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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Has anyone ever booked flights for an unborn baby?

21 replies

cordiality · 07/01/2011 11:25

We're going abroad at the end of May, baby is due in the middle of Feb. I've just looked at flights online and prices are already soaring. I'd quite like to get the flights booked, but have no idea what do do re name and DoB of as yet unborn child!

I just tried calling BA but their 'lines are busy' and I would check with Easyjet, our other airline option, but I really can't be sure that anything they tell me would be correct... I've had some bad experiences!!!

Has anyone done this in the past and what did you do?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

applecharlotte · 07/01/2011 11:30

Hi,

I'm due at the start of feb and have booked flights to New york for my sisters wedding mid May. We booked our two adult flights through Virgin Atlantic and they said that once baby is born we need to get him a passport asap and then call them and they'll add him to our booking.

They said they keep the seats with the little fold down changing bit in front available and we shouldn't have a problem being allocated one.

Hopefully all will be well! Sorry no info about BA and easyjet!

Enjoy your hol and good luck with the baby :)

UniS · 07/01/2011 11:32

Have done it with other travel , did need to speak to a person rather than do it all on line. IIRC tiocket was booked in name of "baby UniS"

cocoachannel · 07/01/2011 11:38

We've booked for a wedding in Australia with BA- they took the booking for two adults and Infant [surname]. We had to speak to someone.

Pinetreeland · 07/01/2011 11:38

My baby is due mid Feb and we are booking a flight away for Easter. I was told that passport will take 2 weeks so hopefully there should be plenty of time.

Pinetreeland · 07/01/2011 11:40

Although now you remind me we may need to finalise on a name!

pinkpeony · 07/01/2011 11:55

I'm not sure all airlines will let you book for a baby before it is born. But before DS was born, I did book adult flights for me and DH for our summer holiday (DS would be 2.5 mths by then), and just called the airline once he was born and added him onto my ticket (as he doesn't get his own seat at that age anyway) and paid the difference in fare. I had called the airline before I booked and that was what they advised me to do.

Original poster

cordiality · 07/01/2011 12:03

OK this is all interesting thanks! Glad to know that it can be done, think I will definitely choose to fly BA as they are a little less likely to mess up (fingers crossed!) and keep trying to speak to them to book in person.

Thanks for all the advice, I knew I'd get some good answers here!

OP posts:

PenguinsMummy · 07/01/2011 13:06

Have done this before with no problems - used Baby or Infant with surname for booking and then updated when we had a name after DD born.

1Catherine1 · 07/01/2011 13:29

think I will definitely choose to fly BA as they are a little less likely to mess up

You know they were on Watchdog about 2 months ago for charging some guy several hundred pounds for changing the spelling of his surname by one letter?

My DD is due in March and we're expecting to fly to Barcelona at the end of June, I thought I would just buy the tickets when she is born to save the hassle. Do you really think the price is going to change much?

Original poster

cordiality · 07/01/2011 13:37

Ha, I guess I'm being a little naive thinking that any airline is completely trustworthy/honourable!

I really have no idea about the prices, but the trip is for my parents' wedding anniversary and they are paying for the flights, and I'd feel awful if i didn't get it sorted now, as they have asked us all to, and then landed them with extra costs later.

Suppose we could cover the difference if prices do go up, but I guess i'm trying to ascertain if it is extra 'hassle' or not.

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 07/01/2011 13:47

Make sure you get travel insurance at the same time, and make sure it covers the baby.

hazchem · 07/01/2011 13:51

I booked for my flight back to Australia for me and the unborn one as the price will go up lots.

I went to the Flight Centre. Basically it meant I could book a bassinet seat.

Also while infants fly normally free their ticket can be subject to taxes so I think the return infant ticket cost about £150. This depends on the Airline. Eg The tickets we got for my partner and I are slightly more expensive then another airline but the infant ticket taxes are cheaper so in the end the whole trip was cheaper.

My ticket says Miss Hazchem and Infant Hazchem. Flight centre just said to call them after the baby is born and give them the passport details of the baby.

mousymouse · 07/01/2011 13:52

I would already book "infant - name", as there is only a number of infants that can go on a plane.
also the cheaper airlines do not accept this (well they do, but then charge an exorbitant amount for the change of name...)

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 07/01/2011 13:56

We bought flights before DD was born. As others have said, couldn't do it online at the time so booked through a travel agent in the name of InfantKrushnic. Once she was born and we had the passport they amended her details (for free!) Flight was with Cyprus Airways, but was a few years ago

magentastardust · 07/01/2011 14:34

I would say go with BA too-you are allowed a 10kg hand baggage allowance for an infant or baby which most other airlines will not give you for free.
Again you will be able to take your car seat for free which I dont think you would with Easyjet (allow both airlines allow a buggy or pram for free)

I think will BA you normally just book child as Infant Smith 4 months etc then are able to change to correct name once the baby is born free of charge.

If you can't get through to BA just now -try searching on there website -Im sure they answer it there.

PenguinsMummy · 07/01/2011 15:25

I have flown often with Easyjet and they allow a car seat, pram and travel cot.

Ryanair only allow a pram - you pay for everything else.

1Catherine1 · 07/01/2011 15:48

Penguin is all that to go in the hold or do they allow you to take bits on the plane like the car seat? I read somewhere that if you took the car seat on the plane you had to purchase a seat. For the time I'm going the difference between baby carried on and an adult ticket is only £5 so I was wondering if I would be better purchasing an adult seat for her so she can settle in her car seat.

And sorry to mini-hyjack here but do they have a limit on the size of your pram? (I assume they want to put that in the hold.

All information I was planning on chasing easyjet for but you guys are often more reliable anyway :)

thatsabloodybigtree · 07/01/2011 15:52

I used to work for BA on the phones and best thing to do if you are booking direct with them is book your own tickets and call at a later date to add your infant. You will then be entitled to book the bassinet position if there are any left on your flight. If there aren't any available on the flights (may have been booked/may not be on the flight) then you can sit with baby on your lap, again you will be able to book your seats at this time. If you want to fly BA and book with a travel agent, I would advise speaking to someone at respective travel agent, who will probably be able to book infant (surname) when you make booking, with you calling after baby is born to add name and dob.
You need baby's dob to book direct with BA either on the phones or online.

HTH

magentastardust · 07/01/2011 16:44

Penguin-Thats good -I didn't realise Easyjet let you take Carseat free of charge.

You can only take 2 infant items for free though-eg you couldn't take travel cot, car seat and buggy.

LauraLu126 · 10/07/2017 13:05

BA don't make it easy. Pauline at BA just confirmed you will need to make a normal booking then phone up and add the baby once born. A baby/bassinet seat cannot be reserved until the baby has been born. If when born you discover there are no bassinet seats left on the flight, you will obviously want to change flights so you have one esp on a long haul, but BA will charge each person and the baby a fee to change flights.

Stiddleficks · 10/07/2017 13:09

ZOMBIE THREAD
LauraLu126 the baby will be a small child now as this thread is 6 years old!

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