"lap" Children Flying On Aa
- Thread starter laura62
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LaBradford22
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My child is now just over five months old, and we have travelled safely on AA with her several times. I usually hold her in my lap, but she is strapped to me in an infant carrier. So, she's not going anywhere unless I go somewhere, and I'm strapped in with my safety belt fastened unless the Captain tells me I can do otherwise. In fact, I even heed the second part of the Captain's statement to "keep the belt fastened even when the light is turned off" because, frankly, it's just a good idea to do so. I've never felt a hint of guilt about "endangering" my child for doing this. I feel like I'm endangering my child more when she's properly strapped and secured in a car seat and I'm driving in Dallas/Ft Worth rush hour traffic.
As far as the original question, I've never been asked for a birth certificate, but then again, it's pretty obvious that my little girl is under 2 years of age. In the case of a child who looks about 2 years old, the agents might ask for a birth cerfiticate. It's one of those situations where, technically, the agent can ask for it, but the agents have so much stuff to do and are under considerable pressure to get the flight out on time, so unless the child really does look too old to be a lap child, the agent is probably not going to bother.
Just my 2¢.
As far as the original question, I've never been asked for a birth certificate, but then again, it's pretty obvious that my little girl is under 2 years of age. In the case of a child who looks about 2 years old, the agents might ask for a birth cerfiticate. It's one of those situations where, technically, the agent can ask for it, but the agents have so much stuff to do and are under considerable pressure to get the flight out on time, so unless the child really does look too old to be a lap child, the agent is probably not going to bother.
Just my 2¢.
Every time this topic comes up on FlyerTalk, it generates hundreds of responses and impassioned arguments from all sides.
The studies that tended to show that forcing parents to buy seats for their infants predated the airlines' half-price domestic infant seat policies adopted in the mid-1990s. Additionally, airfare is much cheaper now (in real terms, and maybe even in nominal terms) than in years past.
Although some people might drive if they had to buy a 50% discounted infant fare for their baby, the numbers of families flying in the summertime makes me skeptical of that conclusion. On a typical discounted fare, we're talking about an additional $50-$150 for that half-price seat.
I see too many families with several kids at the airports and on board to believe that lots of people would suddenly drive if they had to buy a seat for their under-24 month infants.
My thought? If you can't afford a 50% ticket for your infant, you really can't afford to fly at all.
If people really would drive instead of fly if they had to buy their infant a ticket, we wouldn't see so many children flying once they reach age 2. We would tend to see everyone flying with their first infant in their lap, but fewer kids 2 and above. Those parents would stop flying and drive once their kid reached 2, right? 😛
And on the dangers of lap children? I'm not so worried about a catastrophic crash (like the UAL DC-10), I'm more concerned about turbulence that causes the infant to strike the ceiling or the deceleration that occurs on an aborted takeoff.
FAs are very familiar with the broken bones and even death that can result when turbulence throws bodies against the ceilings of airplanes.
The FAA won't allow me to hold my laptop computer in my lap for taxi, takeoff and landing, in part because of the projectile risk. So why in God's name would I hold my precious child in my lap at those times?
Besides, with the half-price ticket you also gain a full luggage allowance for the infant, which can be very handy for all the stuff people tend to lug along with their infants.
Anyway, AA never asked me for a birth certificate to prove that my kids were under 2 and eligible for the half price ticket. And once they reached their second birthday, I didn't try to cheat AA out of half the fare - I was honest and bought them full-price tickets. I realize that some people may not be so honest.
The studies that tended to show that forcing parents to buy seats for their infants predated the airlines' half-price domestic infant seat policies adopted in the mid-1990s. Additionally, airfare is much cheaper now (in real terms, and maybe even in nominal terms) than in years past.
Although some people might drive if they had to buy a 50% discounted infant fare for their baby, the numbers of families flying in the summertime makes me skeptical of that conclusion. On a typical discounted fare, we're talking about an additional $50-$150 for that half-price seat.
I see too many families with several kids at the airports and on board to believe that lots of people would suddenly drive if they had to buy a seat for their under-24 month infants.
My thought? If you can't afford a 50% ticket for your infant, you really can't afford to fly at all.
If people really would drive instead of fly if they had to buy their infant a ticket, we wouldn't see so many children flying once they reach age 2. We would tend to see everyone flying with their first infant in their lap, but fewer kids 2 and above. Those parents would stop flying and drive once their kid reached 2, right? 😛
And on the dangers of lap children? I'm not so worried about a catastrophic crash (like the UAL DC-10), I'm more concerned about turbulence that causes the infant to strike the ceiling or the deceleration that occurs on an aborted takeoff.
FAs are very familiar with the broken bones and even death that can result when turbulence throws bodies against the ceilings of airplanes.
