Booking airfare for infant...

[Disneyolic]

Has anyone had any experience in booking airfare for an infant? What I really want to know is if you were able to get a separate seat for the infant at a reduced price. I've heard of it but Delta's website states you must call for pricing. Just wondering if prices really are reduced if you book over the phone as opposed to booking online. Thanks...

~DawnMaree

 

[beattyfamily]

I've gotten 50% off child fare for children under 2 who want a seat 3 times now.

All three times I was able to get that rate through Expedia.com and I flew with Delta all 3 times. You do NOT have to call if you book through them!

I just did a search on the Expedia website and it came up with the 50% discount again through Delta. I just did it again with AA and they also had an Infant rate.

Good luck!

 

[leebee]

Glad to see you're getting a seat for the baby! My BIL is an attendant for United. He says that in training although they're told to tell parents to "hold the child securely on the floor" in an emergency, they're also told that there's no way a parent is strong enough to hold on to a child during a decompression, or even during turbulence, when they're in your lap. YAY to DL and AA for offering 1/2 price for kids under 2! I always felt that if there's no way we could have afforded a seat for DD when she was under 2, then we couldn't really afford the trip. Of course, she's 10 now, and there's no discount for her anymore!

 

[mep319]

Yeah....I had to pay full price for DD thur USAIR But glad some airlines are now offering reduced rates!!

 

[pumpkinboy]

And you are doing absolutely the right thing here, buying a seat for your infant. Good for you! Baby will be more comfortable, you will be more comfortable, and God forbid anything terrible happens, baby will be safer. Delta has long offered 1/2 price for babies in car seats and more airlines should.

I do believe that you are best off calling tho, as the online booking does not distinguish your precious child from ordinary passengers and thus will charge you full price if you book there.

Good luck. and be sure to bring both binky and bottle to help baby's ears adjust.

 

[Disneyolic]

Thank you all so much for your fast replies! I have to admit that we were "those" parents who held our 1yo on his first trip. While there were no problems and we were very lucky on all but 1 leg of our trip to have a seat for him, we definitely felt that getting a seat for future children (lo and behold) would be the best for all of us. She should be 4 months by the time we fly and I will still be nursing so I'm hoping that will help her ears. I probably should bring a bottle to keep her in her seat though, eh, at least during take off and landing?

Thanks again.

~DawnMaree

 

[maciec]

I just purchased a 1/2 price ticket for my DS who will be 13 months when we go to WDW in October. You have to call for pricing though.

If your DD will take a bottle I recommend it. It certainly did help our DD when she was a baby.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[bubbasmom99]

We have booked on Delta through Expedia, and always gotten 1/2 price for under 2. Unfortunately on our last trip, my DD wanted to be held through the entire flight. Not so safe for turbulence, but I'm sure that everyone else on the plane (a redeye) did not want to hear her scream all night

 

[Rjack122]

ATA airlines also offers 1/2 price seats for infants, but can only be done over the phone. Online it will be charged at full price. I got a seat for my infant for our next trip.

 

[disneyfam]

We got DD's seat at 50% of the rate for our Nov flight. We booked through USAir. When I called to inquire, USAir said you had to book an infant via phone. We didn't still had to pay full rate on the taxes, but the cost of the seat was 50% less.

Cynde

 

[justhat]

We got half price seats on USAirways and Delta by buying only my daughter's ticket over the phone. We got ours online, then when we called to get her tickets we had them link the reservations and they assigned her seat next to mine.

 

[piglet33]

I got my daughter's seat for 1/2 price on Continental this year and last year. She was so much more comfortable, and by doing this, she slept the whole flight in her carseat. I also made sure she was sucking her binky and had Earplanes in her ears on takeoff and landing. They definitely helped since landing and takeoff didn't bother her at all. There were other children that were crying because their ears hurt when we were landing. BTW - my daughter was the only child on the whole plane in a carseat and in her own seat. I don't know why people do that.

I almost forgot to add that I bought all the tickets online and didn't have to call Continental to get the discount for her.

 

[Disneyolic]

Justhat - I'm glad you mentioned about buying your daughter's seat over the phone and the rest online - especially that they were able to link the reservations together. I like to be able to check our seats almost daily because I know how the airlines like to change planes and your seats. I think they change you alphabetically because we always wind up in the back (last name Welch) and I have to redo our seatings. Gotta love that online flexibility.

~DawnMaree

 

[castlegazer]

I used to book on-line with Orbitz only because they had the option to check off that you would be traveling with an infant under two - this gave me options of low cost airfares on most airlines, but we usually booked Delta and USAir both of which gave about 50% off. This past trip I traveled on SWA and bought a full priced fare as when I called for the infant fare it was much higher because their's are open ended tickets for infants (who knows why) making it significant;y higher than the reduced fare I was getting via the web site.

On another note regarding nursing on the flight - this is what I thought I could do on my son's first flight when he was six months old. No way jose. We always get him a seat so he was in his car seat - the flight attendants will not let you remove him/her from their seat to nurse during takeoff. Bring a bottle for sure. It is absolutely not possible to nurse them on takeoff or landing - and I even do Yoga. Do NOT let this deter you from getting a seat for you child. Safety aside (but it is extremely pertinent), I just got off the most horrific flight with parents who were holding their children who were much too big to be held for a three hour flight. I don't want to get another thread started here, but suffice it to say, it was horrible for the rest of us, it must have been excruciating for the parents.

 

[Disneyolic]

castlegazer - thank you for letting me know about the nursing (or should I say not nursing) during takeoff and landing. I figured that much just for the safety alone. I think a lot of children's ears start to hurt a little bit after takeoff so even if she won't take the bottle on takeoff, I can get her started soon afterward. Landing is a whole other problem...

You made me laugh with the mental picture of doing some type of yoga to breastfeed an infant in their seat!

~DawnMaree