The Airlines Offering Free Tickets & Promotional Fares For Children

Summary

  • Airlines like Air New Zealand offer free travel for children under two, with reduced fares after.
  • Carriers like Frontier Airlines, SAS, and TAP Portugal offer free travel for kids under certain conditions.
  • Aegean Airlines and other carriers offer up to 60% off child fares and promotions for families.

Traveling for one can be costly, but booking travel for the whole family can quickly add up, and you could start wondering if driving would be cheaper. However, several carriers look to lure customers in by offering free travel for children.

Before your child turns two, some airlines even let infants travel for free, such as Air New Zealand, which allows any child under two to travel free of charge on domestic flights. In addition to them costing you nothing, you’re entitled to two pieces of child-related items to be checked in free of charge (this can include a stroller, car seat, or porta-cot).

However, once our little one turns two, it’s time to start paying, although this is usually at a reduced rate compared to an adult fare (usually around 75% of the usual price).

A Father, Mother, and Two Children boarding an aircraft.

Photo: Yaroslav Astakhov | Shutterstock

If traveling with children isn’t your thing, how about reading our article on adult-only flights?

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It’s certainly not what you might think.

If it’s time to start planning your next trip with the children, check out these airlines to understand who and what can travel for free:

Frontier Airlines

Free for one child up to 14 years

American ultra-low-cost carrier

Frontier Airlines

is easily recognizable at many airports across the United States and Mexico with its unique tails, which picture a range of iconic animals. The carrier offers a range of ultra-low fares for the usual traveler, but for added appeal for families, the airline provides free travel for one child with a paying adult through its ‘Discount Den’ travel club.

There are a few conditions. Children must be under 14 years old and the booking must be for a ‘kids fly free flight.’ Once you have logged into the Discount Den and started searching for your preferred destination, you will be able to see which flights are eligible for the little one.

It’s worth remembering that Frontier is an ultra-low-cost carrier, so all meals, baggage, and seat selection will be an additional cost.

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

Free for one child up to 11 years

Europe’s Scandinavian Airlines, known as

SAS

, is a primary carrier for Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The airline has major hubs at Copenhagen (CPH), Oslo (OSL), and Stockholm (ARN) and lures in its frequent fliers with the ability to take their children away on trips without costing the Earth.

The current condition is that children between two and 11 can travel for free and are just required to pay taxes on select flights. This offer is only available on select flights within Europe.

For frequent fliers, we will already be looking at the other benefits the carrier’s frequent flier program will offer as it moves from Star Alliance to Sky Team from September 1.

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What SAS’ Star Alliance-SkyTeam Swap Means For Frequent Flyers

Passengers can still redeem miles with Star Alliance carriers for future travel and can book award tickets on SkyTeam carriers from September 1st.

TAP Portugal

Free for one child up to 11 years

Portugal’s flag carrier,

TAP Portugal

, had a promo running in May, where children could join a paying adult for free on select routes across Europe. This promo was to mark Children’s Day, and between May 28 and 30, lucky parents were able to book flights between September 15 to December 14 and January 15 to March 31 to these destinations:

  • Paris
  • Copenhagen
  • Madrid
  • Barcelona
  • Rome
  • London
  • Seville

Additional taxes had to be paid, and parents were allowed to travel with one child and one infant (on lap), with every paying adult.

Kids (almost) fly free

While it’s not entirely free, there are a few more carriers that offer heavy discounts for families and child fares:

Aegean Airlines

Up to 60% off

Greek carrier

Aegean Airlines

sought to entice many travelers to the Greek Islands this summer, having launched a promo to book travel back in May for up to 60% off the cost of a child fare and across the family booking.

The discount didn’t stop there, with 50% off checked baggage and free standard seat selection. The promo was available until 21 May and is for travel this summer between June 10 and October 31. Did you score your family this special?

Jetstar Airlines, Fiji Airways, Air Tahiti Nui

Frequent ‘kids fly free’ promos.

These three airlines often have promotions where children can travel for free or heavily discounted with a paying adult. While these specials are not available right now, keep your eyes peeled for their next promo.

In the meantime, most major carriers offer those flying with children an additional two pieces of child-related luggage. This can include a stroller, port-cot, or car seat. However, checking with your airline about conditions when traveling with a child always pays.

If all else fails, check out if your favorite airline is offering any other ‘sweet treats’ for the kids these school holidays. Some lucky travelers were treated to ice cream on recent

Air New Zealand

flights.

Do you know of any other airlines that let children travel for free? Let us know in the comments.

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