Do you need any documentation to fly with a lap baby?

[AC7179]

Birth certificate or anything?

 

[Girimama33]

I think it depends on the airline. We usually flew SW when DD was younger and always had a copy of her BC when we traveled.

 

[bcla]

Most require some form of documentation to prove a child is under 2. Southwest was mentioned. They ask for a birth certificate (I've heard a photocopy usually works) but in reality any government issued ID will work. My wife took our kid using a passport card flying Southwest. A non driver license state ID or regular passport should work too.

http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/family/baby-on-board-pol.html

If a seat is purchased for the child, ID won't be required. Even so, since our kid has a passport we've shown it at security even though it's not strictly needed.

 

[bumbershoot]

Bring the birth certificate for a lap baby. You have to prove age for an age-based fare, even if that "fare" is free.

 

[bcla]

Bring the birth certificate for a lap baby. You have to prove age for an age-based fare, even if that "fare" is free.

Technically there is no fare or reservation needed for a lap infant for any domestic flight, but different airlines have different policies. Southwest only notes that they require that the parent must go to the airport counter to get a "boarding verification document" to present to security and the aircraft crew. The FAA requires that lap infants must be under 2, and there's no way around the requirement for proof of age.

Jet Blue has a different policy. The require that the intent to bring a lap infant be called in, must check in at the ticket counter, and that they may be asked for some proof of age.

http://help.jetblue.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/webisapi.dll?New,Kb=askBlue,case=obj(1939)

 

[Epek]

We've flown Jet Blue, United, American, and either US Airways or Continental with a lap baby and have never been asked for any proof of ID or age. Even when he was 18 months old. I can't remember which, but a few if the airlines printed him his own boarding pass, so they asked to see him when we checked in, but that's all. We still brought a copy of his birth certificate, just in case.

 

[bcla]

We've flown Jet Blue, United, American, and either US Airways or Continental with a lap baby and have never been asked for any proof of ID or age. Even when he was 18 months old. I can't remember which, but a few if the airlines printed him his own boarding pass, so they asked to see him when we checked in, but that's all. We still brought a copy of his birth certificate, just in case.

Jet Blue says that they may ask for ID.

Customers traveling with a lap child could be asked for proof of age, such as a passport, birth certificate (copies are acceptable for domestic travel) or an immunization record when the infant's age is questionable. Infants between three and 14 days old must also have, in the form of a letter, their doctor's approval to travel.

Infants must be traveling with an adult customer at least 14 years or older, and the infant must sit on the adult's lap during takeoff and landing.

Maybe I should modify my previous statement. The FAA has rules that lap infants must be under 2, but it's up to the airline on how it will enforce it. United and American actually don't say anything about proof of age. Southwest makes everyone demonstrate proof of age.

 

[Gisele]

I would hope that proper i.d. would always be required for very young children, for safety and security issues for the child. After all how does anyone really know that you are the proper legal guardian or other designated adult? I know there are stories in the past of flight attendants not being so sure of this sort of thing, long ago before regulations and policies were either changed, or created.
If I was ever to see anything questionable, I don't care what it is on an airline, even if it is but a puddle jumper, I will open my mouth at the appropriate time.

 

[ahsquared]

We've never had to provide any I'd for our daughter and we have flown with her as a lap baby and in her own seat. At. 9 and 14 months.

 

[travelbug08]

When we flew Alaska with our 11 month old, we had her passport, but nobody ever looked at it going to or from. In fact, when I called to add the lap infant to our online booking, the CS agent said I didn't need a birth certificate for her. I was so surprised as I expected them to want proof of both her identity and that she was traveling with her parents (or had parental permission).

 

[Angela72181]

We are flying Southwest in less than a month. I called in to add my 17 month old to the reservation and she said that I would need to bring a copy of the birth certificate which has already been placed with our travel documents

We flew Spirit last December and took the certificate with us but they never asked for it.

My theory is to take it and be more prepared than unprepared at the airport.

 

[bcla]

We are flying Southwest in less than a month. I called in to add my 17 month old to the reservation and she said that I would need to bring a copy of the birth certificate which has already been placed with our travel documents

We flew Spirit last December and took the certificate with us but they never asked for it.

My theory is to take it and be more prepared than unprepared at the airport.

Southwest is explicit that they don't require a reservation or call in for the lap infant, but that they will ask for proof of age. Other airlines indicate that they may ask for proof of age, while others only require that the guardian attest to the child's age. The key is to check the airline's policies. I remember what it was like 20 years ago before airlines had extensive websites.

The one common denominator is that the child will need to check in at the ticket counter to get a boarding document. If you still want online checkin, it's still perfectly OK to purchase a regular fare for the child, and none of the ID requirements will apply.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

Echoing what was already said, but Southwest does require proof of age for a lap child. We've always used a birth certificate, but I know state issued IDs, passports & immunization records (I believe) would work also.

 

[Briarrose1306]

This seems to have been sufficiently answered but I'm going to chime in anyways. My DBFF recently flew with me to DL on SW and while they usually don't ask for verification (per her experience) this time they did. They wanted a birth certificate to prove she was under 2, as DBFF didn't have it with her, they made her pay for a ticket. Luckily, once she got back and sent them a copy of the birth certificate they refunded her. Better safe than sorry, take a birth certificate.

 

[Freesia123]

If you are flying from Canada you need a NOTARISED permission letter to take kids under 18 without their other parent. (Or death certificate if that's your situation)

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I would hope that proper i.d. would always be required for very young children, for safety and security issues for the child. After all how does anyone really know that you are the proper legal guardian or other designated adult? I know there are stories in the past of flight attendants not being so sure of this sort of thing, long ago before regulations and policies were either changed, or created.
If I was ever to see anything questionable, I don't care what it is on an airline, even if it is but a puddle jumper, I will open my mouth at the appropriate time.

Absolutely no id is needed for anyone under age 18 on a domestic flight. The only exception is a birth certificate for a lap child (under age 2) or someone traveling on a child's fare (unusual).

I have no idea what you mean by seeing something questionable,

 

[ToodlesRN]

Wow, guess we lucked out. When our son was a lap child we flew about 10 times with him and no one had ever asked for his birth cert. thank goodness as I never brought one! He did get his passport at 2.5 and had his own seat/fare. Our daughter flew 3 times as a lap child and again never was asked for her birth cert. and it was last year when we flew with her as a lap child.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Wow, guess we lucked out. When our son was a lap child we flew about 10 times with him and no one had ever asked for his birth cert. thank goodness as I never brought one! He did get his passport at 2.5 and had his own seat/fare. Our daughter flew 3 times as a lap child and again never was asked for her birth cert. and it was last year when we flew with her as a lap child.

You were extremely lucky. If you had been asked for the birth certificate and didn't have it, you would have had to pay the walk up fare for your child's ticket.

People really need to read their airline's rules regarding ticketing, baggage, seating, etc., so they won't have to deal with unpleasant surprises.