How many Avios points are needed to book a flight for an infant or baby?

Today I want to look at how many Avios points you need to book a seat for an infant or baby.

First, let’s clarify what British Airways counts as a baby or infant.  To get the infant fare, your child must:

be under 2 years old on the date of the OUTBOUND flight and

not be occupying a seat

If your child turns 2 during the trip, BA will give your baby a free seat for the return flight!  You don’t pay any extra cash or Avios.

What happens if I want my baby to have its own seat?

For older babies, it often isn’t comfortable to have them on your lap for the entire flight.  British Airways is happy to book a seat for your baby but you will need to pay the full Avios and full taxes and charges for a normal child ticket.

What does it cost to book an infant ticket with Avios?

For long-haul flights, an infant ticket costs:

10% of the Avios of an adult ticket, and

10% of the taxes and charges

For a short-haul flight using Reward Flight Saver, an infant costs:

10% of the Avios of an adult ticket, and

£10 return for taxes and charges (adults pay £35 return)

Can an infant earn Avios on cash tickets?

If you are flying with British Airways on a cash ticket, not using Avios, your child can earn Avios points if you enrol it into a British Airways Household Account.  This article explains how to earn Avios when your child flies.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 1.8 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories, click here to join our email list and click here to read our ‘Avios Redemption University’ series.)

How to get 20,000 Avios from Amex Gold or 30,000 Avios from Amex Platinum (December 2021 offer)

The sign-up bonus on American Express Preferred Rewards Gold converts to 20,000 Avios and the card is free for the first year. You can apply here.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & two airport lounge passes Read our full review

You don’t qualify for the Amex Gold bonus if you have a British Airways American Express card. You DO qualify for the bonus on The Platinum Card, which converts into 30,000 Avios. You can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

If you have your own small business, the best way of earning Avios is via the Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa. It has a sign-up bonus which converts to 10,000 Avios:

Capital On Tap Business Rewards Visa

The most generous Avios Visa or Mastercard for a limited company Read our full review

You should also look at the British Airways Accelerating Business card, because it currently has a limited time offer of 60,000 Avios when you sign up by 14th November. You can apply here.

British Airways Accelerating Business American Express

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

You can find out more about ALL UK credit cards which offer travel rewards in this article, updated monthly.