Trying to book SFO-MAD with Avios, including infant in own seat
Dec 1, 2020, 6:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 15
[Resolved] Trying to book SFO-MAD with Avios, including infant in own seat
Hi all,
I want to book a flight from SFO to MAD on Iberia business class. We're a party of 3, including an infant that would travel on his own seat. The process to book the infant seat with Avios seems very convoluted, and I want to make sure that I'm doing it correctly.
Is this process correct?
1. Book flights for the 2 adults, using Avios + cash
2. Get reservation code
3. Call Iberia and ask them to add an infant with his own seat to the reservation
Can the seat for the infant be booked with Avios as well with the same conditions as the adult seats?
Thanks!
EDIT: If you want to book a seat for an infant, you need to select "child" during the booking process and use a fake birth date for the infant that is above 2 years.
I want to book a flight from SFO to MAD on Iberia business class. We're a party of 3, including an infant that would travel on his own seat. The process to book the infant seat with Avios seems very convoluted, and I want to make sure that I'm doing it correctly.
Is this process correct?
1. Book flights for the 2 adults, using Avios + cash
2. Get reservation code
3. Call Iberia and ask them to add an infant with his own seat to the reservation
Can the seat for the infant be booked with Avios as well with the same conditions as the adult seats?
Thanks!
EDIT: If you want to book a seat for an infant, you need to select "child" during the booking process and use a fake birth date for the infant that is above 2 years.
Last edited by chant81; Dec 2, 2020 at 2:33 pm Reason: Add "resolved" tag to title
Dec 2, 2020, 2:41 am
#2
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An infant only gets its own seat if you pay full price for it. (using Avios or cash) I assume you mean a child younger than 2 years old.
You also need to bring an approved car seat that may or may not even be allowed in Business Class. Under 2s aren't allowed to sit in a regular seat with the standard seat belt. But you would simply book 2 adults and 1 child online and run the risk that the child needs to be in your arms whenever the seatbelt sign is on.
Normally, an infant WITHOUT its own seat must pay 10% of the CASH FARE, and normally IB+ use the fully flexible J fare. This gets ridiculously expensive... But the process runs as you describe - book two adults then call later to add the infant.
You also need to bring an approved car seat that may or may not even be allowed in Business Class. Under 2s aren't allowed to sit in a regular seat with the standard seat belt. But you would simply book 2 adults and 1 child online and run the risk that the child needs to be in your arms whenever the seatbelt sign is on.
Normally, an infant WITHOUT its own seat must pay 10% of the CASH FARE, and normally IB+ use the fully flexible J fare. This gets ridiculously expensive... But the process runs as you describe - book two adults then call later to add the infant.
Dec 2, 2020, 2:52 am
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
Indeed, you would need to pay full price (Avios) or child fare (cash) if you want the infant to have its own seat. If paying with Avios just book three seats, if paying cash buy two and call in. I believe regardless of car seat, the infant would have to be in your arms for takeoff and landing.
Dec 2, 2020, 2:28 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 15
Thought I would give an update.
I called Iberia before booking and explained that I wanted a seat for the infant (i.e. treating him as a child). The guy said that I needed to first book for the 2 adults, and then call again.
I did that, and it turns out that since I wanted a seat for the infant, I had to select child instead of infant during the booking process, and for the birth date for the infant have something fake above 2 years. The agent was explaining this like it was the most normal thing to do. How on earth am I supposed to know that you should use a fake birth date to bypass the age check??
The only solution was to cancel the booking with the $40 dollar per passenger fee, and rebook again.
On the positive side of things, each business class seat for SFO-MAD-BIO (one way) was only 12,000 avios + 1,000 USD (instead of 6,700 USD paying with cash), which feels rather cheap.
I called Iberia before booking and explained that I wanted a seat for the infant (i.e. treating him as a child). The guy said that I needed to first book for the 2 adults, and then call again.
I did that, and it turns out that since I wanted a seat for the infant, I had to select child instead of infant during the booking process, and for the birth date for the infant have something fake above 2 years. The agent was explaining this like it was the most normal thing to do. How on earth am I supposed to know that you should use a fake birth date to bypass the age check??
The only solution was to cancel the booking with the $40 dollar per passenger fee, and rebook again.
On the positive side of things, each business class seat for SFO-MAD-BIO (one way) was only 12,000 avios + 1,000 USD (instead of 6,700 USD paying with cash), which feels rather cheap.