Jetstar has started charging parents to travel with their baby on their laps on domestic and international flights.
Although the infants will not get their own seat for this cost, passengers wishing to travel with babies will fork out AUD$30 per child (NZD$32.30) fee for infants under two travelling on flights within Australia and AUD$50 (NZD$53.90) on international flights with the budget carrier.
At this stage, no infant fee for will be charged for babies travelling on New Zealand domestic flights.
Infants over two years of age will now need to travel in their own seat, while kids under two can travel on an adults lap.
When flying with Jetstar, it was previously free to bring infants on domestic flights and on flights between Australia and New Zealand, provided they travelled on a lap. Other international flights previously had a AUD$40 fee.
The changes came into effect Monday, May 15, 2017.
According to a Jetstar spokesperson, the changes bring Jetstar on par with one of Australia’s other low-cost carrier, TigerAir.
“We know that fees and charges can be unpopular, but giving customers’ choice and charging each customer for what they actually need helps us to offer the lowest possible fares, every day,” she said.
It is currently free to bring a baby on Qantas and Virgin domestic services within Australia, but for international flights adult passengers are charged an extra 10 per cent on top of their full fare to carry a baby on their laps.
Jetstar also offers passengers an allowance of up to four oversized infant items, an offer no other airline provides.
