Are you as annoyed as I am with these astronomical flight and hotel prices? I sure miss the “good ole’ days” when a family of four could flee to Mexico for under a grand. While I’m still coming to terms with saying adios to yummy shrimp tacos at the swim-up bar, I’m going to take advantage of any family discounts I can. Below is a list of airlines with discount (and free) child fares – believe it!
But first, a few tips to save you money when flying with children.
Tip #1:
Don’t assume you have to pay extra to reserve seats together.
Some airlines will give you complimentary seat selection in advance, even with Basic Economy fares.
Want my advice? Probably not but I’ll dish it anyway… Call the airline after booking.
United has always kindly reserved our seats in advance for free. For our flights to the German Christmas Markets later this year, they even gave us preferred seating! Woohoo!!!
When airlines aren’t so generous, I pay to reserve seats rather than risk not sitting together or not having a window seat for our youngest. See the table below where I’ve noted which airlines will do this.
WARNING: Airlines don’t always seat young families together despite what you might think. Also, some people will not give up their seat, even if it means they will be Mary Poppins for a few hours. See you when we land kiddo! (Kidding. Sort of.)
Here’s a snapshot from the US Department of Transportation’s Customer Service Dashboard, showing which airlines guarantee free family seating. However, United does offer free family seating at booking. I’ve done the research for the other airlines (see my chart below).
Did you know that the US Department of Transportation strongly advises airlines to do their best to seat families together? Some airlines still do not. Wouldn’t it just make more sense for them to be as kind as United, rather than later rearranging other passengers?
Most international airlines allow infants under 2 to fly on your lap, usually for 10% of the cost of the adult fare. If it’s a domestic flight, it could be free!
But don’t forget you still have to pay the taxes, which can add up.
According to TPG, if it’s a close international flight (e.g., Mexico or Caribbean) consider jetBlue, Alaska or Southwest, because they only charge taxes for your lap infant, without the 10% fee.
If you don’t book your baby a seat, check the seat map in advance and bring a travel car seat if there are available seats. Tell them at check in and at the gate that you’d like a seat for your baby (for free, obviously). Who knows, you might get lucky. If you don’t, just check the car seat at the gate.
Side note: It is recommended from a safety standpoint that car seats are checked in with luggage at check in in their original box (who has that still!?). We usually carry it on or check it in a carseat backpack so it doesn’t get dirty. You can find links to these and other helpful items in my family travel essentials.
Take advantage of discounts and freebies for children and infants.
When I find airlines with discounts and free child fares, they usually are for children under 11. Some of the discounts vary and are not available for every route.
I researched which airlines offer discounts. Start your search with Google Flights for the best deals, then refer to this table to narrow it down from there:
Airlines with Discount and Free Child Fares
This chart I made really breaks it down for you. Some airlines offer these discounts and even free fares. I’ve included links to each airlineās site for more info.
Update February 2024: Aegean and Olympic Air are offering free flights for children for flights booked before February 12, for travel that takes place before October 2024.
