Booking Flights With Infants, Kids, or Pets

Flying with an infant, young children, or a pet usually needs to be arranged at booking time — not added later at the airport. Here's what to handle upfront for each.

Booking with an infant (under 2)

• Lap infant vs. own seat. Most airlines let an infant under 2 fly on an adult's lap for free or a reduced fare domestically, but international flights usually charge a percentage of the adult fare even for a lap infant. Decide upfront whether you want to buy a seat and bring a car seat.
• Declare the infant during booking rather than adding them later — some fare types and seat maps behave differently once an infant is on the reservation.
• Bassinet requests (on long-haul international flights) are limited in number and need to be requested as early as possible, sometimes directly with the airline rather than through the booking site.

Booking with young children

• Select seats together during booking rather than assuming the airline will seat a family together automatically — policies vary, and budget carriers in particular don't always guarantee it without a seat-selection fee.
• Consider a nonstop flight or minimizing connections if your children are very young; a missed connection is a bigger problem with kids in tow.

Booking with a pet

• In-cabin vs. cargo. Small pets in an approved carrier can often fly in-cabin under the seat for a fee; larger pets typically fly as checked or cargo, subject to size, breed, and temperature restrictions that vary by airline.
• Pet spots are limited per flight. Airlines cap the number of in-cabin pets allowed, so this needs to be booked — and sometimes paid for — at the time of reservation, not added later.
• Check documentation requirements for your destination, especially international trips, which often require health certificates issued within a specific window before travel.

A general rule

Anything beyond a standard adult ticket — an infant, a pet, a seating request, a special assistance need — is safer to confirm by phone or during booking than to assume will be handled at the airport. If you're not sure your booking captured everything correctly, it's worth double-checking before travel day.