# Why Do We Need Birth Certificate to Fly with Baby?



## not_telling (Mar 31, 2008)

US Air's website says:

_US Airways recommends traveling with a birth certificate for a lap child between the ages of 1 and 2._

They don't say why. Is this to prove that the child is really under 2 in case s/he looks older?


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## AndrewsMother (Jul 30, 2007)

Yes, the birth certificate is used to verify the child's age. Once, I forgot his BC and had to have DH fax a copy of DS's shot record to the ticket counter. We almost missed our flight.

If you are forgetful make two copies and keep them in different bags,


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## 34me (Oct 2, 2006)

That is exactly why....


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## Mama Mko (Jul 26, 2007)

I've never been asked for a birth certificate. I've been flying with my kids for 4 years. I've flown United, ATA, Delta, Northwest.


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## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

It really depends on the airline. There's been times when I had to show the BC for a lap baby, and other times when no one asked. Definitely bring it just in case.


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## blogposter12 (Aug 8, 2009)

they want to make sure the baby's not a terrorist, lol.


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## MadiMamacita (Jan 29, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
It really depends on the airline.


it also depends on the individual employee checking you in. my mom works for an airline. even within the same company, some employees ask, some don't. the closer your kid is to the 2 year cut-off the more likely it is you'll be asked.

and I think there are several documents that can be used to show date of birth. when i flew with DS i brought insurance paperwork that showed his DOB.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blogposter12* 
they want to make sure the baby's not a terrorist, lol.

That was my first (admittedly sarcastic!) thought, too.







Everybody, even the toddlers, need ID to prove they're not carrying bombs in their shoes or something.


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## Twinklefae (Dec 13, 2006)

It's also a way of verifying that the child is yours... you didn't just pick the kid up and book onto the flight, yk?

And that you are using their real name in case you are kidnapping...


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## Dov'sMom (Jan 24, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Twinklefae* 
It's also a way of verifying that the child is yours... you didn't just pick the kid up and book onto the flight, yk?

And that you are using their real name in case you are kidnapping...

Except that they don't ask for infants or for children who are flying on ticketed seats.

It's purely and simply economic -- to make sure you don't sneak a 2y1m old onto a flight as a lap child.


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## pixels99 (Jul 8, 2009)

Not just economic, it has to do with compliance with FAA regulations. A child flying on or after his/her 2nd birthday must occupy his/her own seat and either use the provided seatbelt or a CRS.


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## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixels99* 
Not just economic, it has to do with compliance with FAA regulations. A child flying on or after his/her 2nd birthday must occupy his/her own seat and either use the provided seatbelt or a CRS.

Yup.

I can also say that if you always buy your infant his own seat, you can safely leave the birth certificate at home. Once they have their own seat, nobody cares what their age is.


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## laurelg (Nov 27, 2007)

Yes, it is purely for age verification. I have been on two air trips with DD as a lap baby, and have been asked both times. I did not have her BC either time, as the state screwed up processing it and only just got it done a couple of weeks ago. I would just say "Sorry, I don't have it, but she's OBVIOUSLY under 2." One attendant didn't really care, the other pointed out that it was FAA regulations but she'd let it go "this time."

I don't recommend flying without one, especially with a toddler - I will take it in the future, now that we have it.


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## junipermuse (Nov 1, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pixels99* 
Not just economic, it has to do with compliance with FAA regulations. A child flying on or after his/her 2nd birthday must occupy his/her own seat and either use the provided seatbelt or a CRS.

This may be their argument, but the reality is they only care about the monetary aspect. I took dd on a flight from burbank to oakland on southwest when dd was about 13 months, she was clearly well below the two year cut off and in fact still looked completely like a baby. I had flown many times with dd but this was the first time I was asked to present a birth certificate. I was forced to buy a seat for dd because I didn't have proof that she was under 2. However if there had been a real concern about compliance with the FAA regulations, then they would have insisted I use that seat during the flight, especially during takeoff and landing. But once I *paid* for the seat no one ever mentioned it again. I held dd in my lap nursing her for both take off and landing and for some of the flight, though I did take advantage of the extra seat during the flight. The FAA regulation is only concerned with how a child actually travels (on a lap vs. in their own seat) they don't care how you obtain the extra seat for the child. However the only part of the rule that was enforced for us was that we *purchase* the seat for baby, afterwards no one cared that we actually used it. So I can only assume that the airlines real concern was the money.


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## marrymeflyfree (Jan 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *junipermuse* 
However the only part of the rule that was enforced for us was that we *purchase* the seat for baby, afterwards no one cared that we actually used it. So I can only assume that the airlines real concern was the money.

