Dear Travel Diva: I'm going to hold my baby on my lap on a flight between Detroit and New York. Do I need to tell the airline ahead of time?

—Mommy and Me

Dear Mommy: No, but I would call and let them know anyway. Here's the reason: A traveler with an infant in arms, which is what airlines call a baby traveling on your lap, cannot sit in certain seats. So after you book your flight online, call the airline and alert them, and confirm your family's seat assignments.

Other things to remember:

You must bring a birth certificate or passport to prove the infant is under 2 years old.

Infants on your lap have no baggage allowance.

Most airlines have restrictions on newborn travel; a baby less than 2 weeks old may need a special doctor's letter to fly.

Flying internationally with an infant has different rules; consult your airline.


Dear Travel Diva: I want to rent a vacation condo this summer in San Diego, but I'm worried about getting ripped off. How do I make sure my payment is going to the real owner and the property is as advertised? Am I just being paranoid?


Dear Suspicious: You are not paranoid. Although thousands of people find vacation rentals every day through sites like and, there are scams out there.

The biggest one is when someone puts up a fake post of a real property. The crook asks you to wire transfer payment or send cash, then disappears. That rips off both you and the real property owner.

VRBO warns renters to call a property owner to confirm arrangements before sending a check, paying by PayPal or by credit card. If no phone number is listed, beware and call the company that posted the listing.


Dear Travel Diva: I can never remember the phone number for Delta Air Lines, but I still remember the old Northwest Airlines phone number — 800-225-2525. To my surprise, it works for Delta!

—Mental Capacity

Dear Capacity: Don't feel bad about stuffing your brain with old phone numbers. At least this one still works — unlike a phone number the Travel Diva vividly remembers for the Twin Pines Dairy, sponsor of the 1960s kids TV show, "Milky's Party Time," TEXAS 4-1100.


Ellen Creager: