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Your lap children are now taxed

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paulney said:
I suggest you get off your high horse. I'm paying more in luggage fees than the costs of the child to the airline.
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Suggest away. There's a $12 AT service charge for the privilege of doing so, however. (Waits for paulney's head to assplode.) 😛
 
Perknose said:
You paying $12 to Virgin Air the Government and nothing to Virgin Air, to transport a separate human being you brought into the world hundreds of miles to another part of the world vs. the very real possibility of your infant crying and impinging on the quality of the flight for all the other full paying passengers around you?

Seems like a bargain for you, under the circumstances. Not trying to be harsh here, but what do you really feel you have to complain about?
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There... I think I fixed it for you...
 
The tax is probably something charged by wherever you've chosen to travel that's done on a per person basis rather than a per seat basis. Since you are bringing two people you pay the tax for two people.

JackBurton said:
They should charge you an extra grand to bring a kid on board a plane.
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Oh boohoo, I have to sit next to a baby that may inconvenience me for a few hours. Waaah! Sorry, but people with kids need to travel sometimes too. It sucks but there's not much you can do about it.
 
davmat787 said:
How do you properly secure a lap child while flying? Do they give you an extra lap belt or what?
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Generally you just hold them.. that is pretty much it.

Even the FAA says not to take a lap child on a flight. I have absolutely no idea why the FAA publicly says it is incredibly unsafe but doesn't actually outlaw it.
 
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davmat787 said:
How do you properly secure a lap child while flying? Do they give you an extra lap belt or what?
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You don't - they can do more harm than good for little kids anyway. If you get the front row seat, you can set up a crib there hanging off the wall. Otherwise the child sleeps on your lap. If the airline has an available seat, you can set up a carseat in it.
 
coxmaster said:
Generally you just hold them.. that is pretty much it.

Even the FAA says not to take a lab child on a flight. I have absolutely no idea why the FAA publicly says it is incredibly unsafe but doesn't actually outlaw it.
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Hopefully OP won't hit any rough turbulence or other severe problems while flying. I know the DC10 that crashed in Sioux City had fatalities related to children not having lapbelts. Obviously flying is very safe and I don't want to spread FUD, but I did come across this just now:

"Years later, when asked to review and reconsider that exemption, following a United Airlines, DC10 accident in Sioux City, Iowa; in which a mom who was holding her child in her lap said in interviews after the accident, “they said I could hold him, but when the accident happened, I couldn’t hold onto him.” Sadly her child was killed and another child was miraculously found in an overhead bin after the crash."

http://travelingsmart.com/2010/12/13/some-of-our-most-prescious-passengers-are-the-least-protected/
 
Have you never traveled internationally before? There are always taxes involved. Just because Virgin lets your child fly free doesn't mean governments will not expect their per passenger airport/security/customs/etc tax.
 
davmat787 said:
Hopefully OP won't hit any rough turbulence or other severe problems while flying. I know the DC10 that crashed in Sioux City had fatalities related to children not having lapbelts. Obviously flying is very safe and I don't want to spread FUD, but I did come across this just now:
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I should have made that point much more clear, thank you for clearing that up.


As davmat said, there is not reason not to fly because it really is safe. Moderate turbulence however is far from uncommon and you're in for a real shock when that child comes out of your arms.

I spend countless hours talking to pilots and (occasionally) flight attendants and basically all of them i've talked to agree that lap children are the worst possible idea.
 
paulney said:
It's just the risks you take. The alternative is to stay home confined for five years.
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I get that, and am not a snob who thinks kid shouldn't fly, just that you should know the risks and it sounds like you do. I'm sure many people here put their kids on a school bus with no belts and don't think twice.

Obviously the safest thing to do would buy a separate seat and use a carseat, but it does not sound like that is an option if the $12 fee (9/11 fee maybe?) is a problem for you. Best of luck on your trip regardless. 🙂
 
coxmaster said:
Or you could get a seat and have your child strapped in?
😕😕
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Have you actually traveled anywhere with a small child? They can't stay in the carseat for more than an hour anyway. In the car - you plan the route for breaks. In the plane - you have to take him/her out and massage/stretch/let the child crawl. The belts won't help and won't really matter.
 
davmat787 said:
I get that, and am not a snob who thinks kid shouldn't fly, just that you should know the risks and it sounds like you do. I'm sure many people here put their kids on a school bus with no belts and don't think twice.

Obviously the safest thing to do would buy a separate seat and use a carseat, but it does not sound like that is an option if the $12 fee (9/11 fee maybe?) is a problem for you. Best of luck on your trip regardless. 🙂
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I don't think kids shouldn't fly, I just think that regular, non-breeding customers shouldn't be subject to the annoyances of children when they're paying full-fare for travel.

So, either everyone else on the flight gets a discount and charge the person bringing the child (or persons bringing the children) the discount X number of passengers total amount... or have flights that are only for people with children, and charge accordingly.

I feel that the first would be more economically viable for the airlines, though more discriminatory against those with children, which I am totally fine with.
 
Nebor said:
I don't think blacks shouldn't fly, I just think that regular, white customers shouldn't be subject to the annoyances of blacks when they're paying full-fare for travel.
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There, I fixed it. Now, where have I seen this before? Hmmm...
 
paulney said:
Have you actually traveled anywhere with a small child? They can't stay in the carseat for more than an hour anyway. In the car - you plan the route for breaks. In the plane - you have to take him/her out and massage/stretch/let the child crawl. The belts won't help and won't really matter.
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No I havent, so you do have more experience than I do there.

From a safety standpoint however this is what I've always heard to be the "best possible plan." Use some sort of child restraint system when necessary then during the flight (if it is smooth) you hold them or do whatever you wish. At the first signs of turbulence they go back into the CRS.

FAA link
 
paulney said:
There, I fixed it. Now, where have I seen this before? Hmmm...
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Ridiculous comparison. Doesn't even kind of make sense.

Also, stop bringing your annoying kids to adult restaurants. They have Chuck-e-cheese, Cici's Pizza and McDonalds for you. Stop imposing your poor life choices, errr little miracles on those around you.
 
Movies, flights & restaurants, I'd pay extra for all of them if they offered ones with no small children allowed. I understand parents often times have no choice than to bring their babies with them. But an option to pay more for a baby free experience would be worth it to me. It's like how the casinos have smoking and non smoking sections.
 
Nebor said:
Ridiculous comparison. Doesn't even kind of make sense.

Also, stop bringing your annoying kids to adult restaurants. They have Chuck-e-cheese, Cici's Pizza and McDonalds for you. Stop imposing your poor life choices, errr little miracles on those around you.
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Makes perfect sense. Want a private ride? Get your private jet. If the restaurant does not allow kids - I don't bring them there. If it does - I do. Don't like it? Don't go there.
 
QueBert said:
Movies, flights & restaurants, I'd pay extra for all of them if they offered ones with no small children allowed. I understand parents often times have no choice than to bring their babies with them. But an option to pay more for a baby free experience would be worth it to me. It's like how the casinos have smoking and non smoking sections.
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See now that's not fair. The minority shouldn't be imposing on the majority. THEY should pay extra in order to offer us a discount for having to put up with their kids on our flights. OR they should have child ONLY flights.
 
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