Traveling with a lap infant on international flights

» Traveling internationally with a lap infant
» Traveling Between Aruba and the U.S.
» Traveling Between the Bahamas and the U.S.
» Traveling Between Bermuda and the U.S.
» Traveling between Colombia and the U.S.
» Traveling between Costa Rica and the U.S.
» Traveling Between the Dominican Republic and the U.S.
» Traveling between Jamaica and the U.S.
» Traveling between Mexico and the U.S.
» Traveling Between St. Maarten and the U.S.
» Guidelines for an Infant/Child Safety Seat

 
Traveling internationally with a lap infant

A child over three days old until their second birthday is considered a lap child and does not need to pay for a seat. JetBlue does not reserve a seat for these children unless a separate seat is purchased.

Once a child has their second birthday, they are no longer considered a lap child and a seat must be purchased in order for them to travel. If the child has their second birthday between the outbound and return flight, a seat will need to be purchased for the return flight.

Customers may be required to present the infant's passport to a JetBlue crewmember at the airport in order for the infant to jet. In addition to the country-specific documentation requirements outlined below, infants between three and 14 days old must also have, in the form of a letter, their doctor's approval to travel.

Customers traveling with lap infants and departing from international destinations to the U.S. will be assessed a $12 infant fee. This fee applies to flights from all international destinations (note: not Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory) and consists of the APHIS and INS taxes. This is a one-way fee and is not charged on flights to international destinations from the U.S.

  • All infants/lap children must be booked at the airport where they will collect any required infant fee.
  • Lap infants must be traveling with an adult customer at least 14 years of age or older, and the infant must sit on the adult's lap during takeoff and landing.
  • Only one lap child per adult is allowed. Due to the number of oxygen masks per row, only one lap child is allowed per row of three seats.
  • A lap child may bring one diaper bag, one stroller and a car seat. They do not qualify for the checked baggage allowance.
In addition to the information above, regardless of nationality, children traveling with an adult other than a parent (or both parents for the Dominican Republic) or legal guardian must have a notarized letter of authorization. Please refer to documentation required for the specific country.

Traveling Between Aruba and the U.S.

Please present the child's passport for international travel.

Children traveling with a guardian other than a parent must have a notarized letter of permission in triplicate from both parents authorizing travel along with a photo ID. In addition, the letter should state the name of the person with whom the child is traveling.

If the child is traveling with only one parent or the sole custody parent, the traveling parent must have a notarized letter of permission from the non-custodial parent or a "Sole Custody" or "Father Unknown" document. However, if the child's last name is different from the last name of the accompanying parent(s), proof of parentage is required. Parents name changes must be documented (i.e. marriage certificate).

A $12 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing Aruba to the United States.


Traveling Between the Bahamas and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel.

A $12 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing the Bahamas to the United States.

In addition to the information above, regardless of nationality, children traveling with an adult other than a parent or legal guardian must have a notarized letter of authorization.


Traveling Between Bermuda and the U.S.

Please present the child's passport for international travel.

Children traveling with an adult other than their parents must also be in possession of a letter from the parent(s) authorizing the child to be accompanied by the respective adult for the trip.

Parents of adopted children should be particularly careful that they carry with them the proper documents of the child if different nationality from the parents.

Parents in the process of adopting children are advised not to leave their country with the children until all the legalities and paperwork is finalized.

Children entering Bermuda for the purpose of adoption must be in possession of documents from the Bermuda Department of Immigration confirming their entry into Bermuda for adoption.

A $12 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing Bermuda to the United States.


Traveling between Colombia and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel.

A $17.50 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights originating from the United States to Colombia upon departure in Colombia. If your flight is originating from Colombia the following fees will be assessed for traveling with a lap infant: 

  • BOG originating one-way travel (i.e. BOG-MCO) -  $17.50 USD infant fee PLUS a Colombian fuel surcharge which is imposed on all Colombian originating travelers, infants are not exempt. 

Normally the fuel surcharge is included in the Customers fare, but since the infant isn’t paying for a seat the surcharge will be included in their infant fee. 

  • BOG originating round-trip travel (i.e. BOG-MCO-BOG) - $17.50 USD infant fee PLUS fuel surcharges on each segment. 