The FAA won't allow me to hold my laptop computer in my lap for taxi, takeoff and landing, in part because of the projectile risk. So why in God's name would I hold my precious child in my lap at those times?
Besides, with the half-price ticket you also gain a full luggage allowance for the infant, which can be very handy for all the stuff people tend to lug along with their infants.
Anyway, AA never asked me for a birth certificate to prove that my kids were under 2 and eligible for the half price ticket. And once they reached their second birthday, I didn't try to cheat AA out of half the fare - I was honest and bought them full-price tickets. I realize that some people may not be so honest.
operaations
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Mikey,FA Mikey said:
I agree with you and TWANR anyone who tries to pass a child to old to sit in the lap of a parent shoule be held until cps gets there to question them. It is not safe and child endangerment.
But that wasnt the main question. I have been reading this post and I now find it hard to believe Laura is a flight attendant. Why would someone with 19 yearts be asking this question. We should just ask this topic to be closed and move on.
How is IMA life treating you Mikey
I hope you survived all the storms
twasilverbullet
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laura62 said:
Not a very smart question for a 19 year f/a. :blink:
I hate to even think it. I was very lucky through the storms. My luck though was some else's misfortune.operaations said:
IMA is going good. Did you know that October is be nice to a reserve month? It happens every fourth month. Feel free to choose me!! I haven't put preferences in yet. Lucked out with a Day trip to GRU. Last reserve got a HNL. Was not happy at first, but once I got to LA and met the crew and had the nicest passengers. Hawaii is beautiful, unbelievable. It makes the Caribbean look garbage! I hope to get a Europe or two. I love London and the 777, always hopeful that when IOR is short they will use me for a FRA. Haven't been there in years. Instead I always get LHR, which is just as good too.
Next month starts MAN and MVD, Will see if I hold something good.
Anyway here is hoping that the fA's are not driving you all nuts. As we have a tendancy to do.
operaations
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no worriesFA Mikey said:
we drive yall nuts also. good luck on reserve and I will try and be nice hahahaha
A lap child is "child endangerment"? That is an insult to the thousands of children who are truly endangered every day.
The question of whether to buy a 50% off ticket or hold the child in your lap has nothing to do with affordability. The question that every parent must ask themselves is "Is this is a good use of my money"? That is, is it a rational purchase.
Let's consider two examples:
1) You have a six month old infant, you and the infant need to fly somewhere ASAP, and an adult ticket costs $1000. Is it worth it to spend $500 (50% more) on an airline ticket for an infant? Paying $500 to drag the car seat on the plane by yourself while holding a six month old infant is not worth the negligible safety benefit.
2) You have a 23 month old child, you and four other family members want to go on vacation, and AA is having a sale of $79 roundtrip. Is it worth it to spend $40 (10% more) on the toddler's ticket? Probably so. The convenience of having someone else carry the car seat, or just put the child in the seat with a lap belt, may very well be worth $40 alone, plus the marginal safety benefit.
One thing that really irks me is when people write these black-and-white extremist statements. Use some reason, please!
The question of whether to buy a 50% off ticket or hold the child in your lap has nothing to do with affordability. The question that every parent must ask themselves is "Is this is a good use of my money"? That is, is it a rational purchase.
Let's consider two examples:
1) You have a six month old infant, you and the infant need to fly somewhere ASAP, and an adult ticket costs $1000. Is it worth it to spend $500 (50% more) on an airline ticket for an infant? Paying $500 to drag the car seat on the plane by yourself while holding a six month old infant is not worth the negligible safety benefit.
2) You have a 23 month old child, you and four other family members want to go on vacation, and AA is having a sale of $79 roundtrip. Is it worth it to spend $40 (10% more) on the toddler's ticket? Probably so. The convenience of having someone else carry the car seat, or just put the child in the seat with a lap belt, may very well be worth $40 alone, plus the marginal safety benefit.
One thing that really irks me is when people write these black-and-white extremist statements. Use some reason, please!
bigdawgs said:
You have to value life at some figure. If there's no limit, one could take out a second mortage and work a second job to pay $75,000 for an infant ticket.
Let's take the $500 example. For $500 you could buy an alarm system for your house. Which is going to protect your entire family and your possessions more (not just the infant) -- the infant ticket or the alarm system?
I realize that severe turbulence can happen. It is very rare. What if it hits when the child is not belted in (feeding, squirmy, fussy, changing diaper, etc. can eat up a lot of time in cruise). Now you just threw away $500.
I've flown with my children on my lap three times. One time I bought an infant ticket. It was exactly as I described in example #2. It turns out that I wasted $40 because on all four flights of the itinerary, there was an empty seat next to us. If I spent $500 for an empty seat I would be sick.
twasilverbullet
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TWAnr said:
She probably would say/do one of two things: 1. well, at least I saved $500 or 2. scream bloody murder and sue the airline 3. perhaps both, (most likely.) 🙄
