Adding infant to VA flight booked with elevate points

[Leroy87]

VA flights can be redeemed as awards with Virgin America elevate points and the Ts & Cs state clearly that no infant awards are allowed.

However, VA allows lap infants to travel for free domestically, even on award bookings.

My question is: if an award flight on VA domestic is booked with elevate points, are VA staff able to add an infant to that booking (or is it in someway "locked" to changes unless done by Virgin America staff)?

Bit obscure, but if anyone has any experience/information that would be helpful.

 

[grubbidok]

My guess is that this is because the infant-in-lap is actually an add-on to an adult ticket, so it can't be purchased separately (in miles or $). We flew about 12x domestic legs in the US/Canada on various airlines (DL, B6 and PD) with a kid under 2 and on all of them infant travelled free. On one flight (I can't remember which, sorry) we freaked out because we couldn't add our infant to the booking, but we were told that wasn't unusual and you just organise it at the airport). AFAIK on all US carriers children up to the age of 2 are free, as long as they don't require their own seat.

 

[Leroy87]

My guess is that this is because the infant-in-lap is actually an add-on to an adult ticket, so it can't be purchased separately (in miles or $).

This is a helpful data point, thanks. I've even had a similar thing happen in Australia - infant somehow got dropped off a booking but was re-added at the airport no trouble.

 

[JohnK]

Have you tried calling VA?

I have added infant to Qantas award booking for wife after infant was born. It wasn't that simple but customer service agent basically created new PNR fir infant and linked to wife's PNR. Charge was $1.60 but not sure if that amount was charged or not.

 

[Leroy87]

Have you tried calling VA?

I haven't actually booked the flights yet (was going to transfer some AMEX points via SPG to clean out a small elevate balance) so was seeing whether it would work before doing so.

I can see myself getting into tangled conversations with VA phone reps asking 'what are elevate points?' but it might be worth a try nonetheless.

 

[JohnK]

I think once you have a PNR you'll be fine.