TAP Air Portugal flying with babies

Are there any restrictions when flying with babies on TAP Air Portugal flights?

Flying is not recommended for newborns less than 7 days old. Infants may not be accepted for travel within the first 7 days after birth, except as a medical case. In an emergency, you should contact TAP Air Portugal so that its medical services can assess the situation.

For in-flight safety reasons, many airlines restrict the number of infants that an adult may accompany. Each adult can travel with 4 children, or one child and one infant. One adult is allowed to travel with only one infant on TAP Air Portugal flights. For a second infant, an Additional Assistant must be requested, and the applicable service charge paid.

Does TAP Air Portugal offer special fares for infants?

TAP Air Portugal offers special infant fares for passengers up to 23 months, provided that they do not occupy a seat and are accompanied by an adult. However, if the infant turns two years of age by the return date of the trip, the passenger cannot travel as an infant and must occupy a seat priced at a child fare for the entire journey. In this case, for safety reasons, a car seat must be used on all flights in which the infant is not 2 years of age.

If you want your baby to travel in a car seat, a regular passenger seat must be booked for the infant, and the applicable child fare paid.

Infant Baggage

When traveling with an infant, additional baggage may be carried on board or checked, free of charge:

Car Seats and Carrycots

Car Seats

Infants and children up to 5 years of age may use their car seats on TAP flights. Infants are not allowed to occupy a seat unless seated in an infant car-type seat. The use of a car seat for an infant requires booking a separate seat. Conditions of acceptance apply when a child is traveling in his/her own car seat:

• Car seats must be approved by for air transport by an official state department and must bear a label attesting to that fact (e.g. ECE R44/04, TÜV/958-01/2001, US FMVSS 213, Canadian CMVSS 213/213.1).
• The base of the car seat may not exceed 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in). The seat and base must not be separated.
• The car seat must have safety belts.
• The car seat must be placed in a window seat, next to the adult accompanying the child (but never in an emergency row or row immediately in front of or immediately behind the emergency row).
• It is required to notify TAP Air Portugal up to 24 hours before the flight of intent to use a car seat for an infant. For small children, a pre-notification is recommended in order to inform check-in staff that passenger will travel in a car seat.
• The accompanying adult is responsible for transport and placement of the car seat.
• The car seat will be transported as checked baggage if it cannot be safely adapted to the aircraft seat.

Carrycots

Many babies and small children fly without occupying a seat, i.e. they travel on the lap of a parent or guardian. TAP Air Portugal provides carrycots for babies no more than 12 months old, free of charge, if their parents request one. The use of carrycots is subject to certain conditions:

• The infant must weigh no more than 11 kg (24 lbs).
• The carrycot measurements are 75 cm (27.5 in) length, 34 cm (13 in) width, and 22.4 cm (8.8) hight.
• When making your booking, inform TAP Air Portugal of all the flights on which the infant needs a carrycot (there are specific seats on the aircraft for installing carrycots, and their number is limited).
• Availability will be confirmed immediately when you book (the number of seats available for carrycots varies from one type of aircraft to another).
• Each adult may only hold one baby (confirmation of carrycot availability doesn’t mean you can travel with two infants).

Flying with Children on TAP Flights

For passengers traveling with small children, TAP Air Portugal offers priority boarding. Also, your baby can remain in the pushchair until reaching the door of the aircraft, where it will be collected by TAP Air Portugal staff.

Upon advance booking, Baby Meals for children under 2 years of age and special meals for children up to 12 years of age are available on long-haul flights and some medium-haul flights. Special meals for babies and children should be requested at the time of booking or as far in advance as possible.

On TAP flights, children up to 3 years of age will receive a soft rattle. For children aged between 4 and 12 years, TAP Air Portugal offers an issue of UP Kids magazine, specially designed for them, and an eco-friendly tin containing: two games – Mini Mind and Dominoes, coloured pencils, sharpener, an eye mask, toothbrush and strawberry-flavoured toothpaste. On all Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, there is a children’s music channel full of great songs that children will love.

More information here >>