Dumbest flying question ever....

[Avery&Todd]

I cant believe that Im actually asking this question, and I feel like I should know the answer, but *sigh* I'll ask it anyway....



We're flying to MCO in June....my 2 boys, 12 & 10 have not flown since they were infants and sat on my lap..

Do they need identification when going through security? I know DH & I have to whip out our drivers licenses, but both boys dont drive, so do I need to bring their birth certificates or anything else?

And if not, then how do they know these kids are mine? If you dont take into consideration that the youngest is just a "boy version" of me, and the younger one is my DH just shorter....

My gut answer is that I can should bring the birth certificates, but I probably wont need them...and that security will just assume the kids walking next to me, halfway listening to me and who look like me, are in fact my kids...

Am I right??

 

[crashbb]

No need for identification for children (unless they are flying some special fare - like a lap child - in which case the airline would ask for the identification).

 

[Alesia]

No one under 18 needs any ID of any kind. The gate agents don't care if their your kids or not.

 

[mco65]

No ID required but TSA will typically ask them a question like, what's your name? How old are you? Where you heading? Not militarily, just to get a comfy feeling from them.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

They won't need them, that said I never travel without some identification for my kids. It's easy to just stick their BCs in your carry-on just in case.

 

[Hannathy]

No ID required but TSA will typically ask them a question like, what's your name? How old are you? Where you heading? Not militarily, just to get a comfy feeling from them.

They don't always do this and often it is just to sort out the boarding passes and know who the adults are to see their (the adults) ID's

I've never had them ask my kids anything but their names and not even that all the time.

Actually the TSA doesn't care whose kids they are, they don't have to be yours.

I don't get the "comfy feel" from them statement

 

[bumbershoot]

Hannathy, I believe the poster means that the TSA just wants to hear that the kids are comfortable and not being coerced.



OP, minors don't need ID. TSA people typically ask DS who we are in relation to him. Super-awesome fun when he replied "Molly and Robert" to "and who are these people?" at MCO once. Actually it didn't cause anything bad, it was just uncomfortable to us. I then told him with "he wants to know what is our relationship to you", and then he told the guy mom and dad.

 

[tinkerbell423]

I just called Southwest because my son's friend is joining us on our vacation. I asked what he needs for identification since he isn't my child and was told a school ID would be fine and I could use the birth certificate if he didn't have the school ID. The only time I was asked for one of my child's birth certiifcate was when my daughter was a lap baby and 3 months old. To prove she was under 2 (really!!!) I think she was all of 8 pounds at the time.

 

[lylone]

If you are taking your son's friend, make sure to get some sort of authorization to provide medical care *in writing* from the parents.
I have had to have this for my nieces when staying with me while their folks were out of town. You don't think you will need it, but we were glad we had it when one niece twisted her ankle at school. And a note filed with the school wasn't enough when she went to the ER!

 

[Hannathy]

Hannathy, I believe the poster means that the TSA just wants to hear that the kids are comfortable and not being coerced.



OP, minors don't need ID. TSA people typically ask DS who we are in relation to him. Super-awesome fun when he replied "Molly and Robert" to "and who are these people?" at MCO once. Actually it didn't cause anything bad, it was just uncomfortable to us. I then told him with "he wants to know what is our relationship to you", and then he told the guy mom and dad.

But they don't care. That isn't their job.

I don't know what airports you guys fly out of but mine have never been asked anything but once in a blue moon their names.\

 

[goofy4tink]

When I was standing in security yesterday morning, Ft Lauderdale, I watched the TSA employee ask each one of two kids (in a stroller) who they were. She looked down and said..'Okay, who's Aidan???' One of the boys spoke up. She then said..'Well then if he's Aidan, who are you???' to the other child. And the youngster spoke up with his name. As they responded, she wrote on a boarding pass. She made a joke out of it, but she was obviously checking to see if the names matched the boarding passes. Why? I have no idea. But, she did ask.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I just called Southwest because my son's friend is joining us on our vacation. I asked what he needs for identification since he isn't my child and was told a school ID would be fine and I could use the birth certificate if he didn't have the school ID. The only time I was asked for one of my child's birth certiifcate was when my daughter was a lap baby and 3 months old. To prove she was under 2 (really!!!) I think she was all of 8 pounds at the time.

A great example that airline employees often have no idea of TSA rules (and often their own airline's policies). Sometimes I wonder if some of them have ever even flown.

You absolutely need no id for minors flying domestically, except birth certificates for lap babies.

OP - You can always check tsa.gov for a definitive answer to security rules for flying.

