Seat for infant or extra seat for adult?
Sep 21, 2021, 4:43 pm
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2013
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Seat for infant or extra seat for adult?
Most European airlines seem to charge all their fees (including YQ) for an infant travelling on his own seat, but they do not charge those fees if you book an extra seat for an adult (e.g. obese passengers, cello players, etc). It seems that it would be advantageous for the adult to always book the infant as a lap infant, buy an extra seat for himself, and then place the infant car seat in that extra seat.
Am I missing anything obvious here?
Am I missing anything obvious here?
Last edited by mmff; Sep 21, 2021 at 5:20 pm Reason: Changed wording for clarity
Sep 22, 2021, 6:03 am
#3
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I meant that taking the child (< 2 years old) as a lap infant (with a boarding pass, naturally) and then adding an extra seat for the adult seems to be cheaper than booking a child fare with a seat.
Last edited by mmff; Sep 22, 2021 at 7:32 am Reason: Added age of hypothetical young traveller for clarity
Sep 23, 2021, 3:31 pm
#4
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Do most airlines allow a passenger to book two seats for any reason? The obese passenger and the cellist would both fit into very specific ticketing policies. (I think some airlines have killed off the ability to book seats for musical instruments.)
If the policies limit who can buy a second seat, then the natural response from the airline would be to just ticket the infant in the second seat.
Given how many European fares have very low base fares and very high YQ, I'd be surprised if this actually works in practice. If it does, people have been really quiet about it.
If the policies limit who can buy a second seat, then the natural response from the airline would be to just ticket the infant in the second seat.
Given how many European fares have very low base fares and very high YQ, I'd be surprised if this actually works in practice. If it does, people have been really quiet about it.
Sep 23, 2021, 3:57 pm
#5
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,186
I had to call LX for an unrelated reason today and asked it out of curiosity. The agent said that I'd be able to book an extra seat for the adult "regardless of weight" and added that this would be honored "as strictly as any other seat", but that "overbooking could mean adjustments, as with any other reservation".
This is what I think as well, hence my post and my question about missing anything obvious. 
Do most airlines allow a passenger to book two seats for any reason? The obese passenger and the cellist would both fit into very specific ticketing policies. (I think some airlines have killed off the ability to book seats for musical instruments.)
If the policies limit who can buy a second seat, then the natural response from the airline would be to just ticket the infant in the second seat.
Given how many European fares have very low base fares and very high YQ, I'd be surprised if this actually works in practice. If it does, people have been really quiet about it.
If the policies limit who can buy a second seat, then the natural response from the airline would be to just ticket the infant in the second seat.
Given how many European fares have very low base fares and very high YQ, I'd be surprised if this actually works in practice. If it does, people have been really quiet about it.
Sep 24, 2021, 8:46 am
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,186
It seems so. I will probably not try it out myself because the last thing I want on family trips is to add yet another source of entropy and potential point of failure.
That is a good question. If it's a small infant car seat that fits in the overhead bin, I think they have to. If not, it will likely be a different conversation altogether.
That is a good question. If it's a small infant car seat that fits in the overhead bin, I think they have to. If not, it will likely be a different conversation altogether.
