Flying with children comes down to knowing one thing before you book: whether your child travels as an infant on your lap or as a child in their own seat. The cutoff is an age, not a size, and it decides what you pay, what you can carry and where you sit.
How airlines classify young passengers
- Infant — generally under two years old on the day of the outbound flight. Travels on an adult’s lap, sometimes in a bassinet.
- Child — usually from two up to eleven or twelve, depending on the airline. Needs an occupied seat.
- Adult — from the airline’s own cut-off age, often twelve or sixteen.
Age is normally counted on the date of the first flight, not the return. A baby who turns two during the trip may still fly as an infant on the way out but need a child ticket on the way home. Check this with the airline before you book a return.
What an infant ticket includes
An infant fare is usually a fraction of the adult fare plus taxes, and some carriers simply charge a flat fee per infant per leg. What you get is a place on a lap, not a seat.
- No seat of its own. The crew gives you an infant loop belt that attaches to your own belt.
- A small baggage allowance, or a collapsible stroller instead of a bag.
- As a rule, one infant per adult. Two adults can travel with two infants, but the second infant usually needs a paid seat in an approved car seat.
On long-haul wide-body aircraft, some airlines offer a bassinet that clips to the bulkhead. They are limited in number and weight-restricted, and you must reserve one in advance.
Child fares and seats
A child fare is typically a discount off the adult fare, with the same taxes. On low-cost carriers this often disappears, because the fare is charged per seat rather than per person — so compare the total, not the headline.
- Children need their own seat for taxi, take-off, landing and turbulence.
- Children below a certain age cannot sit in an emergency exit row, and often not in the row directly in front of it either.
- Many airlines require an adult to sit beside every child under a given age.
Choosing seats for a family
- Book seats as early as you can — the family-friendly rows are taken first.
- Bulkhead rows give you floor space and are where bassinettes attach, but tray tables fold out of the armrest and there is no seatback pocket.
- Sitting in pairs is often easier than squeezing into one full row.
- On low-cost carriers, seat selection is a paid extra. Paying it is frequently the only way to guarantee sitting with your child.
Baggage rules for children
- Infants usually get a small checked allowance, sometimes in the form of a stroller instead.
- Children with their own seat normally get the same cabin and checked allowance as an adult.
- Baby food, formula, breast milk and sterilised water are allowed through security in amounts above the usual liquid limit. They are treated as essential liquids and screened separately, so allow a few extra minutes.
Strollers and car seats
Most airlines let you take a pushchair to the gate and check it there, handing it back at the aircraft door or on the baggage belt at your destination.
- A lightweight umbrella stroller is far easier to gate-check than a large travel system.
- If you booked a seat for a baby, you may be able to use an approved car seat on board — it must carry the correct approval marking and fit the seat properly.
- Label the stroller with your name and phone number; gate-checked items are easy to mix up.
- A sling or carrier for the airport itself keeps your hands free for documents and bags.
At the airport
- Check in online, but still arrive with time to spare. Family lanes at security are common at European airports.
- At security you will usually need to take the baby out of the sling and fold the stroller. Baby liquids go in their own tray.
- Families with small children normally board first. Take the offer, even if it means sitting on the aircraft a little longer.
- Change nappies before boarding — many short-haul aircraft have no changing table.
- Feed during take-off and landing, or offer a dummy or a drink, to help with ear pressure.
Documents and paperwork
- Every child needs their own passport or identity card for international travel, including infants.
- Some countries ask for a letter of consent from the other parent when a child travels with one adult. Check the rules of your destination before you leave.
- Keep a photo of everyone’s travel documents on your phone as a backup.
Booking tips
- Add the infant as a passenger on the booking, not as a note at the airport.
- Compare the full price: a low-cost ticket with paid seats and bags can cost more than a legacy carrier that includes them.
- Midweek flights outside school holidays are cheaper and calmer, which matters more with children than with anyone else.
- Ask about family boarding and stroller handling when you book, so there are no surprises at the gate.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a lap infant gets a baggage allowance on every airline.
- Booking a seat for a baby without checking that your car seat is approved for cabin use.
- Turning up with a stroller that is too large to gate-check.
- Forgetting that a child’s age is fixed on the outbound date, which can change the fare on the way home.
- Leaving seat selection to chance on a busy holiday flight.
The practical rule is simple: decide early whether your child flies on a lap or in a seat, book that choice into the ticket, and build the rest of the trip — bags, stroller, seats, boarding — around it.