Minimum age to book an airline seat

[straitman]

Has anyone ever heard of a minimum age to book a seat :?:

My daughter, son in law, six year old and one year old are heading off to Fiji shortly. (MEL-NAN-MEL)

They are flying out and back on different airlines and have been given mixed information about booking a seat for the baby. No bassinet is available for the flights so they wanted to book a seat for the baby. The plan was to use a seat belt extended for takeoff and landing but let her use the seat in flight.

One airline is quit happy and has sold them a seat. The other says no as it is a safety risk.

I'm happy to mention the airlines later but would rather get the comments as unbiased as possible.

Thoughts anyone.

 

[StevePER]

We had no trouble booking a seat for our one year old when we travelled around Asia on DJ, CX, OZ and SQ. All we had to do was have him on our lap for takeoff, landing and turbulence with the infant seatbelt on (except for OZ, where they don't have infant seatbelts which is very strange).

 

[ozmille]

Quite bizarre, which airline is this?


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[straitman]

Quite bizarre, which airline is this?


Sent from my iPad using Aust Freq Fly app

I'm happy to mention the airlines later but would rather get the comments as unbiased as possible.

 

[oz_mark]

Were they outright saying no, or were they requiring that a certified infant restraint be supplied by the parents?

 

[straitman]

Were they outright saying no, or were they requiring that a certified infant restraint be supplied by the parents?

It was an outright no :!:

 

[oz_mark]

It was an outright no :!:

In that case, I can only think that it's the airline that doesn't allow such restraint systems (PM sent separately). The problem would lay within why that particular rule exists (no anchor point?)

 

[equus]

What is included in the Fare Rules? Everything I can find for MEL-NAN or vice versa with EF specifically includes rules for pricing seats for under 2yo - which sort of implies that they can be purchased. DJ, QF, NZ and FJ all have them. Interestingly VA shows up on the route, but no specific fare seems to be found, so just shows the YY version - which also allows for under 2yo seat purchase.

 

[straitman]

To clarify. (oz_mark guessed)

The airline is Virgin Australia and the wording is slightly different on the Virgin Australia and the Pacific Blue web sites.

Virgin Australia web site says:

Any child less than two years of age, is classed as an Infant, and must be nursed in the arm of a parent or guardian (at least 15 years of age). Any child two or over, is classified as a child, and must occupy a seat on their own ticket.

Please be aware that Bassinets, and baby car seats cannot be taken on board Virgin Australia flights. Infant restraint belts are available on all aircraft and must be worn by infants on take-off, landing, during turbulence and whenever the seat belt sign is illuminated.

The Pacific Blue web site says:

Any child less than two years of age, is classed as an Infant, and must be nursed in the arm of a parent or guardian (at least 15 years of age) unless occupying a seat on their own ticket, in an approved child restraint system. Any child two or over, is classified as a child, and must occupy a seat on their own ticket.

Please be aware that your own bassinets cannot be taken on board Virgin Australia flights. Infant restraint belts are available on all aircraft and must be worn by infants on take-off, landing, during turbulence and whenever the seat belt sign is illuminated, unless occupying a seat on their own ticket, in an approved child restraint system.

There is also a reference to what qualifies as an approved child restraint. No Australian car seats qualify.

They currently will not sell a seat for an infant. You buy the ticket via the Virgin Australia web site, travel on Pacific Blue and get a mixed set of rules.

Suffice to say that Virgin are looking into the discrepancy for us and I'll post the outcome.

 

[Sequel]

We are just about to complete a trip which has seen us purchase a seat for my 22 month old on QF, 3K, MH & TG.

QF had to do it over the phone where the purchase was a child ticket and then postscript put the real dob.

3K I just booked a child ticket online. On board we were offered an infant restraint for take off if we wanted one.

MH couldn't book online as it errors when you try to book a child seat with a dob less than 2. Rung customer service who suggested booking online with a false >2 dob and then calling customer service again to enter correct date.

TG from memory was the same as 3K, just booked online as child.

I realise that there are limits to how many infants can be onboard a flight etc, and that for any of the dodgy bookings there is the risk they won't check us in, but have taken the risk.

The QF flights he is actually on his own booking reference and ticket as we purchased his seat after initially having him attached to me as an infant. It was a long phone call but they got it sorted in the end - an infant, in a seat, on a booking with no adult (but they did link it to ours)


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[dajop]

Thinking laterally, some airlines allow passengers to book an extra seat for themselves to provide extra space. Could one solution be for one of the adults to purchase an extra seat for themselves and then have the infant associated with the other adult? I guess this could be more expensive as paying for the infant AND the extra seat.

 

[straitman]

Thinking laterally, some airlines allow passengers to book an extra seat for themselves to provide extra space. Could one solution be for one of the adults to purchase an extra seat for themselves and then have the infant associated with the other adult? I guess this could be more expensive as paying for the infant AND the extra seat.

This is/was considered. As you mention there is a fair bit of extra cost involved.