| Airline | Discount | Child Seated with Parent | Extras | Airline Link |
| Air Canada | For international fares only | Yes, required by law for under 5 | Kids meals and activities | Air Canada |
| Air China | 50% domestic; up to 25% international | Not guaranteed; recommend reserving in advance or arriving early | Dynasty Members get a 5% discount on their birthday | china-airlines |
| Air France | 20-33% | Guaranteed by time of boarding | Baby and kids meals; Activities for long hauls; baby bunny comforter!! | Air France |
| Air Tahiti Nui | 25% discount, and FREE LA to Tahiti?! | ? | Kids meals and activities; call for free flight info | Tahiti.com |
| Alaska | No | Yes, by boarding time, but you may be able to reserve in advance for free. | Frequent flyers – consider a Flight Pass | Alaska Airlines |
| Allegiant | No | Not guaranteed, recommended to reserve (pay) in advance | – | AllegiantĀ® |
| *American Airlines | Yes, but only during promotions | Yes, by time of boarding at least | ‘Kids Fly Free’ promotion in the past | American Airlines |
| *British Airways | Varies up to 25% on some flights | Free advance seat reservation if traveling with a lap infant; Seated with at least one parent | Free fares have been offered in the past within the UK; Activity packs at Family Check-In Zone at Heathrow Terminal 5; Children meals | British Airways |
| Delta | Country-specific discounts | Contact Reservations if unable to reserve together in advance | Delta Sky Zone kids lounge at certain airports | delta.com |
| easyjet | No | Not guaranteed | Standard infant fare for lap infant (could be more than an adult fare!) | easyJet |
| Emirates | 25% | 50% discount to reserve child’s seat in advance | Kids meals and activities; free stroller use at airports | Emirates |
| Eva Air | 25% | ? | I could not find info on their site, but know of others who have received the discount | according to SeatMaestro |
| *Frontier | FREE!!! | Guaranteed at time of booking (if available) | One child (under 15) per adult flies FREE on select domestic flights when you join their Discount Den club ($59/yr) | flyfrontier.com |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Some international flights | Not guaranteed but “will do their best” | hawaiianair | |
| Iceland Air | 20% on international | ? | Kids meals and activities | Icelandair |
| Japan Airlines | 25% | Free to reserve in advance | Kids meals | JAL International Flights |
| Lufthansa | 25% | Pay to reserve in advance | Baby/kids meals and activities | Lufthansa |
| *Qatar | Discount child fares on select routes | ? | “Kids fly free” promotions offered in the past; Cute kids meals and activities for certain distances; Hamad Airport has playgrounds and a pool! | Qatar Airways |
| Ryanair | Student discount = 10% | Free to reserve for children in advance | Standard infant fare for lap infant (could be more than an adult fare!); Family Plus pay 50% later | Ryanair Help Centre |
| *Scandinavian Airlines | up to 25% (or up to 50% using awards) | Yes, at time of boarding | “Kids fly free” promotions offered in the past; Kids meals | flysas.com |
| Singapore | 10-25% | Free to reserve in advance | 10% off for students! | Singapore Airlines |
| Southwest | No | Family boarding ensures it for under 6 | Child discounts ended in 2021 | southwest.com |
| Spirit Airlines | No | Not guaranteed | Students get 30% off Savers Club membership | Spirit Airlines |
| Turkish Airlines | up to 25% | ? | Family check-in counter at Istanbul Airport; Kids meals | Turkish Airlines |
| United Airlines | 5-60% for young adults; discount for children on select routes | Free to reserve in advance, online now available | Kids meals and activities | United Airlines United offers discounts- The Points Guy |
| Virgin Atlantic | 25% (to 50%?) | They do ‘their best’ | Child and young adult discounts | Virgin Atlantic |
When looking at the list of airlines with discount and free child fares, some of the discounts are country-specific, so it’s worth calling the airline to double check. If you can’t get through to a live person, try contacting them on Twitter or using the “chat” feature on their app.
Some airlines only allow child fares to be booked over the phone.
These discounts are only on base fares, not the taxes. So don’t be alarmed when the total cost difference isn’t as much as you were expecting.
Did you know many airlines offer special meals for babies and children? Because I did not. Many airlines ask that you request one in advance.
Last tip –
Enroll your child to earn miles.
You aren’t the only one who can earn miles around here. Our kids each have their own United mileage accounts, so every flight we take they are that much closer to a free flight. Sign up for the United card for FREE (with no annual fee) and earn 20,000 bonus miles! Sign up for their Explorer card and earn 60,000 miles. That will get you to Europe and back!
Enroll each member of your family with a frequent flyer account on each airline that you fly. Emirates is among a list of 25 airlines that allow you to actually pool your miles together, according to TPG. Emirates has been our favorite family travel airline to date!
Now go save some money and book your next trip! Actually, the money you save on flights will likely go toward some essentials that will make traveling with little ones much easier.
My Destinations page has some great inspo if you need some fresh and adventurous travel ideas. With these discounts, maybe Europe is closer than you think!
