It could be cheaper to book an actual seat for a baby instead of paying for it to sit on your kneee ? if the airline will allow it
Babies can be charged up to 100% more than adults on some airlines, research shows, and parents planning to take their infants abroad are also being warned about sky-high fees for child seats in hired cars.
Research by travelsupermarket.com shows that infant ticket prices for two low-cost airlines have increased by 33% since last year, with the cost of taking a child under 24 months on a European flight with either Jet2 or easyJet rising from �15 each way in 2010 to �20 each way in 2011.
Ryanair, which currently offers flights from �9.99 each way, will charge infants on the same flight �20 each way ? a 100% difference in price.
A child under the age of two is allowed to sit on an adult's knee for the duration of a flight, but airlines still charge for this even though many do not provide the infant with an actual seat, or a hold or hand luggage allowance.
Travelsupermarket said parents who instead book an adult seat for their infant would benefit from a second hand luggage allowance, as well as the additional seat, although some airlines' terms and conditions indicate this might not be allowed.
Jet2 and Ryanair will not allow parents to book an adult seat for an infant in order to get the extra baggage allowance, but easyJet and BMI will.
Sarah McIntyre from easyJet said: "The infant fare is a set fare of �20 across all easyJet flights. It includes two pieces of equipment such as a car seat, buggy, pushchair or travel cot. In the majority of cases, infant tickets are a lot cheaper ? the average fare for European flights is around the �50 mark, so most people are happy to book infant tickets."
She added that if parents wish to book an infant their own seat to make their journey more comfortable (or, for example, if one adult is travelling with more than one infant under the age of two), this cannot be done online, and you will need to bring a car seat on to the aircraft for the infant to sit on. For the safety of the child the seat must have a rigid metal or plastic frame, it cannot be wider than 42cm and must include lap, shoulder and crotch straps.
"If a child has been booked at an adult fare, they are entitled to the same hand luggage allowance as an adult," McIntyre said.
The research also found that some premium airlines charge more for infant tickets than low-cost airlines, depending on the price of the adult fare. British Airways and Virgin, for example, charge infants 10% of the adult fare, but with no tax payable. On a standard European flight this can be �20 or less, but for longer-haul flights it can rise steeply.
Travelsupermarket said some airlines allow a baby-changing bag to be taken on board and an extra bag in the hold free of charge, up to the standard 23kg. Thomson and Thomas Cook offer infants up to 10kgs of hold luggage free of charge, while bmibaby and Monarch offer infants a free hold luggage allowance of 5kgs and 10kgs respectively if the adult they are travelling with buys one piece of hold luggage for themselves.
Travelsupermarket's Bob Atkinson said: "Parents may assume their infant has a provision for their luggage, however this is very often not the case and could end up incurring parents extra costs. The best advice is to check the small print ? if there is more than one carrier which goes to your destination, check which has the best policy for travelling with infants and the best price.
"If an airline is offering a discounted deal, it could be cheaper to book a seat for your baby and make sure they are on your lap during take-off and landing to satisfy legal requirements. Not only will this save you money but the extra space will also make the flight a bit more comfortable, plus you can take advantage of an additional hand luggage allowance."
The research also found that parents hiring a car could be charged up to �80 for a child's car seat a week, despite the fact many airlines including easyJet, British Airways and Flybe let you to put your own car seat in the hold for free (and all airlines allow free carriage of a pram or pushchair in the hold). The research, which was based on eight days' rental in Malaga with Europcar from 28 June 2011, shows that a family with two infants could save �160 with some careful planning.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jun/16/warning-infant-fares-airlines
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