Traveling With a Lap Infant: What Parents Need to Know

Traveling with a lap infant can save a lot of money, especially before a child turns two. But the rules are not nearly as simple as they first appear.

Domestic and international travel can be treated differently. Cash tickets and award tickets can have different infant-pricing rules. Some airlines charge nothing on certain routes, some charge around 10% of the adult fare, and others use a fixed cash or points amount.

I learned a lot of this while traveling around the world with my daughter as a lap infant.

One of my biggest surprises came when I tried to add my daughter to a Japan Airlines First Class award ticket. JAL quoted me approximately $1,750 for the lap infant.

I eventually found a better solution. Award space opened through Alaska Airlines, so I booked her a First Class seat instead.

That meant we ended up with three JAL First Class seats.

What Is a Lap Infant?

A lap infant is generally a child under two years old who travels without occupying their own airline seat. Instead, the child travels with an accompanying adult.

Once a child reaches two, airlines generally require a separate seat. The exact rule can matter if the child turns two during the trip, so always check the operating airline when travel dates are close to the second birthday.

In the United States, lap infants under two are permitted to travel without their own seat. However, the FAA says the safest place for a young child is in an approved child restraint system in their own seat, particularly because of unexpected turbulence. 

Lap-infant travel may be allowed, but buying a separate seat with an approved restraint is the safer option.

Domestic vs International Lap Infant Travel

This is probably the first thing parents need to understand.

Domestic Travel

For many U.S. domestic flights, a child under two can travel on an adult’s lap without an additional airfare.

For example, American Airlines currently allows lap infants under two to travel free on qualifying domestic itineraries within the United States, although the infant still needs to be properly associated with the reservation. 

That doesn’t mean you should simply show up at the airport with the baby unlisted. I prefer to make sure the infant is added to the reservation before departure.

Depending on the airline, you may need to provide:

• the infant’s full name
• date of birth
• gender
• proof of age (if requested)

International Travel

International travel is where things get more complicated.

Even though the infant doesn’t occupy a seat, many airlines require an actual infant ticket. And that ticket may not be free.

A common pricing model is approximately:

10% of the applicable adult fare + taxes and fees

American Airlines, for example, currently charges 10% of the applicable adult fare on many international lap-infant itineraries. JAL also publishes an international infant fare of 10% of the adult fare when the infant does not occupy a seat. 

But the important part is the phrase: applicable adult fare. That can become very expensive in Business or First Class.

My $1,750 JAL First Class Lap Infant Quote

This is where I learned the lesson firsthand.

I had a Japan Airlines First Class award ticket booked on Alaska Airlines and contacted JAL to add my daughter as a lap infant. After spending about 30 minutes on the phone with the JAL agent, the quote came back at approximately $1,750.

Remember: she would not have had her own seat.

The reason was that the infant fare was being calculated based on roughly 10% of the applicable First Class cash fare. JAL currently publishes a 10% adult-fare infant price for international passengers under two who don’t occupy their own seat. 

When First Class tickets are selling for many thousands of dollars, 10% is suddenly a serious amount of money.

That was the moment I realized that a lap infant isn’t automatically cheap just because the adult ticket was booked with miles.

Why I Booked My Infant a JAL First Class Seat

While pondering on the $1,750 quote from JAL, something much better happened.

I found additional JAL First Class award availability through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, now Atmos Rewards. Rather than paying around $1,750 for my daughter to sit on my lap, I booked her an actual First Class award seat.

And somehow, we managed to secure three JAL First Class seats.

For anyone who follows premium-cabin award availability, you already know how unusual that can be. More importantly, it changed the economics of the decision.

Instead of paying a four-figure cash lap-infant charge, I used miles and gave my daughter her own seat.

That is one of the biggest lessons I’d take from the experience:

Travel Tip: Before paying an expensive lap-infant fee, check whether award availability makes booking a separate seat the better option.

Cash Tickets vs Award Tickets

This is where parents using points and miles need to pay close attention.

With a normal cash ticket, infant pricing is usually easier to understand. If the airline charges 10%, the infant fare may be based on the applicable adult cash fare.

With an award ticket, there is no universal rule.

Depending on the program, the infant might cost:

• a percentage of the cash fare
• a percentage of the miles
• a fixed number of miles
• a fixed cash amount
• taxes and fees
• or a combination of these

This means two award tickets that look almost identical for the adult can have completely different family costs.

Some Programs Charge a Percentage of the Award

British Airways is a good example.

For a lap infant traveling with a member on a British Airways flight reward, BA currently charges 10% of the Avios required for the adult’s reward, rather than pricing the infant from the full cash fare.

That can be much easier to budget for.

If the adult award costs 80,000 Avios, for example, the infant component would generally be based on 10% of that reward amount under BA’s published rules.

The key point isn’t that one airline is always cheaper than another. You just need to know which pricing system you’re dealing with before booking.

Some Programs Use a Fixed Amount

The Air Canada Aeroplan loyalty program is another very different example.

For international Flight Rewards outside Canada/U.S. travel, Aeroplan currently charges a lap infant CAD25 or 2,500 Aeroplan points per direction, plus applicable taxes and fees.

That’s very different from being charged 10% of a $15,000 First Class fare.

Virgin Atlantic also uses fixed point amounts for lap infants on its own reward seats. It currently lists:

• 1,000 Virgin Points in Economy
• 2,500 in Premium
• 5,000 in Upper Class

per one-way lap-infant reward.

This is why infant policy can genuinely influence which loyalty program I choose.

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Even the Same Airline Can Have Different Rules

Here’s an interesting twist with JAL.

JAL’s published cash infant fare on international flights is generally 10% of the adult fare. But when the accompanying adult is using a JAL Mileage Bank international award ticket, JAL says a lap infant can travel for 10% of the adult award mileage requirement. 

