International Lap-Infant Fees: What Airlines Actually Charge (2026)

Selected official examples

Policies and fee pages checked on 16 August 2026:

Airline or program	Published lap-infant structure
Delta	International infant without a seat: 10% of the applicable adult fare plus applicable taxes, with surcharges collected separately.
American Airlines	10% of the same fare purchased by the adult for an international lap infant.
British Airways	A lap infant pays an infant fare that is a percentage of the adult fare; an infant in an own seat pays a child fare.
Air Canada	International lap infant: 10% of adult fare. The discount does not apply to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges.
easyJet	The UK fee page listed £25 per infant per flight when checked.
Wizz Air	An infant fare applies for a child aged 14 days to under two traveling on an adult's lap.
Aeroplan reward	Most reward itineraries outside Canada/US charge CAD25 or 2,500 points per direction for an infant under two.

This is a fee-structure comparison, not a live fare quote. Check the final booking total. Sources: Delta infant ticket information, American infant ticketing, British Airways family tickets, and Air Canada traveling with children.

Why "10%" can still be expensive

The fare it references, and the cabin it follows, can matter more than the headline number. Delta's ticketing guidance says an international lap infant pays 10% of the applicable adult fare plus applicable taxes, and that surcharges must be collected; the cabin in which the infant travels also matters in upgraded-ticket situations. Don't calculate 10% from a search-result headline and assume that's the final quote. Ten percent of an applicable business- or first-class fare can be substantial even though the infant occupies no separate seat, so when comparing points redemptions, request the infant quote before transferring points or making a non-refundable booking. Air Canada is explicit that the discount on adult fare doesn't apply to taxes, fees, charges and surcharges, so the all-in infant total can end up higher than a simple 10% calculation suggests.

Fixed fee versus percentage fare

A fixed-fee airline creates a different comparison. easyJet's UK page listed an infant charge of £25 per infant per flight when checked, and a round trip normally contains at least two chargeable flights, more with a connection. A fixed fee can be higher than 10% of a very cheap adult fare, lower than 10% of an expensive premium fare, multiplied by segments or flights, and quoted in a different local currency. Don't assume a low-cost airline's lap infant is free just because the adult base fare is low.

Reward tickets: check the issuing program

The operating airline and loyalty program can play different roles. Aeroplan's current reward policy says an infant under two on most itineraries outside Canada/US can be added for CAD25 or 2,500 points per direction, materially different from calculating 10% of a cash premium-cabin fare. But the result depends on which program issues the ticket: if you use one airline's points to fly a partner, check the issuing program's infant rules before booking, including whether the charge is per segment, direction or journey, whether it's cash or points, and whether changing the adult ticket automatically updates the infant ticket.

The all-in infant cost worksheet

Calculate each direction separately: infant base fare or fixed fee, plus taxes, plus carrier or other surcharges, plus a required seat on any age-ineligible leg, plus baggage or equipment charges not included, plus any disclosed change or service costs. Record the child's date of birth, the route and each segment, the adult fare and cabin, whether it's a cash or reward ticket, the ticketing date, and whether the infant travels on your lap or in an own seat, since baggage and equipment allowances can differ between the two. Get a written or screen-displayed quote before committing.

The second-birthday problem

A lap infant must be under two under the applicable airline rule; once the child turns two, a separate aircraft seat is required. Policies differ in how the ticket is built: Delta's current agency guidance says that if the infant turns two during the journey, a seat must be purchased for the entire journey, Air Canada publishes options for a child turning two between outbound and return, and American's consumer page says a child turning two during a trip needs an own seat for the remainder. These examples aren't interchangeable, so give the airline the date of birth and every travel date, and obtain the ticketed solution rather than splitting tickets independently without checking connection, baggage and change consequences.

Lap does not mean "no ticket"

International lap infants commonly need to be included in the reservation and may need a ticket even without an assigned seat, along with a passport, any required visa or travel authorization, proof of age, and health documents where relevant. Delta and American publish a one-lap-infant-per-accompanying-adult rule, and Wizz Air states the same; if one adult travels with two children under two, one child commonly needs a purchased seat and an approved restraint under the airline's rules. If the infant's name isn't visible in the booking, contact the ticket issuer before travel, and don't infer baggage or equipment allowance from the adult ticket alone, since some airlines attach allowance only to a ticketed child rather than a lap infant. If you're flying with an older child instead, see our airline family seating policies guide for what's actually guaranteed once a child has a purchased seat.

Myths, debunked

"Under two flies free."

That's often true only for certain domestic travel. International rules commonly introduce a fare, tax or fixed-fee charge.

"Ten percent means ten percent of what I paid."

The applicable adult fare and cabin rules can differ from a simple share of the checkout total, and surcharges are often added on top.

"Award travel always uses 10% of the cash fare."

Some programs do; others use a fixed cash or points amount. The issuing program, not the operating airline's cash fare, controls it.

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

SuiteScanner reopened official airline and loyalty-program pages on 16 August 2026 and normalized the published structures into percentage fare, fixed fee and reward fee. We didn't simulate bookings or invent taxes, and static easyJet pricing is labeled by market and check date since fee tables change. Obtain a live quote for the exact itinerary.

Sources

• Delta infant ticket information
• American Airlines infant ticketing
• British Airways tickets and travel documents
• Air Canada traveling with children