Inspire Me

A Guide to Airline Age Policies

If you’re about to travel with your child/infant and their age changes during the holiday, you may be wondering whether they need a different plane ticket on the way home. For example, your 11-year old may turn 12 before you depart, which is the usual age for an adult plane ticket. Do you need to buy a new ticket for this child?

To help answer your queries on this topic, we have provided a list of policies for the most popular airlines below.

Ages below are based on commencement of travel

Aer Lingus

Children (2-11): If a child turns 12 once they have already departed, they are still priced as a child on the return.

Infants (under 2) The same applies to an infant with Aer Lingus.

United Airlines

Children (2-11) If the child turns 12 mid-travel, the entire ticket would need to be priced at adult’s fare.

Infants (under 2) If the infant turns 2 mid-travel, the entire ticket would need to be priced at child’s fare.

American Airlines

Children (2-11) If a child’s fare is available for the itinerary for which a seat must be purchased, customers are eligible to purchase the child’s fare. However, in the absence of a child’s fare, customers must purchase the regular applicable adult fare.

Infants (under 2) not occupying a seat. If a seat for an infant is required please select as a child passenger.

If an infant turns 2 during the course of his/her journey, a seat must be purchased for any flights scheduled to travel on/after the infant’s 2nd birthday.

1. If the customer chooses to book/ticket the child for the entire itinerary to match the adult’s travel, the child should be included in the adult PNR provided the itinerary is exactly the same.
2. If the customer chooses to book/ticket the child only on the continuing or return flight, a separate PNR must be created since the child will not be travelling on the exact same itinerary as the adult. PNRs must be cross referenced to prevent the two year old’s ticket from being identified as an Unaccompanied Minor.

Delta

Children (2-11) A ticket with a CHD fare is valid for the entire journey, even of the child reaches his/her 12th birthday during travel.

Infants (under 2) If an infant turns 2 years old during the course of his/her journey, a seat must be purchased for the entire journey. This change in policy is applicable for travel worldwide. If a child’s fare is available for the specified itinerary, customers are eligible to purchase the child’s fare for the entire journey. However, in the absence of a child’s fare, customers must purchase the regular applicable adult fare.

Virgin

Children (2-11) Children who reach their 12th birthday during their trip (i.e. become an adult for fare purposes) still pay the child fare for the entire journey. This is because their age on the outbound flight determines the fare to be paid.

Infants (under 2) Infants turning 2 during their trip (i.e. they become a child for seating and fare purposes) still only pay the infant fare for their Virgin Atlantic flights, as their age on the outbound date determines the fare they pay. Once a child turns 2, we are legally obliged to provide them with a seat for the return journey. In this case, two bookings will need to be made.

Lufthansa

Kindly be advised that booking should be according to the passengers age. Therefore, if a passenger is CHD on the outbound flight, then recalculation and additional collection based on actual age of the child will be needed at the time of the return*

*It is easier to book as an adult for entire itinerary if a child is expected to turn 12 during trip