When considering the purchase of an airline ticket for an infant, take into account whether one is needed or not. For short domestic flights, forgoing the purchase of a ticket in lieu of carrying a child under age two in your lap is an option. If the flight is exceptionally long or you simply find the whole matter inconvenient, then the next best option is purchase a separate ticket for the traveling infant.
Shop around for airlines that offer discounted seats for infants. Southwest Airlines offers affordable infant fares, however specialized tickets such as these cannot be purchased online. Unlike other available tickets, Southwest infant tickets are nonrestrictive and fully refundable.
On the other hand, American Airlines does not offer discounted infant fares, and even levies a 10 percent surcharge on infants who travel internationally as a lap child.
Contact the carriers that offer low-cost infant seats and price your itinerary. Then, follow it up by shopping around online for comparison. You may find that infant seat discounts don't measure up against low-cost online pricing. Research is the key.
Follow up an online purchase with a phone call to reservations. It's imperative that an airline knows when a party is traveling with an infant. Carriers have policies regarding seat assignments for infants (aside from the obvious one of not seating an infant in an exit row), and should be notified as soon as possible when one is traveling.
