Traveling with Young Children: Costs, Best Airlines, and Booking Tips

Essential Tips for Flying with Young Children

Traveling with infants can complicate the use of miles and points more than ever. For families just starting out with little ones, figuring out how to book flights for children can be challenging. Let’s explore what you need to keep in mind when adding young children to your flight tickets, from costs and airline policies to helpful tips.

Costs When Traveling with Young Children

For children under 2 years old, you can hold them on your lap throughout the flight. This is a major plus for domestic flights where they won’t incur a fee. However, for international flights, you will need to pay 10% of the adult fare. Keep in mind that the child will not have their own seat, so you’ll need to hold them for the duration of the flight, which can be quite tiring if they’re no longer small.

Some airlines offer infant seats, but availability can’t be guaranteed. Therefore, many parents opt to purchase a separate ticket for their child to ensure greater safety. This not only allows the child to have their own seat but also provides you with a more comfortable space.

How to Book Tickets for Young Children

If you plan to add a young child to an award ticket, you will typically need to pay 10% of the fare for the service class you booked. While this amount may not seem large, it can quickly add up, especially when using miles for business or first-class tickets. For instance, a round-trip first-class ticket priced at $20,000 could cost you up to $2,000 for the child.

The process of adding a child to an award ticket can be tricky. It’s best to do this during the booking process rather than adding them later. I recommend choosing airlines that allow you to add children online, as booking via phone can be complicated, especially if you need to contact multiple partner airlines. Depending on the airline, fees may vary, so be prepared for different scenarios.

Recommended Airlines for Traveling with Young Children

Here are some airline loyalty programs that are particularly family-friendly:

• Alaska Airlines: This airline only requires payment of taxes and fees for children, without additional charges for adding them to award tickets.
• Air Canada: This program allows you to add young children to award tickets for just 2,500 points or 25 CAD per one-way ticket.
• Qantas Frequent Flyer: This airline does not charge points for children, only requiring payment of taxes and fees when booking tickets.
• Finnair Plus: When flying with Finnair, you won’t incur additional costs for young children if using Avios for long-haul flights.

Useful Information for Vietnamese Travelers

If you’re planning to fly with young children from Vietnam, there are some important points to consider. First, you will need to prepare an entry visa for the child if the destination requires one. Visa costs can range from about 1 million VND to 3 million VND, depending on the country. As for airfare, the price for young children is typically 10% of the adult fare, so consider this carefully.

Regarding travel seasons, the period from June to September is often peak season in many places, driving up ticket prices. It’s advisable to book tickets early to secure the best rates. Remember to check each airline’s policy, as they may have different regulations regarding traveling with young children.

Conclusion

Traveling with young children may not be the easiest task, but with the information and helpful tips provided, you can better prepare for your journey. Always research the airlines and their policies thoroughly to ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

Article adapted and edited from source: One Mile at a Time