Grandparents take baby on plane halfway?

[estherhead]

Can anyone tell me what I will need to do, or what paperwork is needed if I want my 18 month old to drive with me to vacation and then meet my parents there who will have flown. Then they would take the baby home with them on the airplane so the baby won't have to do the long drive home. Anyone done this before? Can they just take the baby & her car seat and be good to go?

 

[everylastbreath]

Never did this, but I would think if you planned on using the baby's carseat you would need to buy a seat for him/her, so when your parents book their tickets, I would think they need to purchase another seat next to theirs. If you were not planning on using a carseat and baby can be held in their lap, I still would think the airline would have to know about the additional passenger (seat or no seat) I don't think it's wise to just have them show up with the baby.

 

[estherhead]

Oh, I didn't mean to put the carseat on the plane, I just meant they would take it as luggage. And, yes, we'd tell the airline. I just wondered if someone would think they had stolen the baby or something. Not sure how it works to travel with someone else's kid, especially only one way.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

This isn't probably the best practice but airlines do not really inquire about babies! I was shocked that I wasn't asked for a birth cert to check my daughter in the first time I flew with her (she was 5 weeks old at the time). I kept thinking...how do they know she's mine? My mother has flown with us several times and taken DD through security while DH and I deal with the bags and nobody has every questioned why she had a young child with her.

 

[bumbershoot]

When we had our son on as a lap baby (which I won't do again, should I have more babies, it was too tiring) they required a birth certificate.

If I trusted the remaining grandparents to take DS anywhere as a baby, I would have made sure they had the b.c. and a notarized letter stating that they had permission to travel with him, signed by both of us.

Maybe they don't always check, but if they do and the g'parents don't have it, it'll be trouble.

 

[estherhead]

Thanks all! I work with a notary so I'll get her to help me with the letter and get my parents a copy of the b.c. Anything I can do to make it easy, especially since they are being nice enough to offer! It will certainly make my trip home a lot easier.

 

[all4fun]

Here's one form I found online you can use:
http://www2.med.umich.edu/healthcenters/TemporaryConsentMedicalTreatment.pdf

Make sure the airline knows ahead of time that they will be traveling with the infant on the return flight.

Also - 18mos olds can be pretty rambunctious. At that age, I was never sorry we bought ds a seat and brought his car seat on board. It really did make things easier for us in the long run. Just some food for thought.

hth

 

[Aliceacc]

Also, you would want a letter authorizing Grandparents to OK any medical treatment, along with the name and phone number of the pediatrician, and any known allergies.

 

[tinkandpan]

And a copy of her insurance card! Just a notarized letter and copy of BC will be sufficient, although i would be surprised if anyone even asks as scary as that is.

 

[katied]

I've traveled with my DS (age 10 months now) all over the country. The only time I've had to show any ID for him is when we've left the country and he needed a passport. Some airlines don't even require you to notify them you have a lap baby - amazing - you just go thru security w the baby and get on the plane and no one asks anything... Continental and Northwest were the most lax about the baby. Southwest generally asked name and age, but not for ID, and American asked name, but not age.

 

[michygoomy]

We did this years ago and we didn't do anything--just gave the GP the baby! They had no issues, and we didn't have to do a 22-hour drive with an 11 month old.

This was pre-9/11, but I don't think anything has changed much, because no one has ever asked for documentation for my youngest.

 

[danx2plus3more]

we were told when we flew we were suposed to have a birth certificate to show we werent stealing him...but my 8 and 4 yr old at the time vouged for us

 

[emma'smom]

The grandparents should let the airlines know in advance that they will be traveling with a lap baby so that she has a "reservation" (not a seat that you pay for, but that she is noted in the airlines records). I know a PP mentioned the value of buying a seat, but know that I traveled with my dd's right up to the day before their 2nd birthday at lap babies without any problems....

When I send my kids with my parents, I always give them a copy of their insurance card and a notarized letter stating that they are traveling with my children with my permission (and without me) for the following dates and have permission to make all medical decisions. I also include my contact information....just in case. A copy of the BC wouldn't hurt...