So even with the same airline, the outcome can depend on how the adult ticket was issued.

That’s exactly why I wouldn’t simply Google: “How much does JAL charge for infants?” The better question is: “How will JAL price the infant on this exact ticket, booked through this exact program?”

That distinction can save a lot of money.

Partner Award Tickets Can Get Complicated

This deserves its own section because this is where many points and miles travelers run into confusion.

You might use one airline’s miles to book another airline’s flight. For example:

• Alaska Airlines points for Japan Airlines
• American Airlines miles for Qatar Airways
• Aeroplan points for Turkish Airlines

The program that issued your adult award and the airline operating the flight may have different infant-ticketing rules.

In some cases, the operating airline handles the infant ticket. In others, the loyalty program that issued the adult ticket may be involved. That can affect both how you add the infant and how much you’re charged.

My recommendation is simple:

Check the infant policy before transferring points.

Don’t transfer hundreds of thousands of points for premium-cabin awards and only afterward ask what the infant will cost. That’s exactly how a great redemption can turn into an expensive surprise.

How to Add a Lap Infant

The exact process varies by airline, but I generally follow this order:

1. Book the adult ticket.
2. Contact the airline(s) if the infant cannot be added during booking.
3. Provide the infant’s name and date of birth.
4. Confirm the price.
5. Pay any required fare, taxes or points.
6. Make sure the infant is actually attached to the reservation.
7. For international travel, confirm that the infant’s ticket has been issued.

That last step is important.

An infant appearing in your reservation is not necessarily the same thing as having a properly ticketed international itinerary.

In some cases, the infant ticket may not be completed in advance. That happened to me with Singapore Airlines. I was told the check-in agent would need to call support to finalize check-in process, and that was exactly what happened when we flew from Bali to Singapore in the Singapore Airlines Business Class Boeing 787.

What Documents Does a Lap Infant Need?

Being a lap infant doesn’t remove normal travel-document requirements.

For international travel, an infant may still need:

• a passport
• visa, where required
• transit documentation
• entry documentation required by the destination

Treat the infant as an international passenger even though they aren’t occupying a separate seat.

For domestic flights, airlines may also request proof of age.

What Happens If the Infant Turns Two During the Trip?

This is another situation worth checking before booking.

Once the child turns two, they generally need their own seat.

Once a child turns two, airlines generally require them to have their own seat. If your child turns two during the trip, check the airline’s policy carefully, because some carriers may require a separate seat for the remaining flights, while others may apply the rule to the entire journey.

If your trip spans the second birthday, don’t assume the outbound lap-infant arrangement automatically works for the return. Contact the airline before ticketing.

One Lap Infant Per Adult Is Common

Airlines generally allow only one lap infant per adult. If one adult is traveling with two infants, the second infant will usually need a separate purchased seat.

This is particularly important for families traveling with twins or multiple children under two.

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Bassinets: Useful, but Don’t Count on One

Bassinets can make a long-haul flight much easier. But they are not guaranteed.

Availability can depend on:

• aircraft type
• cabin
• bulkhead seating
• baby’s age
• baby’s weight
• airline policy

Some airlines require advance requests, while others only confirm bassinets at the airport. So if a bassinet is important to your trip, check the airline’s rules before selecting your flight.

Should You Buy Your Infant a Separate Seat?

From a comfort and safety perspective, there are good reasons to buy one.

The FAA strongly recommends that children under two travel in their own seat using an approved child restraint system rather than on an adult’s lap. 

A separate seat can also mean:

• more room for everyone
• somewhere for the child to sleep
• easier meal service
• less time physically holding the child
• he ability to use an approved child restraint where permitted

Of course, cost matters. Buying another full international Business or First Class ticket can be extremely expensive. That’s where points and miles can completely change the equation, just as they did for us with JAL.

Flying Premium Cabins With an Infant

We traveled extensively while my daughter was a lap infant, including long-haul premium-cabin trips. And one thing became very clear:

A more expensive cabin can mean a more expensive lap infant. You might find an amazing award ticket that costs very little out of pocket. But if the airline calculates the infant price from the premium-cabin cash fare, you could still be looking at hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

So after my JAL experience, infant pricing became part of the award search itself. Not something I checked afterward.

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My Lap Infant Checklist Before Booking

Before booking a flight with a child under two, these are the questions I would answer first:

1. Is the child eligible to travel as a lap infant on every segment?
2. Is the trip domestic or international?
3. Does the infant need a ticket?
4. What does the airline charge?
5. Is the charge based on the cash fare, award miles or a fixed amount?
6. Who issues the infant ticket on a partner award?
7. Can I add the infant online or do I need to call?
8. Is a bassinet available?
9. What baggage/stroller allowance applies?
10. What documents are required?
11. Will the child turn two before any flight in the itinerary?
12. Would booking the child a separate award seat actually make more sense?

Final Thoughts

Traveling with a lap infant isn’t necessarily difficult.

What makes it confusing is that there is no universal pricing rule.

A domestic lap infant might cost nothing.

One international airline might charge 10% of the cash fare.

Another program might charge 10% of the award miles.

Another might charge only a fixed number of points.

And sometimes, as I discovered with JAL, the lap-infant fee can be high enough that booking the child their own award seat may make more sense, if award space is available.

Being able to find three JAL First Class award seats through Alaska Airlines turned what could have been a roughly $1,750 lap-infant charge into a much more interesting points-and-miles decision.

So my biggest advice is simple:

Check the infant rules before you book the adult ticket.

Especially if you’re using points for Business or First Class.

The cheapest adult award isn’t always the cheapest way for the family to travel.