I’ve been really busy planning our 2017 Summer Trip. We’ll be heading to the Pacific for around 5 weeks!
The first order of business was getting a flight from the U.S. to the region. American Airlines miles came in handy for that, costing 80,000 miles per person + tax ($71.66). When I asked about adding Theo to the itinerary as a lap baby, I was beyond surprised by the price I was told.
The AA rep placed me on hold for around 10 minutes and then came back letting me know that to add Theo as a lap baby it would cost $811. Yes $811!
I then said WHAT! Considering the seats for our flights would cost around $1,200, how could a lap baby ticket cost so much???
The rep mentioned how when calculating a lap baby ticket, it’s around 10% cost of the adult fare. I mentioned that I knew this but our flight wasn’t valued at $8,000 per person.
If we were flying in Business Class I’d totally understand but we’re not… The AA rep apologize and told me that I should call Fiji Airways and maybe they could help.
A couple of weeks later I decided to give Fiji Airways a call.
I was told that the airline I booked the flight with had to book a lap baby ticket so I then explained the situation. The Fiji Airways rep agreed that $800 did not seem right for a lap baby ticket in coach and said she would try to help.
After a brief hold, I was told that she needed to make some calls and that she would call me back once she spoke the appropriate department.
I was told that I’d receive a call back later that night. Since I didn’t hear back from them before going to bed, I decided to follow up myself.
I mentioned the situation and then gave my confirmation number. After a brief hold I was told the price of Theo’s lap baby ticket.
$165.06!
By placing a couple of calls to Fiji Airways, I basically saved myself $645.94!
Just remember that when booking a lap baby ticket, if the price doesn’t seem right don’t just accept what you’re told. Ask for a supervisor or if you’re booking a flight on a partner airline, give that airline a call and see if they can help. It might save you lots of money.