 

[TinkNH]

When I flew recently with my oldest (9) they asked her her name and age, and then asked us where we were going...it was more small talk than anything..(hi honey whats your name?) then told her she could keep her sneakers on but had to take her jacket off. That was out of Logan in Boston. Other times they barely glanced at her at all (Baltimore)

 

[NotUrsula]

A great example that airline employees often have no idea of TSA rules (and often their own airline's policies). Sometimes I wonder if some of them have ever even flown.

You absolutely need no id for minors flying domestically, except birth certificates for lap babies.

OP - You can always check tsa.gov for a definitive answer to security rules for flying.

Well, to be fair, she asked SWA, and SWA told her what THEY require if the passenger is flying on an age-dependent fare, because they do require it in those cases. Airlines have different requirements than TSA does, and it stands to reason that if you ask an airline employee what kind of ID a passenger needs, they are going to give you their own rules. Airlines ask for ID for a different reason: to prevent passengers from getting around no-refund rules by reselling their tickets.

The answser that she got is correct in situations where a SWA passenger has purchased a child or student fare, or is traveling as a lap child; they are required for proof of eligibility for the fare class purchase. If you buy a regular non-refundable adult fare class for a child on SWA, then no ID is needed for them. (And yes, that does actually mean that you can get away with buying a ticket for minor child's friend A and actually take minor child's friend B, if the name works for the gender, which is, of course, why adults who work for the airlines like to casually ask kids their names.)

As to TSA, you are correct; no ID required for minors travelling domestically. Passports (or a passport card for Mexico/Canada) are required if they will need to re-enter the US at any point on the trip.

 

[aubriee]

I've flown alone with my grandkids numerous times. They have never asked who they were or what relation they were to me, even though it was obvious I was not their parent. In fact, I took my 3 1/2 y/o GS to WDW just this past Feb. We were never questioned. Now for my own peace of mind, I always have my son and D-I-L give me a notarized letter stating that my grand daughter or grandson can travel with me to whatever the destination is and from this date to this date and that I can obtain any medical care for them. However, that letter is not needed. I just carry it for my own peace of mind. They also always give me their insurance cards in case I need them. I've never carried any ID for them though.

Off topic: but my eldest grand daughter's parents are divorced. Even though I get along fine with my ex D-I-L, I always get separate notarized letters from both her and my son stating I can travel with her and get medical care for her if needed. I get along with my ex D-I-L better than my son does. I just want to make sure I'm covered if those two have a blow up while I'm gone and my ex D-I-L decides to cause trouble. She laughs about it, but always gives me the notarized letter.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Well, to be fair, she asked SWA, and SWA told her what THEY require if the passenger is flying on an age-dependent fare, because they do require it in those cases. Airlines have different requirements than TSA does, and it stands to reason that if you ask an airline employee what kind of ID a passenger needs, they are going to give you their own rules. ......

I was making a comment regarding post #8; the poster stated WN advised her to bring the birth certificate or school id for a school age friend travelling with her family. This is absolutely incorrect and has nothing to do with age dependent fares. As a matter fact, the original question also had nothing to do with age dependent fares. I'm guessing you just read the question incorrectly.

 

[NotUrsula]

I was making a comment regarding post #8; the poster stated WN advised her to bring the birth certificate or school id for a school age friend travelling with her family. This is absolutely incorrect and has nothing to do with age dependent fares. As a matter fact, the original question also had nothing to do with age dependent fares. I'm guessing you just read the question incorrectly.

No, I read it correctly. IME, whenever you call to ask SWA about documentation, the answer that they are going to give you reflects the possibility that you are travelling on an age-restricted fare; it is company policy to always give a most-restrictive-fare stock answer to questions like these, so that passengers are more likely to err on the side of caution, and be less likely to try to argue with the ticket/gate agent that a person on the phone told them something different.

Ask the airline, and they are going to CYA and give you THEIR rules; they don't give a rat's patootie about TSA's rules for what you can and cannot do, which AFATAC are not their problem. As you rightly pointed out, if you are concerned about what TSA will require, then the correct source to consult is TSA, not the airline.

 

[MisWal]

I was asked by an Allegiant rep in March if we had ID for our children. I didn't as we have never had to previously. She said that TSA may ask for it (they didn't) and to be sure to bring some kind of ID next time for them. After looking at the TSA guidelines, she was wrong.

We are flying again tomorrow and I have printed out the TSA guidelines in case we run into this scenario again. We are flying a different airline, but same small airport, so we'll see what happens!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I was asked by an Allegiant rep in March if we had ID for our children. I didn't as we have never had to previously. She said that TSA may ask for it (they didn't) and to be sure to bring some kind of ID next time for them. After looking at the TSA guidelines, she was wrong.

Where do the airlines find these people? Don't they get any kind of training?