Flying with kids under 5--Id?

[KpbS]

Asking for a friend, do I need ID for my kids to fly with my them? DC are 3 yo and infant.

[Philly Mom]

Depends on airline if baby is lap child. Southwest requires it for all lap children.


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[KpbS]

Thanks! Birth certificate for an ID if a lap child?

[Philly Mom]

Yep. I have even used a copy and that was fine. Southwest is very strict about it. I learned the hard way.


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[PZMommy]

I always bring along a birth certificate, just to be safe. We've only flown a handful of times, and have never been asked to show them. However, the last time my DS was 3ish and the TSA agent was talking to him, asking his name, how old he was, and things like that.

[flashy09]

Nobody has ever asked me for any identification. We fly mostly Delta.

[Mali]

We've never been asked for ID for DD (3 now) but even when she was under 2 we travelled when she was old enough that having her be a lap child wasn't worth the aggravation and we paid for her seat. TSA never questioned her/us either (Oakland, ohare, Tucson, ft lauderdale, Kauai) about her identification. I think Id is a bigger issue for the under 2 lap kids because the airlines want to make sure that the kids being lap babies are actually under 2 so they get their money.

Edit: that's on southwest, American, and Alaskan.

[citymama]

Never been asked on domestic flights - we have flown United, Virgin, Hawaiian and Delta with the kids within the US. For int'l flights, you'll need passports.

[gymnbomb]

Southwest has asked me too when flying with a lap child. We have used birth certificate or passport depending on where we were going. I always take his birth certificate when we travel just in case (partly for flying and partly because we have different last names and I want to be prepared for any difficulties that may arise!). Jet Blue, Delta, and American have not asked for it. I have not been asked by southwest or any other airline when I have purchased a ticket for him.


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[lizzywednesday]

We have no problems on United, but we also have never flown with DD as a lap-baby. DH brings a copy of her birth certificate, just in case, but keeps it on his person.

This last time, she had one of those school picture day "KidSafe" ID cards that she was very proud of showing to TSA at PHX. It made them smile and she felt grown up. :shrug:

We have never flown internationally.

[JBaxter]

I think they can ask you for ID for a lap baby ( we bought seats for our infants) I did take passports for mine just in case. Its not an issue unless you are flying with a child not your biological child or a lap baby.

[AnnieW625]

I was asked with DD2 while flying SW as it was all new to me and even though I didn't have it at the time (2011 iirc) they didn't give me a hard time and just told me to bring it next time. I don't recall being asked for it on the return trip though.

[daisysmom]

We fly all the time with DD (newly 9) and have never been asked for an ID. We often bring a birth certificate. We haven't flown internationally yet... need to get her a passport.

[okinawama]

We've flown numerous times, and have only been asked for id on my boys once. It was right around the time that youngest DS was getting close to maximum age for a lap child, and the airline said that they needed the ID to verify that the child was young enough to fly without their own seat. I'm not sure if that is the only reason for ID's, but that was the reason they gave me for checking .

[Liziz]

I've never been asked in 15+ flights, but been told that I could have been asked. I keep a picture of the DD's birth certificates on my phone -- I've been told by others that was accepted, but I haven't had to show it.

[123LuckyMom]

We were asked once for proof of age when DD was a lap baby. She was a tiny nursing infant, in fact, and CLEARLY under two, (I think she was three months old!) so I didn't think to bring anything. They let us fly but said on the return trip we'd have to present proof of age. They accepted a document from her doctor's office. We were never asked with DS, and he flew on several flights as a lap baby. We've always brought proof since then. Usually I travel with copies of the kids' birth certificates in my possession just in case, but I've never had to use them since the lap baby stage.


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[georgiegirl]

I've travelled many, many times with my kids, and the only time I've ever been asked was 2010+ for lap children. And even then, not always. I flew with DD many, many times before she was 2 as a lap child (probably 12 round trips, between 2006 and 2008), and I was never asked for ID for her. Same for DS1's first year. With DS2, it was probably 50/50 on whether ID was asked for. And none of my older kids (2-10) have ever been asked for ID on a domestic flight. All three kids have passports, which they've used on two international trips.


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[TwinFoxes]

I've never been asked for ID, but the TSA agent did ask DDs' their names when we went through security when I flew alone with them`. I think it was to get them to talk to see if they were in distress more than to see if they were who they said they were. Sadly for him, he didn't realize that "what's your name" means "tell me your life story" to my two.