Flying with 16 Mo.

Hi K.,
It would be best to contact the airline. Rules can be very strict these days.
If you don't need it, I would leave it home. It would just be another thing to lug around!

Hi K.. I worked for a major airline for 23-years. You do not have to purchase a ticket until they are 2-years old. It's funny, we tried to save parents money even if the child was just over 2, by saying, "If he/she is not quite 2, the little does not need a ticket". Meaning if the child just turned 2 by a few months. Some parents wouldn't catch the hint and some would. If they are small at 2, same thing. I do agree with the idea of turbulence, it is safer for the child to be in a seat and strapped in. Also if you do allow the child to sit on your lap and they are at walking age, please by all means keep them on your lap. It is very disturbing to all passengers when a parent lets the child run up an down the isle. Trust me, the flight attendants nor the other passengers think it's cute.

Up until 2 yos most airlines will let you fly with you child on your lap. I flew to Colombia, South America with my son when he was just almost 2 and had no problems. AND I only paid $150 in taxes round trip!

My daughter flew from Boston to Orlando at 18 months and we did not purchase the ticket for her. If you are flying alone I would say purchase the ticket a ticket for your son as he will probabaly sleep and could get very heavy if you cannot pass him off or take turns on laps. We flew with my husband and my parents so she was happy being able to cruise laps depending on who had the better view. She slept the way home and use her brother's seat...he found an empty seat towards the back of the plane with my husband.

I have only one word to say about flying with little ones - BENEDRYL

How much do you value your sanity? When we flew with our daughter (at about the same age) we got a seat for her and it made it so much easier! Yes, she spent a lot of the time in our laps, but the time she spent in her own seat was wonderful. It's also handy to use to change a wet diaper quickly without schleping her to the tiny bathroom!

K., I know that it's tempting to not pay for that extra seat - we've been in the same situation. A few years ago I worked with a woman that was also a flight attendant and I asked her the same question. She said that in the event of severe turbulence or crash landing there is NO WAY to hold onto your child in your lap and keep him/her safe. The forces you are fighting against are much stronger than anyone's arms and that the only way to guarantee that your child will be safe in those circumstances is to buckle them into an extra seat. There are a couple of harnesses that are sold through children's catalogs that are approved for flying and you put the harness on the kid (like a vest) and then hook the tether to your seat belt. We tried that once when our daughter was very small and it worked - it was just difficult because she was moving all over the place and kept on getting tangled up. I wish you luck in making your decision. It's a tough one! Take care!

I believe you can have him in your lap..just be aware that some airlines won't allow you to switch back and forth with your husband in the event that your seats are not right beside each other. Also..think of your comfort level. I know it is a lot of money for your child to have thier own seat. but it really is safer (you can attach your car seat to thier seat)..and much more enjoyable for you. I personally have always had my son in his own seat. My husband worked for an airline previously for 17yrs..he thought a child really needs there own seat..even an infant..for safety sake..just an opinion.

I just got back from a vacation to Florida with my 15-month-old daughter last week. We did NOT buy her a ticket, but were lucky enough that there were empty seats on both flights, so we could put her in her carseat for free. You can call the airline before your flight or check at the desk when you get to the airport and they will tell you if there are empty seats. It WAS much easier, although then we had to lug the carseat on and off the plane. But, I also think she would have been fine on my lap. Regarding the safety concerns, the airlines say it is safest for the child to be in their own seat, but the carseat harnesses do not release as easily as airplane seatbelts. My concern (since we were flying over water most of the way) was that we would crash in the ocean and I would not get her out in time! We actually hit a lot of turbulence on the landing and I half-unbuckled her so that I could pull her out in an emergency. Just something to think about... I don't think I'd buy an extra ticket just for the safety factor alone.

Yes you can fly with him on your lap. I know Delta allows children under 2 years to not have their own seat, just check with your airline to make sure his age is not a problem.

K.,

I would say if you think you can handle him on your lap just go as a lap baby. The flight is short so it's not that he will be on your lap for 7 hours. Bring new (cheap) books and a few toys (I generally get them in the dollar aisle as Target) to entertain him and if needed walk up and down the aisles. For such a short flight I wouldn't spend the money.

L. M

I flew with my daughter at 15 months and she sat on my lap. We had an empty seat between my husband and I both ways and we were free to use it for her. I am glad we didn't pay for a seat because she wanted to sit in our laps anyway. We had books and small toys to keep her occupied. We only had a 2.5 hour flight and it was more challengeing trying to keep her busy in the airport before the flights... lots of walking around. Good luck!

Well...we are actually heading to the carribean in April and decided to have our 19 month old sit on our lap...It is way too much money to spend on a child who at times may not sit still...Their attention span are soooo limited. Our son is very active and listened most of the time...so we are hoping he either sleeps throughout the whole flight to keep him occupied.

