Infant fee?

[corazoncita]

For anyone who has recently flown an infant to Central America: what are the fees you paid to have a baby ride on your lap? I finally found an airline with REASONABLE tickets to Honduras from Kansas City!! :D I am planning on spending about $100 extra for my daughter-- someone please let me know if I'm way off. Thanks!

[corazoncita]

CRAP. Nevermind... this airline will not allow infants to travel internationally on the adult's lap.

[KE06]

Noelle, I'm gonna send you some links. You can sign up for notification of special rates, and they send you emails every week. GREAT prices....not always available exactly where you want to go, but, well, you can look at them. :)

[brezarenee]

It seems most airlines have changed the rules so that you can't have an infant on your lap for international travel. I hope you find one that hasn't though!! It's so expensive to pay for an extra seat for a little one that's more than likely going to be on your lap anyway.

[y14gemini]

You know what also sucks.....that when you travel with kids you don't get a little "break". At least I don't when I fly Continental. I have to pay the full price. IDK, I just thought that I (others also) would get a small savings. :(

[Salsa2]

AA used to charge me $12 for a lap child, but they just changed the policy to be 10% of the adult fare, plus all the taxes. On my recent trip to Mexico, this would have been about $200!! I argued and got it for the cheap price, but this won't work next time. I don't think I can afford to visit hubby again!

[Chapital]

The last time I flew with my baby it was only $15 (Mexico)! Bummer that they have changed their policies. I know that other international locations have been a lot more for some time (friend who have traveled back and forth to Spain always pay hundred for their baby). So, they have raised the prices for lap infants and started charging for bags!!!!

[corazoncita]

AA used to charge me $12 for a lap child, but they just changed the policy to be 10% of the adult fare, plus all the taxes. On my recent trip to Mexico, this would have been about $200!! I argued and got it for the cheap price, but this won't work next time. I don't think I can afford to visit hubby again!

YEAH! AA is the airline I am talking about... it says they will allow infant lap seats for travel to Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. They say they no longer allow infant lap seats for all other international flights. I was SUPER disappointed when I read that! I don't know how I will be able to afford to see my husband, either. I think I will have to use multiple carriers for my trips and have like 3 stops plus ridiculous layovers-- which I'm sure you will agree SUCKS when you have a baby in tow. GRRRRR!!

Kelli~ Thanks for the PM with the links! I will check those out this afternoon while Emery-Grace is napping! :D

y14gemini~ I am floored that they don't offer at least SOME type of discount for kids! AA offers a discount on infant seats, but it's only like a $40 discount, which is hardly noticeable!

[M&M]

Have you checked Conitnental??? the times I flew to Mexico and back, I was able to have a lap child for about $15 bucks.

[thernand]

Many tiimes while flying Contintental to Honduras I have seen lap children.

[MARIPLAY]

OK ..so i just finish flying to Mexico (guadalajara ) and the ariline considers an infant to be under the age of two.

and she was on my lap ..the whole time cus the plane was so packed .

so I payed ..32.38 on the way over there .

and on our way back ..i had to get on a special line and pay "la multa" for my baby ..and I payed $45.00 at the airport ..

and again the plane was packed so again she travelled in my lap

and yes ..after that i believer some airlines charges a % of the original ticket price

go to Kayak.com thats where I found my tickets ..

good luck ..

[wanaads]

This is slightly off-topic but Mariplay's post just reminded me that I had to pay a $35ish "departure tax" on my return flight from Honduras. It needs to be paid in cash - dollars or lempiras are fine. I had no idea about this - the guy at the ticket counter didn't say anything and the security guys wouldn't let me through. Luckily, a lady in line explained to me what I needed to do. Just another little bit of money we have to spend to see our hubbies!! :angry:

(Maybe belongs in the Honduras travel info section??? Mods?)

[SUballe]

I traveled with my 6 month old in April to Leon and I paid $12 for her to sit on my lap!!

[rkzal]

corazoncita-I always fly Continental, this trip cost me less than $100 for the baby. It is 10% of your fare plus taxes. Sometimes TACA gives discounts for children, but it never was better than what I paid full price on Cont.

[Salsa2]

I traveled with my 6 month old in April to Leon and I paid $12 for her to sit on my lap!!

That's the same flight I take to Leon. They JUST changed the rules in late-April/early-May and now you have to pay 10% + the taxes, which comes to about $200.

That's on American.

[Paige]

I get direct flights to El Salvador on Taca. I think it is the only airline that flies direct without layovers. I know that is a little off topic, but it is a travel tip. Be aware that if you have a layover on the way back from Honduras, they will make you pick up your luggage and re-check it again on your first stop in the US. It would be a pain with a baby and nobody to help you with your bags. I believe Taca charges 10% of adult ticket price but I am not sure.

[corazoncita]

Nobody flies direct out of Kansas City, so I'm looking at a layover no matter what... I would just prefer shorter ones! Most airlines will stop in a southern city like Dallas, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, etc. I have found that the cheapest tickets will take you all over the country before getting you to Honduras. :gaah:

Continental is also really expensive out of KC. I would check St. Louis, but the money I may save would be spent on gas driving there and back home. It looks like I have no other choice than to drop about a grand on the ticket(s). Who knows-- maybe a sale will come up or something!

[KE06]

Noelle, what airport you wanna go to? I will look too.
Oh, and when?

[corazoncita]

I will FOR SURE be flying into San Pedro Sula, and not Tegucigalpa! I am not sure when I will be going, so I am just studying trends right now. Airline tickets are like the stock market... prices go up and down and up and down. They do this several times within the course of a day, and also within the course of several weeks. I "think" I will be going in October-- considering my I-130 gets approved in the end of June. It just depends on how long it takes me to gather everything!

[y14gemini]

It is expensive to go to Honduras....I would just keep checking.....What about Spirit, they are always having "specials"!!