The little-known family travel rules that could spoil your next holiday
An unwelcome surprise awaited Amanda Leigh Vienno Bailey when she attempted to board a flight in Canada earlier this year with her three-month-old twins. In a video posted to social media, the single mother explained that Flair, her low-cost airline, barred her from flying because she was travelling alone with the two young children.
This wasn’t the airline’s rule – it’s Canadian law. The country’s aviation regulations state that “no passenger can be responsible for more than one child under the age of two,” which presents quite the problem for single parents or those wishing to travel without their partner. Buying seats for the children isn’t enough; there has to be another adult present.
Bailey did not have anyone to accompany her, and so cancelled her flight, with the airline refunding her tickets. She has said she is now looking for someone willing to accompany her on future flights.
While this little-known rule might have caught Bailey out, there are many more that families need to be aware of. Travelling with children can be fraught at the best of times – getting caught out by unexpected restrictions can add an unhappy, additional complication.
What’s in a name?
The problems might, in fact, start at Border Control. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of parents being unable to travel with children who have a different surname to them. If, for example, a child doesn’t share their surname with their mother, UK Border Control guards are within their rights to question the passengers.
A writer in this newspaper recounted being asked for proof of her relationship with her daughter, something that most parents don’t travel with. A birth certificate, or proof of marriage, can be requested, in an attempt to quell concerns of child trafficking – a noble aim, of course, but a rather stressful one for parents attempting to start a holiday.
The UK Border Force rules declare that they have to “make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in discharging its immigration, nationality and general customs functions.” That doesn’t exactly spell out the need for documentation. Other countries have similar measures in place: parents have reported issues in Switzerland, South Africa and Canada. In other places, like Italy, Greece or Portugal, naming conventions mean that children often have a variation on one or both parent’s surnames.
The situation can become more complicated with the introduction of a separation or divorce. If both parents have ‘parental responsibility’ then neither can take the child on holiday outside the UK without the written consent of the other; even if one parent is the main caregiver, it’s worth informing the other before a holiday anyway. Grandparents – who might, again, have a different name to a child – should carry written permission from both parents.
No holidays for newborns
If you have jumped through these hoops, the airline themselves might have restrictions on the number of children, the availability of bassinets for babies, and the requirements for infant seating. On a BA flight, for example, a ticket for an infant – defined as a child under two – cannot be booked online. That means ringing up to reserve a place for them. On Lufthansa flights, only one baby per adult is permitted, unless a second baby can be carried in an “appropriate child restraint system”, then placed in an extra, booked seat.
Airline rules vary on how old a child has to be before they can board a flight. At BA, a baby has to be at least 48 hours old, as long as they are “born without any complications”. On Ryanair flights, this increases to seven days, again, provided the baby is in good health.
This can be a sticking point. On some flights, there are limits on the number of passengers with reduced mobility due to safety concerns – on easyJet flights, this is 50 per cent of capacity. This can include children.
Parents should be aware of their own health, too. BA requires a 10-day wait after a caesarean section, plus medical clearance from their in-house Health Service. Heavily pregnant women are also grounded: Southwest, the US airline, recommends against air travel beginning at the 38th week of pregnancy.
The two-year limit
Bailey’s story is not the first time boarding with a child has caused headlines. Earlier this year, a couple in Tel Aviv left their baby at the security desk after failing to buy a ticket for their child. Airlines charge a set price, typically around £20, to travel with an infant under the age of two on your lap, but you must usually book in advance. Once they reach two years, they must travel in their own seat.
Things become complicated if travel overlaps with their second birthday. If an infant becomes a child – essentially, if they reach their second birthday before their return flight – most airlines need to be informed. On BA, a child will need their own seat on the return journey, although the airline won’t charge you for this upgrade. The opposite is the case on Scandinavian Airlines, which requires a child ticket to be booked both ways.
Age matters if your child is venturing out onto the plane by themselves, too. Again, the rules vary by airline and country: in the UK, children between the age of five and 14 can typically travel alone as long as they use an airline’s official unaccompanied minor service. In some destinations, that age is lower – on Finnair flights, for example, unaccompanied passengers can travel without parental consent (and airline supervision) from the age of 12.
Regardless of whether or not you’re travelling with your child, there may be a limit to the number of infants who can fly on a plane anyway – something that child-free travellers might rejoice in. The best advice is to always check the airline website, even if the rules appear clear.
