Is Birth Certificate Required for Child's Travel??

I have seen 4-6 month olds need their birth certificate to prove they are under 2....I think you will need to just buy him a ticket.

I've flown about 9 times w/ my 3 YO and we have never been asked for a birth certificate (NW, Sun Country, Delta). I will say under 15 mos the lap works great - over that it's a nightmare and although it's $$ it is a much better time for all involved for the child to have their own seat.

A friend of a friend is an airline stewardess and had a 2 YO that was tall and she was almost not allowed on the plane b/c she didn't have a birth cert to prove the girls was under two.... and she worked for the airline!! Good luck!

I'd call the airline - the last time I traveled they didn't need the birth certificate (didn't even want to look at it), but the 2 times before that they needed them for both my 6 month old and my 3 year old...

You will have to purchase the seat.

When we fly with our children a proof of who they are is needed a birth certificate or social security card . And if they are over 2 they need a seat . Once when we were at the airport there was a family by us they tried the no seat thing for their young child and they got put on stand by because the child was 2 and they got caught . What a vacation right . Think about it is it far to the people around you with a child on your lap who is cranky because he can not get up and move around . At least with his own seat he can have his own space .

Alison,

The airlines will take your word for it that your child is under two and doesn't require a ticket up until about the time they can walk. After that, they want a copy of the birth certificate to prove he is under two. Once he has his second birthday, you are required to buy a seat for him regardless of where you plan to have him sit. I had an airlines employee question me about my child who was only about 14 months old and said if I fly again before age 2, I definitely need to bring a birth certificate or the airlines will just make me buy another ticket when I check in.

Some airlines are more strict than others, but they are all hurting for money right now and are trying to find ways to hit people with fees. It would really surprise me if you could sneak through. Also remember there is a $15 fee for each bag you check (and that's each way, not round trip) but you can only take on one small carry on. Car seats are the only free checked baggage that I know about. Light strollers can be checked at the gate for free as well.

Security is being really ridiculous right now, so allow yourself lots of extra time to go through it. Expect to have to take off shoes (including your son's shoes) to go through, so slip ons are best. The liquid carry on limit is 4 oz, so if you want a bottle of water, you will have to buy it at the airport after you get through security. They are getting stricter about the liquid rule. I read an article the other day that a little boy had his 5 oz play dough cups confiscated because they were considered
"liquid" and over 4 oz.

The best way to save money on airfare is to book through www.kayak.com . They have the best flight deals I have found anywhere and they are a legitimate, reliable website.

Good luck,
S.

We just got back from a domestic flight on Monday with our 25 month old. She did have her own seat, but they never asked for a birth certificate or ID of any kind at ANY point. That surprised us. We took it just in case. We flew Northwest/Delta.

When we took our daughter on her first flight in March with Southwest, they didn't ask for it either.

When you take your child on his first flight ask the gate attendant for a first time flyer's certificate. It is great for the scrapbook. :)

Anticipate being asked for a birth certificate. Unless your child is an infant, they will ask. You might hear one or two stories of people NOT being asked but 95%of the time parents are asked. You would then have to buy a seat for your child, if there is one available (remember flights are super full these days) at the last minute rate which will be very expensive.

Obviously, if you are flying internationally, you need a passport.

It is just all around better to have a seat for your child. It is more comfortable for you, the other passengers and your child. The amount of room alloted to each seat is miniscule. It will be very hard to hold a toddler, especially an active one, for any length of time. Bring a car seat and that makes everything even easier.

A birth certificate is not technically required but they can request it, especially if the child looks like they could be on the brink of turning two (or in your case just turned two). We flew with my daughter many times with no problems but when we flew with her two months before her 2nd birthday, they almost didn't let us get on the plane because we had no way to prove her age. We ended up finding an immunization record that had her dob on it, but if she had been over 2, we would have been in big trouble. There is probably a 50/50 chance that they will ask, so it just depends on the amount of risk that you want to take.

If the child looks anywhere close to 2 (ie. not an infant), they will require a birth certificate to allow them to travel for free. They've been around awhile, and they only allow kids under two to fly as a courtesy, they don't have to do it. You need to buy him a ticket, and to avoid delays and possible problems (like they don't have a seat for him, or don't have two seats together, or the cost is twice what you paid for your ticket), you should check online and get a seat for him as well. If you buy your ticket from the same place you got yours, you'll have an easier time getting him a seat next to him. Try to get that worked out ahead of time, if possible. The other option is to adjust your trip so you are returning before his 2 year birthday. Then you can have him travel for free.

My daughter was on an airplane 3 times before she turned 2(the third time she was 23 mo) and they never asked for a birth certificate. However, two of those times as I was boarding, I did request a seat that had an open one next to it. There happened to be and it was really nice for her to be able to have her "own" seat if she wanted it. Since she turned 2, she has also flown 3 times; all of which did not require a birth certificate. With that said, I would be the type of person that would worry to much that they would find out and make me purchase a ticket. And I do agree with the others that it is really nice for them to have their own seat if they want/need it. Good luck!

