Doc Savage

Lighten up, Francis...

OP, there is a reasonably good chance the airline will check the birthdate and require a last minute ticket purchase at an outrageous price. Not worth it.

There are some threads in the Travel with Children forum about this happening, I think.

jewels421

For some reason I'm picturing a "my two year old just blew my cover" situation here. If the kid is asked how old they are, immediately after their birthday, how many fingers do you think they will hold up?

Anyways, they won't ask the kid how old they are. They will ask for documented proof of age at check-in. If the kid looks close to two, it's very likely this will happen (anyone want to guess odds? I'd say 80% likely...).

SAN 1K

No documentation of age is needed or requested on domestic flights for minors. At least it never has been for me.

On an International itinerary this would have little to no chance of success.

jewels421

I was thinking international because of the passport reference -- small chance of success there, big risk if they make you buy a ticket at the going rate. But, even on domestic, my understanding is that United may ask for proof of age for a lap child and sometimes does. I don't have any more info than that for UA domestic... I think Southwest is quite the stickler on proof of age domestically, though. Maybe the Travel with Children sub-forum can help?

kmfdm91

I was just joking to my wife about this, actually...

Our first daughter is just past 23 months old, and i'm a big cheapskate, so I was thinking the same thing.

On every single domestic trip, our daughter's ID has not been requested from any agent at check-in OR at the TSA screening area, period. Our daughter is tall and skinny, but the fact that not a single person has asked for any ID aside from when we absolutely had to had the passport (our int'l flights), makes me wonder how long we could get away with it, as well.

That said, there comes a point to how long i'd actually want her sitting on our laps, even with 2 F or even lie-flat C seats. She was fine on our four flights (all RJs - I LOVE the new regional airline of UA , including a hub-hub IAD-ORD on an RJ!), but with a cross-country flight even in E+ with 3 across and having someone next to us, it would probably be a pain.

Depending on what it's worth to you and what your past experience is with them checking IDs, I'd say it might be worth the risk. If you simply don't carry any ID, and I'm sure it happens quite often actually for folks who don't have any need for a passport for their kid, who actually has an ID aside from a birth certificate, which we've only carried once for our daughter (and wasn't asked for it)? You could just say, sorry, I don't have it, or actually just keep the kid on the side during check-in and say they are busy getting changed or something...then the TSA folks probably won't bother to check at all either, and the GAs are most often ridiculously lazy and/or busy to focus on something like that, in which case, you'll most likely have no issue at all.

That said, i'm sure other people on this forum are all for the rules and wouldn't recommend this, but given my daughter at 23 months, and us having gone on over 15 domestic flights with her and never been asked, i'd say our personal odds are high that we'd easily get away with it, probably up until she's around 2.5 years old, at least.

-jeremy

mherdeg

I remember seeing sUA gate agents ask the child's age a few times at boarding at SEA, in one case having a substantial conversation where it evolved that the child was 25 months old, the child's grandparent had bought the ticket a year ago, the child's parent had no clue about the 2-years-old lap infant requirement and was not equipped to pay a fare, and the agent agreed to board the child but said the parent would have to change the return portion of the journey to add a ticket for the child.

Don't remember seeing anyone ask for proof of the child's age, just asked the age.

Dunno if it matters to you, but from a safety point of view, "in own seat in car seat" is safer than "lap infant". (Both options are dramatically safer per mile than "in automobile in car seat".)

XCstud

I disagree with the comment about no documentation needed regarding a lap infant. On a domestic flight, they could force you to buy a ticket if you can't provide proof of age. When our daughter was 6 months old, we took a flight on WN and I didn't bother to bring a copy of the birth certificate since it was obvious she was well under 2. In HOU, the agent told us we really should have brought documentation, but she'd let it slide since it was obvious. On our return in DEN, the agent at check in was a nightmare and wouldn't let us check in without proof. We had to give her our medical insurance card and she spent 10 minutes on the phone to verify our daughter's birthdate. That was WN, but UA has every right to request proof as well.

a9504477

Any experience - you mean experience in fraud as this is what it would equate to.

mortenfan

Very strict. Because it's not airlines rule, it's FAA rule. If somehow agents miss it at check in or at the gate, FAs will catch it. I have witnessed a family with a child over 2 as a lap and sitting in C, FAs caught it and dad was given 2 choices by agents, to buy another ticket, full fare on the spot or resolve the ticket situation on the ground and take another flight.

l etoile

As this question is more of a general nature than specific to United, I'm going to move it to our Traveling with Children forum.

l'etoile
UA moderator

azepine00

Southwest asks for birth cert.
Others dont so the risk will depend on kids size - you can prob get away with it... i wouldnt push it though..

vicarious_MR'er

If one airline ticket that they are obligated to buy (not optional) is making or breaking their decision to take a trip or not, then they shouldn't be taking the trip.

How self-centered to even think of doing this.

rmorenc

Based on my experiences flying with my son (22 mo old who would be at 1K status if lap infants earned PQMs) I'd recommend getting the extra ticket. Our most recent flight was a month ago IAH-BNL on an ERJ-145 (lap infant, wife and I were on right side of aircraft), and there just wasn't quite enough too for him, especially if one of us wanted a tray down or the folks in front of us reclined. We ended up booking him an award ticket for the return trip for the extra space. Naturally, this meant he fell asleep in my wife's lap when we pushed off from the gate -- leaving an empty "paid"-for seat. Go figure.

Erasmus

This.

To answer the question, it is unlikely you will be ask for proof of age on a domestic itinerary, but it may happen. In that case, your friends will be entirely in the wrong and completely at the mercy of the agent.

mortenfan

Not at the mercy of the agent. FAA rules state that child under 2 year old can travel as a lap. Over 2 will need a seat. Why would agent mercy you and break the FAA rule?