Booking a flight for an unborn baby

[Alligatorpie]

just wondered if anyone has done this. We are flying internationally when the baby will be approx 2 weeks old and wondered how you book without a passport.

And yes, I know this plan isn't ideal. The baby could be late, I could have a CS ( it is a 9 hour flight) or the passport might not arrive on time. If that happens, we will have to change the flight. But we can't really help the timeline. Thanks for your thoughts.

[BebeBelge]

Re: the airline, I don't think you can book for the baby until it is born, but you can book your own tickets and then just phone up after the birth and add an infant to your booking. You will still need a passport though for the actual travel day. Check with the airline - some won't accept babies younger than 2 weeks on board. Good luck! We will be flying long-haul with dc3 when he is 6 weeks (or 4 or 8 or...!).

[InsomniaQueen]

We had to do this recently - were going on holiday in June and little one is due march. We were told to go ahead and pay for our own tickets as an infant doesn't get a seat so can be added to a booking at a later stage - anything up to a few days before.

With both things you need to check with the airline - better to be safe really! The only thing is to do a passport the baby has to be registered and passports do take a few weeks - are you certain you will be able to get one back before your date of travel?? Do you have a contingency plan of your overdue ect??

[SaraBellumHertz]

I booked for my DD before she was born with BA.

I phoned the direct and we were asked to provide the name and passport number after she was born.

In order to get the passport in time, prior to her birth I made an appointment to register the birth (I was being induced early so this was easier to plan!) the passport office initially refused to offer an appointment for a "future child" but after much wrangling finally agreed.

DD born Thursday, birth registered Friday, appointment at passport office Monday, passport collected Friday (you have to make special request to collect, as norm is to post but "advice" from helpline was to suggest your mail had previously gone missing and ask to collect)

We eventually flew when DD was 11 days old.

Good luck

[LAbaby]

I did this, I flew to America pregnant and my baby was born there (we live here). I then called virgin and they added him to my ticket for the return flight and booked him a skycot.
But have you considered the passport? His us passport took four weeks to come, and we still haven't applied for his British one as the time they told us was six weeks and it wouldn't come in time. I think you can get them quicker if you go down to the passport offices.

[Ponyphysio]

I have 2 flights booked for after baby is born - one he's booked on (the airline just wanted a name at this stage), the other I have to phone and add him to our booking once we have a date of birth. Both airlines were really helpful - once I managed to get to speak to a real person. Going to the passport office in person usually means you get the passport within 2 weeks. HTH and it all works out smoothly!

[pinkpeony]

I did this before DC1 was born. The baby travels on your lap anyway and the ticket was in the name of "infant peony" (no first name). Once DC1 was born, I had to call the airline and confirm name and date of birth. You can pay extra for a one-week fast-track passport service for a baby's first passport, but you will need to have registered baby's birth first, and need to make an appointment for that these days too (at least in London). With DC2, I was in less of a hurry so did the application through regular service via the post office, I got her new passport in the post 3 days later.

[Alligatorpie]

Thanks for the info. Last year we expressed a passport for my dd, dh dropped it off at the office in London and it was couriered to us in 6 days. This was at the end of July, which I think should have been one of the busiest times of the year, do I am not too worried about that part if it.

Now, I just need to have the baby ( and hopefully 1-2 weeks early)!

[goingtoofast]

I wouold be most worried about getting baby registered in time. When DD2 was born we couldn't register her until 8 weeks as there was a huge waiting list!

[Beanbagz]

I booked a flight when my son wasn't born and the provisional e-ticket was issued with Baby Surname on it. Once he'd been born i just phoned the airline and they added his first name and resent the e-ticket.

I think you can add passport details right up to until you check in online so that shouldn't be a problem. It'll just be a rush i guess - having a baby, registering the birth and then getting a passport (including a photo with his/her eyes open) but not impossible!

[Fraktal]

The problem with booking ahead but adding infant layer is they don't want to give you a skycot then, which is t the end if the world but is a PITA.

Good luck!

[Alligatorpie]

It never occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to register the baby right away. In Canada we do, can someone explain how it works in England? Thanks.

[goingmadtrying]

You normally call the register office and book an appointment, this can sometimes be upto 6 weeks though!. May be worth calling the register office you would need to use to check what they would be able to do for you!:)

[SaraBellumHertz]

Yes as I said in pp you need an appointment to register the birth. Call your office and find out the usual wait, when dc2 was registered the wait was about 4wks hence with dc4 having to book in advance.

Good luck

[Tonksforthememories]

You don't need an 'eyes open' picture for a newborn, when we had DD1's passport photos done she was 10w and fast asleep.

[SaraBellumHertz]

Yy to rules being relaxed re eyes open. 16hr old DD is a ball of screwed up nothingness in her passport photo