on my search. Is this something that I would have to call AA customer service for to get the child fare?
The reason I prefer going online was because it allowed me to find different/better routing myself than to have to go back and forth with the travel agent. Granted that I didn't see the exact routing and priced that on AA.com as what the travel agent had given me.
This is for international flight which part of it is flown on other airlines in addition to AA.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
FHD
May 6, 2016, 8:58 pm
#54
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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I think it's going to be difficult to get help unless you provide some more details, including age of child, origin and destination, class of service, etc.
May 6, 2016, 9:19 pm
#55
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
Looking at AA's fares using ITA, it seems that AA doesn't offer a child discount.
Travel to some locations ( such as UK ) there may be lower taxes to pay ( e.g. in UK the APD of 106 (economy) or $212 (other classes)) is not charged on child fares
You may be better off with a different carrier
Travel to some locations ( such as UK ) there may be lower taxes to pay ( e.g. in UK the APD of 106 (economy) or $212 (other classes)) is not charged on child fares
You may be better off with a different carrier
Jun 9, 2016, 7:34 pm
#59
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,145
That is a steal. I just paid $253 because I upgraded my wife (and lap child son) to J using an SWU for LHR-DFW. 😡
Jun 9, 2016, 7:51 pm
#60
Join Date: Mar 2004
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Posts: 3,383
That IS a steal!
Just before the deval, I paid over $800 for a lap child for the following RT itinerary:
Sea-(AS in F)-LAX-(AA in F)-NRT-(JL in C)-KUL. Return BKK-(CX in C)-HKG-(CX in C)-NRT-(JL in C)-YVR-(AS in Y)-SEA.
Just before the deval, I paid over $800 for a lap child for the following RT itinerary:
Sea-(AS in F)-LAX-(AA in F)-NRT-(JL in C)-KUL. Return BKK-(CX in C)-HKG-(CX in C)-NRT-(JL in C)-YVR-(AS in Y)-SEA.