COMINGANDGOING

Upright and Locked

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UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

When Babies Fly

Although children ages 2 and under can fly free, Cindy and Todd Lowman of Centreville wanted 4-month-old Natalie to be as safe as possible, so they paid more than $400 for a ticket to guarantee a seat for Natalie's Federal Aviation Administration-approved carrier.

All was fine on the JetBlue flight to Long Beach, Calif. But on the way home, crew members insisted that Natalie be held on a parent's lap during take-off and landing -- the least safe times to hold a child.

"The problem comes up from time to time" on various airlines, said FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette. But clearly, the attendants were wrong . A child safety seat with a sticker saying it is approved for aircraft use is recommended during all stages of the flight. In fact, if the child has a ticket, "no [airline] may prohibit a child from occupying a child restraint system," according to Section 121.31 of the Code of Federal Regulations. To convince misinformed attendants, consider carrying a copy of the regs, available at http://www.faa.gov/ .

Jet Blue, in response to a complaint from the Lowmans , sent the family $150 in vouchers -- shy of the more than $200 they wasted on the return flight. Said spokesman Brian Baldwin: "We will use this opportunity to reach out to the crew and ensure they understand the correct policy."

WALLET WATCH

Going Postal

Given a strict luggage limit, Elizabeth and Matt Schepps of Alexandria decided at the last minute to ship home $250 worth of presents bought during a trip to South Africa. Matt took the 11-pound package to the business center of the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, saying he'd be happy if it arrived by Christmas, then more than a month away.

A hotel employee said he didn't know the shipping cost but asked for Matt's credit card info and said he'd fill in the price later. Matt, in a rush, handed it over.

The couple was surprised to discover that the package beat them home. When their Visa bill arrived, surprise turned to shock. The shipping price: $540.

After confirming that economy shipping would have cost $64, the Schepps contacted the hotel. They were told that the business center had charged the correct amount for shipping by air courier , and no refund was possible.

CoGo then contacted the hotel, asking questions such as: Didn't $540 strike anyone as excessive? Why did they choose the most expensive means of shipment? Is it good policy to ask for payment in the form of what was basically a blank check? Soon thereafter, the hotel sent the Schepps an e-mail offering apologies for the "misunderstanding" and a refund of $210 -- said to be the difference between regular air mail and courier.

"We learned obvious lessons the hard way," said Elizabeth, "and hope others can learn from our mistakes."

TRAVEL TICKER

Travelers to Turkey and parts of Asia affected by avian flu should follow the recommendations of national and local authorities and avoid contact with birds, said World Health Organization Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli. "We believe the current situation does not warrant any form of restriction or other discouragement to travel to any destination, whether for holiday or business" . . . Due to conditions in New Orleans , the American Queen is canceling its cruises of the lower Mississippi until next year. Details: 800-543-1949, http://www.deltaqueen.com/ . . . Universal Orlando last week followed the lead of Orlando's Disney World and SeaWorld by raising prices, but offered a way out: Buy online and pay 2005 prices. Details: http://www.universalorlando.com/ .