**Using Miles & Points for Travel with Infants: A Detailed Guide**
Traveling with infants can be a complicated task, particularly when it comes to redeeming airline miles and points. This guide seeks to clarify what you should anticipate when including lap infants on airline award tickets, drawing from personal experiences as well as feedback from other parents.
### Fundamentals of Flying with an Infant in Your Arms
Most airlines permit infants under the age of two to travel on a parent’s lap. Important details include:
– **Domestic Flights**: Infants typically fly at no charge.
– **International Flights**: Be prepared to pay approximately 10% of the adult fare.
Holding an infant during the entire flight can be demanding, especially on long-haul routes. Although some aircraft provide bassinets, their availability isn’t guaranteed. Many parents choose to buy a separate seat for their infant, making use of an approved car seat, which is safer and offers more comfort.
### Infant Award Tickets: Expenses and Obstacles
When adding an infant to an award ticket, there is usually a fee of 10% of the revenue fare for the service class. This fee can add up, especially in premium classes. For example, a first-class ticket priced at $20,000 could incur a $2,000 fee for an infant.
Integrating an infant into an award ticket can be exasperating:
– It is best to include the infant during the initial reservation to prevent issues.
– Some loyalty programs permit online additions, while others necessitate phone reservations.
Problems can arise with partner airlines, where misunderstandings about which airline should issue the infant ticket may happen. Variations in pricing are also frequent, with agents occasionally calculating fares inconsistently.
### Top Frequent Flyer Programs for Infant Award Travel
Certain programs present more advantageous conditions for traveling with infants:
– **Air Canada Aeroplan**: Requires only 2,500 points or 25 CAD for any award ticket, encompassing partner airlines.
– **All Nippon Airways Mileage Club**: Requires 10% of the mileage for travel on ANA services.
– **British Airways Club**: Requires 10% of the Avios value, applicable to both BA and partner airlines.
– **Turkish Miles&Smiles**: Requires 10% of the mileage for Turkish Airlines flights.
– **United MileagePlus**: Sets infant fees at a maximum of $250 for first and business class.
– **Virgin Atlantic Flying Club**: Fees vary by class, with fixed rates for partner airlines.
### Least Favorable Frequent Flyer Programs for Infant Award Travel
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is notable for its exorbitant fees, reaching up to 25% of the adult fare, especially in higher classes.
### Final Thoughts
Selecting the appropriate frequent flyer program can greatly minimize expenses when flying internationally with an infant. Programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan and British Airways Club offer considerable savings. Parents should take these factors into account when earning miles to enhance their traveling experience with infants.