travelbug

When people have booked their flights online - if you're booking an infant to have their own seat - what do you do? Emirates told me that i'd have to put the infant as a child and put a fictious date of birth in but after finishing the booking i'd then have to ring them and get it amended (seems a bit pointless using online and then ringing the booking office anyway! )....
Just wondered if anyone had the same problem with other airlines/booking online?

Thanks!

galba

I do it like this all the time for the baby - but I don't bother phoning up and getting the date of birth changed! I always put the correct date and month and then just adjust the year of birth. Must have done this about 15 times before and I've never been asked about it.

Galba

kez81

Im going back to the uk in december my baby isnt born yet and i was told i just had to add her to the booking when she's born, although she wont require a seat so probably different if your wanting seat for the infant.

kezx

travelbug

thanks for that..... i was told by Emirates that if you dont book online and try and book your flight by telephone you will get quoted a different price anyway (online is cheaper) - so it looks like i'll be doing the fictitious year of birth like you did!!!

travelbug

Hi - thanks for your reply. Having travelled with our daughter on our laps until she was two - we've decided that we want our son to have a seat of his own later in the year..... He's quite a big baby and will be 11months old at the time of travel so we're putting comfort above cost for a change! Not a problem when they're young still though so you'll be fine!
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and for the birth!!!

galba

travelbug - I went into Emirates office in KL to prebook seats and asked about the babies date of birth on the ticket. The advisor said it didn't matter - as long as the baby had a passport and the name matched the ticket they didn't care!

You should phone up an Emirates office and pre-book your seats, I always do it on the pretext of checking something eg that the kids are getting childrens meals and then casually ask if it would be ok to book your seats. Works everytime!

Galba

travelbug

Hi - thanks for the tip about pre-booking your seats! Will try and definitely do that

annb

I'll just add about booking seats, Im travelling on my own with a baby and 2yr old next week, I rang EK months ago and booked my bassinet and was even given my seat numbers for all the sectors. I rang back about a month ago to give passport details for the baby, double checked I still had my bassinet on row 16, was told its on request!! Booked it again. Rang back yesterday and was told it wasnt confirmed that I had the bassinet it was still on request!! Have booked it now on Row 8 and aparantly it is confirmed on all sectors!!! I will be ringing every day now till I go!! I am also a travel agent so I did think I knew what I was doing....so for all those peopole that blame their travel agent for not getting their seats - dont!!! ITs the stupid airlines!

travelbug

Hi - are the bassinets different from the skycots? we were under the impression our 11month old will be too heavy for them by the time we travel in november.... i notice you said your little one is 2.

travelbug

Sorry - scrap that - just saw you'd typed baby AND a 2 year old! Must read things slower!!! How old will your baby be?

annb

the baby will be 6mths old....we did travel when our other was 1yr old and he was definitely too big for the bassinet even tho we did get one...it was handy to sit him in for about 10seconds before he climbed out or stood up in it!! just enough time to scoff down our dinner...he wasnt to heavy for it just to long/wide and he is only a little one as well

travelbug

No avoiding him having his own seat for us then!
At least we'll all have a bit more room though - which will make a change!

kez81

Im i right in thinking that the youngest kids on the flight get prority over the bassinets??

kezx

annb

that is my understanding yes...