Traveling with Children − Travel Information − American Airlines (2023)

If you're a family traveling with children under 15, we want to help make sure they're seated together on your flight. Here are some tips for when you book:

• Make sure you book them all on the same reservation.
• The earlier you book the better. (Seating is limited closer to the day of travel.)
• On the seat map, choose seats for the whole family or skip seats for that flight.
• It's better to skip seats than to choose just a few seats or seats scattered around the cabin. Our boarding agents can try to reseat you, but it's difficult to get seats together on the day of travel.

If you skip seats

If you cannot choose seats, do not want to pay for seats or choose a Basic Economy fare, our system will detect that you are a family traveller. The system will automatically search for seats together before the day of departure. We will do our best to keep them together, but if seating is limited, we will assign seats for children under 15 to be next to at least 1 adult.

Children and adults traveling with separate bookings

If you and your children are traveling together but have separate reservations, please call Reservations so we can note this on each reservation.

Contact Reservations

Children 2 years and older must have their own seat, a ticketed adult fare. Children under 5 years old cannot travel alone under any circumstances.

If you do not choose seats in Main Cabin or Basic Economy, we will assign seats within days of purchasing your tickets so that children under 15 years of age are next to at least 1 adult they are traveling with.

Infants under 2 years old can travel free of charge on the lap of their parents (any age) or a companion over 16 years old traveling in the same cabin. We welcome babies as young as 2 days old, but babies under 7 days old need to complete a "Passenger Doctor" form before the flight.

Have in mind:

• Only 1 infant may sit on the lap of each ticketed accompanying adult and the infant must be included in the booking.
• Additional infants under 2 years of age must be ticketed and occupy an infant car seat or separate aircraft seat.
• Baby must be less than 2 years old during travel. If they turn 2 during a trip, they will need their own seat for the rest of the trip.

Add a baby to your trip

If you are traveling within the United States, including Puerto Rico, you can add an infant to your trip when booking on aa.com or later after ticketing. You only need to contact Reservations if you are traveling with an infant under 7 days old; or if you are traveling outside the United States (fees and a percentage of adult fare may apply for international travel).

reserved seats

If your infant is traveling in their own seat, you must purchase a ticket. Infant must travel in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved car seat or be able to sit upright in the seat unassisted and have the seat belt properly fastened during taxi, take off, landing and whenever the "Fasten your seat belts" sign. in.

Cribs and changing tables

• Changing tables are available in the restrooms of all widebody aircraft.
• Cradles are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the departure gate for travel on 777-200, 777-300 and 787 aircraft only.*
• Cribs are not available in First/Business cabins.

*Infants using the crib must be under 2 years old and weigh a maximum of 20 pounds (9 kg)

• The car seat cannot be used in an exit row or rows on either side of an exit row; Window seats are preferred.
• Install the car seat in the appropriate direction for the size of the child and according to the instructions on the label.
• The child must remain in the seat belt buckled during taxi, take off, landing and whenever the 'fasten seat belt' sign is on.
• To bring a child seat, you must have purchased a child seat or a child seat must be available next to you. If an unoccupied adjacent seat is not available, the gate agent will check the car seat to your final destination.

Check seat dimensions before your trip.

planes

Car seats are not permitted in First or Business on select aircraft due to seat angles.

First

Airbus 321T

Business

• Boeing 777-200
• Boeing 777-300
• Boeing 787-800
• Boeing 787-900

• Any device without an approval tag
• Booster seats without approval tag or shoulder belt
• Vest and/or harness type devices, except aviation child restraint devices (ACSDs) displaying the FAA aircraft approval tag
• Belt extensions that are connected to the parent or parent restraint system
• Any device that places a child on an adult's lap or chest

• Each ticketed customer can register 1 stroller and 1 car seat free of charge
• Strollers weighing more than 20 lbs/9 kg must check in at the counter
• All other strollers must be checked at the departure gate prior to boarding
• If you have a stroller and a car seat, only 1 can be checked in at the gate

• Breast pumps and a small, soft breast milk cooler do not count as carry-on or personal items.
• Playpen, stroller, crib and 'pack and play' count as normal bags
• If any of them exceed carry-on baggage allowances, you will be checked and incur regular fees.

For domestic flights lasting less than 5 hours, you will not be able to travel within 7 days (both before and after) the delivery date. If you need to travel within this time period:

• Approval from your physician and special care coordinator is required.
• Your doctor will need to complete a passenger medical form before your flight. A special assistance coordinator will send the form directly to your doctor.

Authorization from a Special Assistance Coordinator is required for international travel or water travel:

• Within 4 weeks of your expected delivery date (travel also requires a medical certificate stating that you have been checked within the last 48 hours and are fit to fly)
• 7 days before or after your delivery (travel also requires your doctor to complete a passenger medical form)