To answer your question, I have never needed any proof of my childrens' ages.
However, here is my opinion: Buy him a ticket. To try and sneak him on would be stealing. Do you really want to set an example of dishonesty for your son? You both will be more comfortable, and you won't have to worry about feeling guilty or getting caught.

I flew with my 15 month old several months ago and was asked for her birth certificate at checkin. They wouldn't give me a boarding pass for her without it. She is also very small for her age, so there was no question that she was under 2. Good luck!

You should buy him a ticket. The NTSB has been recommending all children be either restrained in their own seat or a car seat for the child's safety for decades, but it has never been required. Just think about this... airlines are required by law to restrain coffee pots during take off and landing, but a child can just sit "loose" on a parents lap.

Also make sure you get to the airport early even if you have assigned seats. I took my oldest to Europe a few years back and even though we had assigned seats when we booked the tickets and I checked again online prior to leaving the house, when we arrived at the airport our seats were newly assigned on a completely full flight. They had me sitting 18 rows in front of my then 1 1/2 year old son. They did change the seats, but had to ask several other passengers to re-arrange to get us 2 seats together.

I've never had to use a birth certificate they just took my word for it.

Just a heads up airplane seats are very tiny jammed packed it's really hard to keep a child happy on your lap so if it's a long flight you'd be better off getting him his own seat. It's like sitting on a folding chair and not being able to wiggle or move much with a baby (toddler) on your lap it's awful. I still have nightmares from memories of doing this with my daughter. It's just really uncomfortable.

Remember that it's not just about the age of the child, but the airline often checks birth certificates to make sure it is YOUR child and you're not trying to abduct one out of state.

You could call the airline and ask.

I would assume right now that security is tighter than ever, and that they will verify ID for every person getting on the plane.

We've flown so many time with our boys, and in the last few years we've always purchased a ticket for the under 2 crowd anyway.

With my oldest, we flew when he was 11 mos old, and when he was 17mos old, and both times he got 'carded' per se, and we had to produce his birth cert to prove he didn't need a seat.

Knowing what I know now, its best to buy a plane ticket for him (plus you should NEVER check your car seat, and if you are going to bei n ANY vehicle at all while traveling you NEED A CAR SEAT for him). If you get caught trying to sneak him in, you are stuck and have to pay gate price for a ticket for him, and thats going to run you about triple what you would have paid if you just suck it up and buy it now. Don't try to cheat, it usually doesn't work out. Plus he will be more comfortable in his own car seat strapped into the airplane, and you can relax without having to fight with a too big toddler on your lap the entire flight. Its much easier, trust me, spend the money now on a ticket for him, bring his car seat on board and strap it in just like in the car. It will make your flight so much easier.

I agree with the others that it's best to just buy him a seat. You didn't mention how long of a flight it is, but I took my younger son on his first flight when he was two and there is NO WAY he would have been able to sit on my lap for the duration of the flight. It was really nice to be able to strap him into his own car seat on the plane. It might help your son nap too. Another factor is safety--they want people belted during turbulence. If you hit heavy turbulence do you feel comfortable that you could restrain him and keep him safe? Unbelted people have been seriously injured during heavy turbulence. I know it's expensive, but the flight will go much smoother if he has his own seat and his own space. Have a good trip.

Wow--you've received a lot of responses. If you're flying NWA/Delta, pay attention to my advice. If not, then you have lots of other advice. I just flew with my 2 kids over Christmas. My youngest turned two this week. We brought his birth cert. just in case we were asked for it because we didn't buy a seat for him. He's REALLY tall for his age, so we thought that they might ask. Exact same deal for my oldest son (also very tall), when he was 2 weeks away from turning 2: brought the BC and was never questioned about it.

I had a cousin who didn't buy a tix for her son who had turned two a few weeks before they flew. I don't know what airline they flew, but no one asked them about it.

You definitely don't need any kind of ID or social security card or anything of the sorts just to show her identification. That's for any airline because all airlines go through the same security. I've been flying with my kids for over 4 years approximately every couple months and I've never once been asked for any form of ID for them.

Safe travels and good luck,
E.

Honestly...buy him a ticket! You'll appreciate having that extra space on the plane. We flew this summer (June) with our children and our son had just turned 2 a couple months before we flew. I made sure he understood before we got on the plane that he'd be wearing his seatbelt (we call it that in the vehicle at home, too) the whole time and can't be up and running on the airplane. Make sure to bring snacks and new toys that he only gets on the airplane. Don't show him the toys until you're on the plane so they're brand new and will hold his interest longer. Also, if you can plan the flights to close to naptime/bedtime, he may just sleep the whole flight. In total, we had 5 flights on our trip(there and back) and my son slept on 4 of those flights by laying in his seat with his head on my lap. SO, SO, SO VERY thankful we had that extra seat for him...it was worth the $$$!!

