Having worked with the airlines for close to a decade, I’ve learned some tricks and tips for getting the most out of air travel. What I’d like to share today is how to secure a free seat for your child under the age of two.
My son is 4 and a half, and, as such, the days of flying free as a lap-child are long gone. Now, when considering air travel plans, we have to calculate the cost of tickets not just for mom and me, but for all three. For those of you with little ones under 2 years old—the definition of a lap-child—here’s what we used to do to get us a much-needed extra seat without paying for it.
When you book the seats for mom and dad, your inclination is to get two seats side by side. Instead, choose two seats with an empty seat between you. On most narrow-body jets (757s, MDs, etc.) and some wide bodies (777s) you’ll choose a window and aisle. Thus, there’s an empty middle seat between you.
When the airport customer service agents are assigning seats to unseated passengers (ticketed but without a seat number), they tend to dole out windows and aisles before middle seats, increasing the chance that the middle seat between you stays empty at departure. Bingo! Free seat for your little one.
Given, there’s a chance that on fuller flights, the middle seat does get assigned to someone. Even in this instance, that’s no problem; simply offer either your window or aisle to your neighbor in the middle seat. They get out of the middle seat, and you two (three!) are together.
Do you have an air travel tip or trick? Let us know at thebrotherswrite@gmail.com.
Tags: Airlines, free tickets, infants, lap-child, tickets, travel
May 6, 2009 at 4:34 pm |
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