Preparing to Fly with Children
What Do I Need to Travel with a Baby?
- You can produce a passenger medical form, also known as a medical release for travel, signed by a physician stating that the baby is healthy enough to fly
- You have a copy of the baby’s birth certificate as proof of age
- You (or the person accompanying the infant) are older than 16 and are seated in the same cabin as the baby
Delta Airlines requires that the accompanying adult be over the age of 18.
Southwest Airlines will only make an exception for age, where the accompanying adult is under 16, if the adult in question is the baby’s parent.
American Airlines only requires infants under seven days old, rather than the standard 14 days, to travel with a medical release to travel form.
United Airlines will not allow children younger than seven days old fly with their airline.
What Do I Need to Fly with Young Children or Minors?
What About Single Parents Traveling with Children?
What Do I Need to Travel with Someone Else's Child?
What Do I Need to Do if My Child Is Flying Alone?
- A copy of their complete itinerary, including flight dates and times, flight numbers, airport names, city names, and their reservation code
- Important phone numbers such as your home, work, and cell phone, as well as the number(s) of the person meeting your child at their final destination
- Bag tags with your own and your child’s contact information on both checked and carry-on luggage
- A day’s worth of essentials, like toiletries, medications, and a change of clothes, in their carry-on in case the checked luggage is delayed or lost in transit
- A bit of cash to buy a meal should unexpected flight delays occur