Boy, This is a loaded question. I have done 7 roundtrips with my toddler. I did it before he turned 2, I did it after he turned 2, I have paid for tickets before he was 2, and I have not paid for tickets after he had turned 2, and I have paid for tickets because he has already turned 2. Sorry, but I have a point. : ) I have flown: American, Jetblue and US Air. I have NEVER been asked for a BC. Now, having said that, my flights have been maximum 5 hours with another 2 hours on the ground due to plane issues. I once had my child on my lap 7 hours!!! Would I buy a ticket for him now or not? I don't know, and it's not because of the money. Let me explain.

Last trip we took, it was only a 2 hour flight. To boot, this time, I wasn't traveling alone with my child, but also with my husband. Our car seat is Britax and I gate check it because it's: 1) too big to carry through the aisle if I am bymyself. I can't carry that and my child and all the stuff; 2) because the one time my child used the carseat, he HATED it and wanted to get out of it when I wouldn't have any other place for him with that giant carseat strapped to my child's seat. So, this last trip, my husband sat across from us in an aisle seat and my child and I sat together in window and aisle. My child didn't have a car seat but was just sitting in the seat like an adult would. Well, as he did the last time we had flown, which was about 1 week ago, he got very scared during take off. But unlike the last time on American Air, Jetblue WOULD NOT LET ME HAVE HIM ON MY LAP during take off simply because I had purchased a seat for him and supposedly, all passengers with a purchased seat must be in it!!! The flight attendent threatened 2x to have authorities meet me at the gate if I put up any resistence. But every time she walked away before departure, my child would cry and try to claw his way out of his seat/seat belt and climb on my lap. So what do you think I am going to do? He is now 2.5 years old but next time I fly, even though my usual destination is 5 hours of flight away, I am going to have him be a lap baby. "No good deed goes unpunished". American didn't make a fuss that he sat on my lap during takeoff, but JetBlue did, and I am not flying JetBlue any more. On American, I am not going to buy a seat for my child. He will sit on my lap for upto 7 hours, why not, I have done it. I bring with me food, books, toys. And taking advice from this form, I will get a DVD player, new toys and more food.

Thanks for listening.

I would recommend buying the ticket. I know you're trying to save money, but that is a long time to sit on a lap. If you buy the ticket you will all have a little more room to move during the flight and your son will be able to get his wiggles out in his own space. Not bothering other passengers.

You will have to purchase a ticket for him if he is 2 at the time of your travel. They can deny you at the gate if they question it and you cannot prove that he is under 2. He can't be 2 yr. and 2 days, he needs to be UNDER 2. If he turns 2 while you are away and your return flight is after his birthday, you will have to buy him a one way flight for the way home. At least this is the way it was when we travelled with our daughter when she was almost 2.

You don't need a birth certificate in my experience. But with all of the new security issues you should check with the airline. I have heard that no children or babies can be held on your lap during the last hour of the flight. I don't know if that is true but you should probably check.

Some airlines require it and some don't. Northwest didn't when I took my kids 5-7 years ago.

We were required to have a form of ID for him. Not just to prove that he was under the age of 2, but because it was required that all passengers needed proof of Identity. We had to show the BC at check in and again before bording the plane. I wouldn't risk trying to get him on the plane without a seat you'll end up having to pay double or triple the amout you would have paid earlier or there may not be an available seat near you or no seat at all. They make the rule for the safety and well being of your child. You'll be less stressed before and during the flight if you just buy him his own ticket. Hope you have a great vacation!

It depends on the airline. My son was under 2 when we left, but turned 2 before we returned. I called the airline and was honest with them about it and they said it was fine and I did not need a ticket for the return trip. I have to tell you though a car seat would have been nice to put him in. Kids are so used to their car seats that the familiar seat helps during them be more comfortable during the long trip... and it keeps them in one spot! We used a car seat for my daughter when she was the same age and we were glad we did.

I've been flying with my kids for 7 years (now ages 7, 5, 3, 1) and have never once had a request for a birth certificate. I would save the money and don't buy the ticket! Although, I will admit that it is much easier to have them in their own carseat, in their own plane seat - they don't have the feeling to get up and run around then!

I don't know that the birth certificate is so much used to verify age, but more to verify that you are the parent and have right to take him on a plane somewhere. You don't say where you are traveling to, but I also recommend that you get a "permission slip" from the other parent (you don't say if he is traveling with you) that has been notarized acknowledging that he is aware the child is traveling. It used to be that folks only did this if they were going out of the country, but I did see a mom get questioned the last time I was at the airport.

Again, you don't say where you are traveling to, but I can't stress enough that you should buy your child his own ticket for two reasons. Having your child sit on your lap for an extended period of time is tougher than it seems and extremely uncomfortable for both of you. It is also uncomfortable for the person in front of you because your child's legs will naturally hit the seat in front and be kicking it the entire trip, as well as uncomfortable for the person sitting next to you (unless you are traveling with family sitting next to you). Finally, one more reason to buy your child his own seat is that the airlines now have more strict rules regarding passengers staying in their seats for the last hour of the flight - keeping an active 2 yr old on your lap for that hour might be a real chore. Imagine - delayed flight at the airport, extra hour on the tarmac for some reason, flight time, last hour confined to your seat, another delay on the landing tarmac . . . LONG time for a lap child at that active age.

Good luck no matter what you decide.