Please note: Fees will collected at the airport ticket counter.

In addition to the information above, children who are residents of Colombia traveling with an adult other than a parent or legal guardian must have a notarized letter of authorization.

Also note: Infants who are citizens of any country other than Colombia are required to pay the $10 Colombian Tourist Tax (CTT) upon departure.


Traveling between Costa Rica and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel.

A $22.03 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing Costa Rica to the United States.


Traveling Between the Dominican Republic and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel. Please note the additional requirements listed below.

Strict exit requirements apply to minors under 18 years of age (of any nationality) who are residents in the Dominican Republic. Such children traveling alone, without both parents, or with anyone other than the parent(s), must present written authorization from a parent or legal guardian. This authorization must be in Spanish, and it must be notarized at a Dominican consulate in the United States or notarized and then certified at the Dominican Attorney General’s office (Procuraduria de la Republica) if done in the Dominican Republic. Though not a requirement for non-resident minors (in the Dominican Republic), the U.S. Embassy recommends that any minor traveling to the Dominican Republic without one or both parents have a notarized document from the parent(s).

This letter of authorization must:

  • Be written in Spanish;
  • Contain the name of the child, the parent or legal guardian, and, if applicable, the adult accompanying the child; and
  • If the child is a U.S. citizen: be signed by the parent or legal guardian in front of a Consulate of the Dominican Republic
  • If the child is a citizen of the Dominican Republic: be signed by the parent or legal guardian and notarized at a Dominican Republic Consulate in the U.S.

The specific guidelines on the Dominican regulations governing the travel of children in the Dominican Republic may be found in Spanish at http://www.migracion.gov.do or click here.

For a list of Dominican Republic consulates, click here.

A $12 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing the Dominican Republic to the United States.


Traveling between Jamaica and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel.

A $12 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing Jamaica to the United States.


Traveling between Mexico and the U.S.

Please present the child's passport for international travel.

Minors traveling with an adult other than their legal parents or guardians must have an original notarized letter of permission signed by both parents authorizing travel, and a photo ID is required. In addition, the letter should state the name, address and phone number of the person with whom the child is traveling.

Minors traveling with only one parent or the sole custody parent must have a notarized letter of permission from the non-custodial parent or a "Sole Custody" or "Father Unknown" document. However, if the child's last name is different from the last name of the accompanying parent(s), proof of parentage is required. Parents name changes must be documented (i.e. marriage certificate).

EXCEPTION: Children from Mexico often have a stamp on their passports that reads, "El titular del presente pasaporte viaja de conformidad con El Articulo 421 del Codigo Civil Vigente." This phrase allows the child to travel with only one parent and without a notarized letter.


Traveling Between St. Maarten and the U.S.

Passports are required for international travel.

A $26.35 USD infant fee will be assessed on all flights departing St. Maarten to the United States.

In addition to the information above, regardless of nationality, children traveling with an adult other than a parent or legal guardian must have a notarized letter of authorization.


Guidelines for an Infant/Child Safety Seat

Infants and children may occupy a seat with or without a child restraint system. If the infant is not in a child restraint system, they must be able to sit upright. Use of booster seats, harness and vest restraints will not be allowed during the movement on surface, takeoff or landing, unless it is an FAA-approved device.

If checking a safety seat, it will not count as one of your checked bags and there is no fee assessed.

Child aviation restraint systems (CARES) are also certified by the FAA for use during all phases of flight including taxiing, takeoff, landing and during periods of turbulence. CARES is a belt-and-buckle device that attaches directly to the aircraft seatbelt. It is designed for children over one year old, weighing between 22 and 44 pounds.

Please note, JetBlue does not provide safety seats, child aviation restraint systems, nor the bags/boxes to cover them.

In addition, the following guidelines will be observed:

  • an infant safety seat cannot occupy an exit row seat nor an aisle seat.
  • an infant safety seat should be placed in a window seat; it may be placed in a middle seat as long as the window seat remains empty.
  • infant safety seats may not be placed between two individuals.
  • only one lap infant will be assigned per row of seats on each side of the aircraft.
  • any infant seat used during flight must remain secured to the passenger seat at all times, even when unoccupied.

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