Maybe, maybe not. Most likely what happened was that the ticket counter employee was a stickler for enforcing the birth certificate rule, regardless of the fact that your babe was clearly under 2....but the FA's on board (who likely had absolutely no knowledge of your interaction with the ticketing agent or the fact that you were forced to purchase the seat) probably recognized that your baby was, in fact, a baby. Unless there is some special request from you or extreme circumstance that warrants communication, the FAs generally have no idea what has happened in your day before you've boarded the plane.

The airline can be fined for FAA reg violations, so really that ticketing agent was just doing the job he/she was supposed to do...common sense notwithstanding, of course. If the airlines really wanted to make more money, they'd lobby the FAA to ban lap children altogether.


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## Mum2JocelynAngus (Jun 16, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *crazydiamond* 
Yup.

I can also say that if you always buy your infant his own seat, you can safely leave the birth certificate at home. Once they have their own seat, nobody cares what their age is.

That's what I thought too. Except that twice, flying with kids under 2 in car seats installed in paid-for seats, the flight attendant insisted on seeing the kids' IDs to prove that they were "young enough" to be in car seats. Once the flight attendant even tried to take the passports away from us, to go show the purser. Bizarre.


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## marrymeflyfree (Jan 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mum2JocelynAngus* 
That's what I thought too. Except that twice, flying with kids under 2 in car seats installed in paid-for seats, the flight attendant insisted on seeing the kids' IDs to prove that they were "young enough" to be in car seats. Once the flight attendant even tried to take the passports away from us, to go show the purser. Bizarre.

That is truly bizarre. I can't imagine that it would happen to you again, but I would ask her to show you in her manual where there is an upper age limit to using a car seat on the plane.

Every now and then one may come across a FA who has gotten some rule or other a bit mixed up. Policies change, memos are always coming out with updates to this, that, and the other, an occasionally some things get lost in translation with some folks. If something ever just doesn't make sense, just politely ask to see the policy or FAR in writing. Every FA carries an inflight manual on board that has all of the info. I had to do this myself last year on the regional carrier that the airline I work for uses. I was 8 months pregnant, and the FA tried to bar me from boarding the plane, saying that I needed a doctor's note to fly at that stage of pregnancy. I knew better, and asked her to look it up while I took my seat.







:


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## pageta (Nov 17, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *marrymeflyfree* 
Every now and then one may come across a FA who has gotten some rule or other a bit mixed up. Policies change, memos are always coming out with updates to this, that, and the other, an occasionally some things get lost in translation with some folks. If something ever just doesn't make sense, just politely ask to see the policy or FAR in writing. Every FA carries an inflight manual on board that has all of the info. I had to do this myself last year on the regional carrier that the airline I work for uses. I was 8 months pregnant, and the FA tried to bar me from boarding the plane, saying that I needed a doctor's note to fly at that stage of pregnancy. I knew better, and asked her to look it up while I took my seat.







:

I'm going to have to remember that. We had a trip once where we were using a car seat for our 2-year-old and we had to install it a different way on each of the four legs of our journey because the flight attendants had different "rules" on each flight. By the last flight, I was so angry, it was a long time before we flew again.


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## marrymeflyfree (Jan 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pageta* 
I'm going to have to remember that. We had a trip once where we were using a car seat for our 2-year-old and we had to install it a different way on each of the four legs of our journey because the flight attendants had different "rules" on each flight. By the last flight, I was so angry, it was a long time before we flew again.


Wow, that stinks for you guys...I can imagine that must have been completely frustrating! The airline I work for has altered their car seat guidelines a few times since I have been a FA, so the same is likely true for many carriers. I can see where people could get flummoxed. That's why I routinely pull out the manual to explain when I can, when people are frustrated. When they see it in writing, they know I'm not just pulling rules out of my booty (and of course its a good reminder for me to see it myself if its an issue that rarely comes up!). I remember a new mom was on board once and had her newborn lap child strapped into the seat belt with her. I guess the FAs on her earlier leg had not noticed because she also had a blanket...the new mom was obviously stressed out, maybe still a little hormonal after the birth, and started screaming at me that I was endangering her baby by suggesting that she not be buckled in! Ack! I tried to explain that having her baby inside her lap belt was very dangerous, but she was having none of it. She was starting to cry, wanted off the plane, etc. The only thing that calmed her was pulling out the manual to show her the information in writing. Ever since then, I find that everyone is happier and less skeptical of me in the long run if I do that. The policies at most US carriers are basically the same, but there are some minor differences here or there that leave passengers totally confused when they get different rules on different flights.


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