upgrade w/ an infant
Feb 21, 2012, 6:53 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DCA, IAD, BWI, JAX
Programs: AA (EXP), Accor (Diamond), Hilton Honors (Diamond), Marriott (Gold), Hyatt (Discoverist)
Posts: 92
upgrade w/ an infant
So, Mrs. Senatetalker and I just had a baby (3 months old) and will be taking our first flight with jr. in April.
I've seen vague references to this question through a search but nothing definitive.
I'm a gold and my flight route usually has plenty of F seats available (dca-buf). Has anyone had experience with upgrading with an infant? He'll be in my lap (likely screaming). Does the upgrade gnome distinguish of you have a lap child or not?
Many thanks.
I've seen vague references to this question through a search but nothing definitive.
I'm a gold and my flight route usually has plenty of F seats available (dca-buf). Has anyone had experience with upgrading with an infant? He'll be in my lap (likely screaming). Does the upgrade gnome distinguish of you have a lap child or not?
Many thanks.
Feb 22, 2012, 1:08 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
Programs: None
Posts: 9,171
I'd wait to add your infant as a lap child until closer to departure time - maybe even at the airport. While it shouldn't make a difference, I'm not sure that the auto upgrade system is smart enough to distinguish between a lap child and a non-elite "companion". If it doesn't do that, it would be looking for 3 available upgrade seats instead of 2 for you and the wife.
Jim
Jim
Feb 22, 2012, 3:55 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 753
If you have an infant in arms on the reservation prior to the upgrade you will be skipped 9 times out of 10. There are some reports of people getting through, but they are the exception to the rule.
Wait for the upgrade window to clear then call and add Jr. to the reservation. Make sure you add him/her before you get the airport to minimize the risk of something going wrong with the reservation.
Wait for the upgrade window to clear then call and add Jr. to the reservation. Make sure you add him/her before you get the airport to minimize the risk of something going wrong with the reservation.
Feb 22, 2012, 7:39 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: PHL
Programs: US-G/*G, SPG-G, MR-G, Avis-F
Posts: 162
Please PM me when you do this, so that I can make sure that I am not on your flight. 
We had a screamer in 3F last week and my tolerance-quota is full.
We had a screamer in 3F last week and my tolerance-quota is full.
Feb 22, 2012, 8:51 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Alexandria, VA - DCA
Programs: BA Gold, American Airlines, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond
Posts: 5,075
The above advice is correct. My daughter just passed the 2 year mark and we flew with her regularly out of DCA. We would always wait until the sweeps cleared the upgrades and then call in and add the lap-child to the PNR.
Feb 22, 2012, 9:08 am
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 851
You can get the auto upgrade email with a lap infant (I've even gotten email upgrade for a party of 3 + lap infant on one PNR) but you can't do OLCI and they will give away any <24 hour/OLCI upgrades before you can get to the airport and manually put yourself on the waiting list.
Feb 22, 2012, 10:36 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DCA, IAD, BWI, JAX
Programs: AA (EXP), Accor (Diamond), Hilton Honors (Diamond), Marriott (Gold), Hyatt (Discoverist)
Posts: 92
Thanks all - This is helpful. This will be interesting to say the least 
Feb 22, 2012, 10:37 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DCA, IAD, BWI, JAX
Programs: AA (EXP), Accor (Diamond), Hilton Honors (Diamond), Marriott (Gold), Hyatt (Discoverist)
Posts: 92
Feb 22, 2012, 12:12 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: (near) Cambridge, MA
Programs: US GP (used to be *G, now,what)
Posts: 1,777
This is what they told me to do when I was having problems the past two years... It worked flawlessly after the fact. I called 1-2 days before if my upgrade had not cleared and sometimes they'd do it then as well. The trick is to add after the sweeps and your upgrade clears....
Feb 23, 2012, 10:15 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: BOS,PIT
Programs: Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, JetBlue Mosaic, United Silver
Posts: 461
I think the best tactic is to just add the infant at the airport. There is absolutely no advantage to adding ahead of time on US, you have to go to the ticket counter either way. On B6 they let you print the infant's BP online and skip the counter, can't speak for other airlines.
Flew at 15 months and 19 months with my daughter, no issues with noise. The issue at that age is wanting to get up and go meet everyone on the plane.
Flew at 15 months and 19 months with my daughter, no issues with noise. The issue at that age is wanting to get up and go meet everyone on the plane.