Travel with 26 month old
 

I know that you are meant to pay but its full fare. Do airlines bother checking birth certificate/ID? I want to know if I can get away with travelling on the lap

I think it depends on the attitude of the attendant. I've heard them asking babies ages before, anyone?

If you want to run the risk of your kid becoming a human projectile in the event of an accident, sure, go ahead, lie away.

Just hope that the gate agents don't ask for your kid's birth certificate! If you can't prove how old the little tyke is you may be forced to pay the going rate for that day! And oh yeah..would you let you little pride and joy ride on your lap in the car? Thought so!

Sorry those people were being mean to you, I know what it's like to be on a budget. But like the above poster said, it may be risky to chance it.

Imagine sharp, unexpected turbulence, never mind an accident. Also imagine the 26-month-old having an attack of fidgeting, wriggling, squirming, squealing, protesting restlessness. <BR><BR>Pennywise, pound foolish. What would you do with the airfare you saved if your child were injured?

Mean?! There are two issues here: One, a parent who is ignorant about the safety of traveling with a toddler on his/her lap and the inherent dangers and two, someone who obviously doesn't mind lying about her child's age to do it. Besides, airline fares for children are not "full fare." In my experience they are about half as much as the adult fare.<BR><BR>Ask the mother on the UAL Sioux City flight who was carrying her child on her lap when the plane crash landed (the baby flew from her arms, he died, she lived) about mean. This woman now lobbies for stricter rules regarding infant and toddler seating on planes.

When we travelled with our 18-month-old on Air Portugal we didn't book him a seat (yes, we were naive, we'd never even heard about taking a car seat for a toddler) - but we did ask for an extension lap belt, which we'd been told (several times) by ground staff would be available. The flight attendants just shrugged and said no such thing existed. Thank goodness we had a safe flight - but I wouldn't chance it again, if I had a child of that age.

Buy a seat. Your child will be safer, more comfortable and it will be a more enjoyable trip for the child, you, and everyone else on the plane.