WestJet Infant Policy: The Bassinet Rows and What Else Applies

What it costs

• Within Canada and to or from the United States, a lap infant generally travels without a fare.
• On international routes an infant fare applies — ask for the actual figure.
• It buys carriage, not a seat.
• A seat of their own is a separate purchase and the only way to use a car seat on board.

Lap or a seat of their own

The safest way for a baby to fly is in an approved child restraint in their own seat — in turbulence an adult's arms are not a restraint. A lap infant is legal and extremely common, but it is the affordable option rather than the safe one.

Here the arithmetic is helped by the baggage position: with two pieces of infant equipment already carried at no charge, bringing a car seat costs you nothing extra in bags even if you buy a seat for the baby.

Car seats

• An approved car seat can be used on board where you have bought a seat, carrying a certification label the airline recognises.
• Canadian and US approval marks differ. If you are bringing a seat bought in the other country, check the label before travelling.
• Measure it against the aircraft seat width, particularly on narrower regional types.
• A compact seat is far easier to fit and to carry through an airport.

Crossing the border with a baby

• A passport is required for air travel between Canada and the United States, including for a newborn.
• Processing takes weeks. Start it as soon as the trip is a possibility.
• Check entry requirements by the baby's nationality, which may differ from yours.
• A consent letter is commonly expected where only one parent travels, and border officers do ask.
• Carry the birth certificate, which settles the relationship question where surnames differ.

Booking a trip around a baby's day

• Fly when your baby normally sleeps where the schedule allows.
• Nonstop beats a connection almost every time.
• Target the bassinet rows explicitly when selecting seats, now that you know which they are.
• Avoid the last departure of the day.
• Morning flights are usually better for younger babies and are least likely to be delayed.

Travelling as two adults, or as one

• Two adults: a window and an aisle on a three-seat row often leaves the middle empty.
• One adult: an aisle seat is worth more than a window.
• Only one lap infant per adult, and children 4 and under need someone at least 16 with them.
• Whoever is not holding the baby carries everything else.
• Agree in advance who does what at security and boarding.

Getting through the airport

• Allow far more time than you would alone.
• Use the family lane at security where one exists.
• You will carry the baby through the detector while the carrier is scanned.
• Keep milk, formula and food accessible.
• Change the baby immediately before boarding.
• Find the changing facilities at departure and arrival in advance.
• Do not rely on buying supplies airside.

The flight itself

• Feed on the way up and the way down. Sucking equalises ear pressure.
• Do not wake a sleeping baby for descent.
• Dress in layers.
• Remember the baby comes out of the bassinet whenever the seat belt sign is on, including in turbulence. That is normal and expected.
• Ask which lavatory has the changing table.
• Accept help when it is offered.

What families most often get wrong

• Not targeting the published bassinet rows when the row numbers are available.
• Not using the two pieces of infant equipment carried at no charge.
• Leaving the baby's passport until the flights are booked, when it is required even for a short cross-border hop.
• Not checking the age against the return date.
• Travelling without a consent letter where only one parent is going.
• Bringing a car seat with a mark the airline does not recognise.
• Expecting the baby to stay in the bassinet through turbulence.

The first flight, and what actually goes wrong

Parents booking a first flight with a baby almost always worry about the wrong thing. The crying is what everyone fears; it is rarely what causes the problem.

What actually goes wrong is timing. Families arrive with the margin they would allow themselves alone, then find that a nappy change, a feed, a security queue with a pram and a child who will not go in the carrier have eaten an hour. The fix is simple and unglamorous: leave earlier than feels reasonable, and accept that you will sometimes be sitting at the gate with nothing to do. That is the good outcome.

The second thing is supplies. People pack for the flight rather than for the day. A two-hour flight that becomes a six-hour day after a delay needs more feeds, more nappies and more changes of clothes than the schedule suggests — and airside there is frequently nothing to buy, or nothing in the brand your baby will accept.

The third is the other passengers, and here the worry is mostly misplaced. Cabin crew deal with babies constantly and are generally very good with them. Most passengers are more sympathetic than parents expect, particularly if you look like you are coping rather than apologising. Walking the aisle with an unsettled baby is normal and nobody minds.

A short packing list for the cabin bag

• More feeds than the flight needs — assume a delay.
• More nappies than the flight needs, with wipes and a changing mat.
• Two changes of clothes for the baby, and one top for you. Both get used more often than people expect.
• Nappy bags, since not every aircraft lavatory has a bin that takes them.
• A muslin or blanket, which doubles as shade, a feeding cover and something familiar.
• Any medication, including infant paracetamol if your doctor approves it — a baby who becomes unwell in the air is not a situation to improvise.
• A dummy or comforter, and a spare, because the first one will go on the floor.
• The documents in one folder rather than spread between a bag and a phone.

How Fond Travels can help

• We target the actual bassinet rows for your aircraft rather than guessing at bulkhead seats.
• We make sure you use the infant equipment allowance, which covers a car seat and a stroller at no charge.
• We flag the passport requirement immediately, since it applies even to a short cross-border flight.
• We check the car seat's approval mark.
• We check the baby's age against every flight date.
• We answer at any hour, which with a baby in the house is more useful than it sounds.

To plan a trip with a baby, call +1 (323) 800 6001. A travel expert answers any hour.