Bulkhead row for lap child?

[Jarmo]

I've seen pros (space) and cons (safety, storage) for sitting in a bulkhead row when flying with a lap infant. Anybody have firsthand experiences? We are currently in a seat halfway back, but can upgrade to a pair of open bulkhead seats for $40 each. It's a 2 hour 45 minute direct flight.

The babe is almost 11 months and walking everywhere unassisted. I worry that she'll be too restricted in the regular seats, or too grabby at the seats in front of us. Seems like the biggest concern for most is having the baby on the floor in the case of turbulence, but we certainly wouldn't be sitting her down there without holding on.

 

[Jarmo]

Oops! I probably should have posted this on the transportation board

 

[piccolopat]

Check with your airline. If the bulkhead row is the emergency exit row, some airlines won't let anyone sit there unless they are willing and able to assist in an emergency. Having a lap child might not allow you this option.

 

[Aggiegrl]

Definitely check with your airline. We had lap infants on a flight a few years ago with Spirit and the flight attendants on board would not let them sit in the first row during take off and landing. It was fine since we had family directly behind us, but if not they could have forced us to move to a less desirable location.

 

[Jarmo]

Thanks for the heads up. The exit rows are listed on the seat selection page, and row 1 is not one of them.

 

[Crl1817]

Bulkhead means no access to luggage when the fasten seat belt sign is on. Some flights that can be nearly the whole flight. I much prefer access to toys and snacks over a little extra space.

As far as holding onto a child during turbulence, the truth is you can't. Not during bad turbulence anyway. You need a car seat for that.