Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
explain your situation to the agent and
ask if you can reserve two seats—or
simply move to two empty adjacent
seats once the plane is boarded. You
might want to shop around before you
buy your ticket and deliberately book
a flight that's not very busy. Ask the
reservationist which flights tend to be
most full and avoid those. Only one
extra child is allowed in each row,
however, due to the limited number of
oxygen masks.
On international journeys children
already can't ride free on parents' laps.
On flights overseas a lap fare usually
costs 10 percent of the parent's ticket
price. Children who meet the airline's
age limit (which ranges from 11-15
years old) can purchase international
fares at 50% to 75% of the lowest
coach fare in certain markets. Some of
the foreign carriers make even greater
allowances for children.
Children riding for free will usually
not be granted any baggage allowance.
All airlines offer child meals if
requested in advance. Ticketed babies
can get “infant meals” on America
West, Delta, and US Airways, and all
major airlines except Alaska and
Southwest will warm bottles on
request.
CHILD SEATS: THEY'RE
A MUST
According to
Consumer Reports Travel
Letter,
the National Transportation
Safety Board says that, since 1991, the
deaths of five children and injuries to
four could have been prevented had
the children been sitting in restraint
systems during their flights. Even in
the event of moderate turbulence,
children sitting on a parent's lap can
be thrust forward and injured. When
you consider that a commercial air-
craft hits a significant amount of tur-
bulence at least once a day on average,
you'd do well to think about investing
a few hundred dollars for a safety seat.
The FAA recommends that chil-
dren under 20 pounds ride in a rear-
facing child-restraint system, and says
children that weigh 20 to 40 pounds
should sit in a forward-facing child-
restraint system. Children over 40
pounds should sit in a regular seat and
wear a seat belt.
All child seats manufactured after
1985 are certified for airline use, but
make sure your chair will fit in an air-
line seat—it must be less than 16
inches wide. You may not use booster
seats or seatless vests or harness sys-
tems. Safety seats must be placed in
window seats—except in exit rows,
where they are prohibited, so as not to
block the passage of other travelers in
the case of an emergency.
The airlines themselves should
carry child safety seats onboard.
Unfortunately, most don't. To make
matters worse, overzealous flight
attendants have been known to try to
keep safety seats off planes. One trav-
eler recounts in the November 2001
issue of
Consumer Reports Travel Letter
The Custody Trap
Because of concern about parental abductions, special requirements exist
for children flying to many foreign countries, including Mexico. If they're
with one parent, they must bring a notarized consent document from the
other parent—even if the missing parent is the one waving goodbye at
the airport! A decree of sole custody or parental death certificate will also
do. Minors traveling alone to these countries must bring either two con-
sent forms, a decree of sole custody and one consent form, or applicable
death certificates. Ask your airline what's required when you book the
ticket.
