Does the baby need its own ticket? Can the pushchair go to the gate? A practical guide to flying with children — from documents to sitting together.
Flying with children is simpler than most parents fear — but there are specifics worth knowing in advance, so nothing catches you out at the airport. Here are the most important ones, by topic.
Infants: with a ticket, but usually without their own seat
Children under two usually travel as an “infant” — on the parent’s lap, without their own seat. That doesn’t mean free: a ticket is still issued for the baby, at a significantly lower price than a regular one, because it takes up a place in the record and carries certain taxes.
If you want the baby to have its own seat (for example with an approved car seat that can be used on the aircraft), that’s possible, but then you pay a child fare, not the infant rate. For longer flights, many consider it worthwhile.
Once the child turns two, they need their own seat and a child ticket.
Documents — don’t underestimate this
This is where parents most often get stuck. Every child, including an infant, needs their own travel documents — a passport, and for certain destinations a visa, just like an adult. There’s no “travels on the parent’s passport” for international flights.
In addition, when travelling with a child it’s worth checking whether the destination or airline requires consent from the other parent if the child is travelling with only one, or additional documentation. The rules differ and change — check for your specific situation before booking.
Pushchair — usually to the gate
In the vast majority of cases, you can use the pushchair throughout the airport and hand it in at the gate itself, just before boarding. On arrival it’s returned to you either at the gate or at baggage claim, depending on the airline and airport.
The pushchair usually doesn’t count towards your baggage allowance — it travels separately and free of charge. But confirm that with the airline, because here too there are differences.
Sitting together
Nobody wants to discover at the gate that the family is scattered across the aircraft. With most airlines, sitting together with small children isn’t automatic — unless you select (and sometimes pay for) the seat at booking.
Good news: new European rules bring stronger protection — families travelling with small children get the right to sit together at no extra cost. But until that’s fully established in practice with all airlines, the safest thing is to sort out seating at booking.
Practical things that make flights easier
Liquids for a baby (milk, food) are usually exempt from the standard liquids restrictions — you can carry reasonable quantities in hand luggage. Bring more than you think you’ll need, in case of delays.
Arrive at the airport earlier than when you travel alone — with a child everything takes longer, and rushing with a child is a stress easily avoided.
Where we come in
Travelling with children has enough small details — infant versus child ticket, documents, seating, pushchair — that it’s easy to miss something with an online booking. We sort out all those details in advance: the exact fare for the child’s age, sitting together, special requests, and a check that the documents are in order before you set off.
If you’re planning a trip with the family, send us the details and we’ll make sure everything is in place — so you travel with your child without surprises.
Rules for travelling with children differ by airline and destination and change. For binding information, your airline’s terms and the destination’s authorities are authoritative.