Bringing birth certificate when flying with child

[gotomu212]

Another reason you might need a BC when flying with your kids: TSA PreCheck. Kids under a certain age (12, I think?) can go through the PreCheck line with their parent/guardian (assuming the parent/guardian got PreCheck). My daughter is 10 but looks much older, and I often have to prove that she's young enough to come through the line with me.

That's interesting. My son has been enrolled in pre-check since he was 5 and every time we get in that lane they stop us and say everyone, even the kids have to be precheck, and they NEVER believe us that he's enrolled until we show the pass (this is just to get in the entrance to the precheck line). Then as we walk through the line every agent we walk past repeats it yet again. We fly around the country a fair amount and get it everywhere (DC, Orlando, Seattle is really overkill, NYC, STL). I would love to fly where you don't get the 3rd degree.

 

[JW9DVC]

Depends on the airline and your airline status as well.

JW

 

[bumbershoot]

As long as they have A passport you don't need to travel with the birth certificate. Like someone else said passport trumps all. Doesn't matter if its a child passport or adult passport.

I think she's bringing it to prove parentage since they have different last names. Not age.

 

[bumbershoot]

My son has been enrolled in pre-check since he was 5 and every time we get in that lane they stop us and say everyone, even the kids have to be precheck, and they NEVER believe us that he's enrolled until we show the pass (this is just to get in the entrance to the precheck line). Then as we walk through the line every agent we walk past repeats it yet again.

Bizarre.

Q. If my family is traveling with me, can they also use the TSA Pre✓® lane?
A. Family members ages 12 and under, traveling with an eligible parent or guardian that has a TSA Pre✓® indicator on their boarding pass, can participate in expedited screening.

I'm assuming the adults are in the program and you're entering it when doing online checkin so the Pre info shows on boarding passes? And you're entering it on HIS boarding pass info so it shows on the boarding pass?

Q. What is a CBP PASSID and/or Known Traveler Number (KTN)?
A. The CBP PASSID, a nine-digit number that usually begins with 98, serves as your KTN. Members of the TSA Pre✓® Application Program have a KTN that starts with the letters TT. Please provide this number when booking a reservation on one of the 11 participating airlines.

Your individual reservation — passenger name record (PNR) — must include your KTN.

Q. My KTN is saved in my airline profile. Do I have to add it individually to each reservation?
A. Yes. Even though you have the number saved in your profile, the airline submits your reservation data for an upcoming flight to TSA. Your individual reservation — PNR — must include your KTN.

DH belongs because of GE and if we're all traveling together he takes DS with him. Kid is crazy tall (not the tallest, but given that we're 5'4" and 5'10" the kid is up there) and there hasn't been pushback, not even at MCO, land of pushback.

 

[gotomu212]

Bumbershot thanks for all the links. It really is bizarre. The whole family has it with GE and it's always right there on our boarding passes for each of us but they still question the little guys. Maybe he looks shifty for a second grader!

We did laugh when we got it 2 years ago. Since it was part of global entry we all had to do the background interview. Um he's 5, no he's never been to prison, nope not married to a foreign national, occupation kindergartner.

The precheck questioning just happened to us last month in Seattle so maybe each airport is doing it differently and just expecting people not to challenge it or again maybe he looks shady

 

[tvguy]

We flew once to Canada with just a BC for our then 3 year old son. It was such a HUGE hassle with Canadian Immigration that we never flew again with our kids, even domestically, without a Passport. Now, this was back in 1989. We got pulled aside by Canadian immigration and told since we did not have a picture ID for our son, they had to make SURE we weren't stealing a child out of Canada!

 

[SirDuff]

We flew once to Canada with just a BC for our then 3 year old son. It was such a HUGE hassle with Canadian Immigration that we never flew again with our kids, even domestically, without a Passport. Now, this was back in 1989. We got pulled aside by Canadian immigration and told since we did not have a picture ID for our son, they had to make SURE we weren't stealing a child out of Canada!

If the problem was when you were LEAVING Canada, the problem was with US immigration, not Canadian immigration.

 

[bumbershoot]

Maybe he looks shifty for a second grader!

I can tell from here that he's super-suspicious.

 

[tvguy]

If the problem was when you were LEAVING Canada, the problem was with US immigration, not Canadian immigration.

Nope, it was Canadian. I didn't have to deal with U.S. Immigration until we landed in San Francisco.

 

[SirDuff]

Nope, it was Canadian. I didn't have to deal with U.S. Immigration until we landed in San Francisco.

Canada does not do immigration checks when you are leaving Canada. And, most Canadian airports (with flights to the US) have US pre-clearance (so you clear US customs/immigration at the Canadian airport not on arrival in the US). Your story makes no sense.

 

[SwimMom2]

You do need a BC when flying domestically with a child under 2 and you have not purchased them a seat. I've read where airlines (SWA in particular) ask to see it even when it's very obvious the child is under 2. If you are flying domestically and have purchased a seat for the child, then the BC is not needed. A passport can be used in lieu of the BC for proof of age for a lap child.

You would need a passport for the child when flying internationally. And you would need either the BC or a passport for the child when cruising.

Lap child must be key here. I flew with DS many times as a toddler and never was asked for identification, but I always purchased a seat for him and installed his car seat on the plane. They always asked to see his ticket to make sure we weren't using a seat we didn't pay for, though!

Internationally of course, but domestically, no if he has his own seat. You do need it for the cruise, even better if you get a passport. It's good for 5 years so it's worth getting even for a baby.

 

[SirDuff]

Lap child must be key here. I flew with DS many times as a toddler and never was asked for identification, but I always purchased a seat for him and installed his car seat on the plane. They always asked to see his ticket to make sure we weren't using a seat we didn't pay for, though!

Internationally of course, but domestically, no if he has his own seat. You do need it for the cruise, even better if you get a passport. It's good for 5 years so it's worth getting even for a baby.

Yup. It is the lap child thing. Airlines can get seriously dinged if they are caught allowing a who is two or over to fly as a lap child. So, they check (sometimes even if the child is obviously only a few months old).

 

[tvguy]

Canada does not do immigration checks when you are leaving Canada. And, most Canadian airports (with flights to the US) have US pre-clearance (so you clear US customs/immigration at the Canadian airport not on arrival in the US). Your story makes no sense.

Like I posted, this was 1989. If it matters, it was Calgary. Sorry it makes no sense to you, it is what happened.
Only time I have had an issue in 50 years of flying in and out of Canada.