If you have the money, purchase a seat. If not and you are traveling with someone else then your lap would be fine. If he is a squirmer then I would highly suggest another seat. It isn't so much the weight of your son, it is how much he likes to get up an about. If he is a calm traveler and likes to sit in your lap then he should be fine. I have flown with my son(he is now 21 months old) at least 6 times since he was born. The last time was a two leg flight and on parts of the trip there were extra seats that he sat in. This was 2 months ago. We sat at the very front on the way out and there was about 2x2 feet of room for him to play about in. The 2nd leg I strapped him into a seat and I wished I had his car seat he was so squirmy. When he was about a year old I took his carseat onto the plane (it was the airline you can pick your own seats and they had room) and he sat in it the whole time and fell asleep. That was the ideal situation. So it really just depends on how much you are willing to put up with.

Hi K.,
I'd take advantage of the fact that you're not forced to pay for a plane ticket for a child under 2. I took my son 22mo to Dominican Republic last summer & he did just fine, the doctor suggested giving him some benadryl to help him during flight & he was very happy relaxed & slept a bit too. Good luck & Have a great time!

your child is allowed to fly for free as long as they are younger than 2 years old.
if you do want to buy a seat it's up to you and they do have car seats that can go in but you'd have to check which ones are allowed
hope that helps

I flew with my then 16 month old in December with her on my lap. It was about a 2- 21/2 hour flight. She managed fine on my lap, but it was much more difficult to keep her on my lap than when she was younger. I would go ahead and put him on your lap to avoid the extra cost for this trip.

When I flew with my daughter I asked when we checked in if there were any empty seats so I could bring the carseat on the plan. One way there was and one way there wasn't. But they just switched us so we could have the extra seat and bring her car seat on. Also if you are flying jet blue they have alot of leg room so my daughter was able to play right at my feet.

Hi, I just came back from Disney with my 19 year old and I would highly recommend getting the child his own seat. I was watching other parents try to keep the child in their lap and it was a disaster. My son did great the way back/ the way down/ he wanted to get out of his car seat...don't do it!! Keep him strapped in with plenty of snacks/ we also brought a portable dvd player and put alot of pictures on it and he loved looking at himself and other members of the family. Best of luck!

Hi K.,

You can fly with your son on your lap, but should you? For me, it's a safety issue. In the unlikely event of a crash, or the much more likely event of turbulance, you may be physically unable to hold on to your child. You don't hold him in your lap to drive in a car going 30 miles per hour -- why would you hold him in your lap on an airplane whizzing through the air? We have flown with our kids a few times and always buy them a seat, and always take their car seats on the plane, too. (We also use the car seats in places where they're not legally required, like when we visited my husband's family in India. I mean, we use the car seats at home not only because they're required, but because they're safer. Why wouldn't we want our kids to be that safe wherever they go?)

Yes, it's inconvenient, and yes, it's a lot more expensive, and I'm not insensitive to the money issue -- we're struggling like everyone else. I guess it depends on your level of risk tolerance. I hope I don't sound harsh, but this is a big hot-button issue for me.

I googled "kids safety airplane" and came up with a couple of sites for you to look at: http://www.takingthekids.com/index.php/main/permalink/usi... and
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advice/Safety-comes-f...

Have fun on your trip and good luck!

even if you can afford it I wouldn't. I flew with my son when he was 15 months to florida (I know your trip is a bit longer) but I bought him a pacifier (he hadnt had one since he was about 7 months. He had it on the plane and the plane only and he slept on my lap snugling soundly the whole flight there and back. I think the motion to them is similar to a car ride and I was cozy snuggling with him for a bit.

You don't need another seat by airline regs until 24 months. We took our son to the Dominican Republic at 18 months and he sat on our laps both there and back. On the way down, we were able to get him to sleep for 2 of the 4 hours. On the way back, he squirmed the entire 4 hours back and I wished that I would have bought him his own seat! It was tough! At this point, it's really up to you. The Airlines shouldn't force you to buy him a seat.

R. P.

I have a 15 month old and will be traveling with her soon as well. It is a short flight so we did not get her a seat. That being said, I think if you are going to have a long flight and you can afford it, do it. Otherwise, just bring a few things to occupy your child. Have some juice and some "comfort"items for him. I really hope that it works out for you. Plus the airlines do not require you to buy a seat unless they are 2. Finally, make sure you travel with a copy of his birth certificate, you will need that for him. I hope you have a great trip (I am totally jealous).
E.

I would buy a seat for him.......he is worth the $$$$ for safety reasons. The idea of a baby on your lap traveling at 450mph and thinking he is safe is ludicris......unexpected turbulence could cause him great harm. Coffee pots are secured before taking off and landing why the heck aren't the most precious cargo secured too? This is a hot-button issue for me too.....my older sis survived a plane crash (she was lead flight attendent) and an almost 2yr. old lap passenger didn't.......the Mom blamed my sis. It wasn't her fault but the FAA allowing this nonsense............