Buy infant a plane ticket?

[goofy4tink]

No! Attaching your child to your seatbelt is absolutely prohibited by the FAA. It is allowed in some other countries.

Oops, forgot it's different here vs overseas. BUT....I have to wonder...which is safer, a lap baby just being held by mom or a lap baby with a harness that has mom's seatbelt slipped through the back of it? As good as a car seat? Nope, not even close. BUT.....if a tray table is open, it's not going to be during take-off or landing. So, the times when you would have a survivable forward crash like that, would be on the ground, when there shouldn't be a tray table to bang into. I'm always more concerned with so called 'white air'.....man, a plane can drop thousands of feet very quickly, which means an unrestrained lap baby is going up, right into the overhead bins!!! Not pretty. At least a harness would prevent that.

But, again, it's up to parents to make the choice as to whether or not to buy a seat for that young child. As long as they are well informed as to what repercussions could possibly be.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Oops, forgot it's different here vs overseas. BUT....I have to wonder...which is safer, a lap baby just being held by mom or a lap baby with a harness that has mom's seatbelt slipped through the back of it? As good as a car seat? Nope, not even close. BUT.....if a tray table is open, it's not going to be during take-off or landing. So, the times when you would have a survivable forward crash like that, would be on the ground, when there shouldn't be a tray table to bang into. I'm always more concerned with so called 'white air'.....man, a plane can drop thousands of feet very quickly, which means an unrestrained lap baby is going up, right into the overhead bins!!! Not pretty. At least a harness would prevent that.

But, again, it's up to parents to make the choice as to whether or not to buy a seat for that young child. As long as they are well informed as to what repercussions could possibly be.

The purpose of tethering a child (using a "belly belt") is not for the child's protection. It simply prevents the child from becoming a projectile and hurting other passengers.

I agree that as long as flying with a lap child is legal, there is no need to lecture those who chose to do so about safety. It is the parents' decision, not anyone else's.

 

[nalajms]

Why allow that? DH can switch with you for some flights, or halfway through the flight.

Or buy two and two. One kid, one adult.

No one wants daddy We're going to try the 2 and 2 next time.

Oops, forgot it's different here vs overseas. BUT....I have to wonder...which is safer, a lap baby just being held by mom or a lap baby with a harness that has mom's seatbelt slipped through the back of it?

I can only assume being held my mom must be safer. We were asked to remove DD from the baby harness in 2012/13.

 

[kaytieeldr]

With our first, we bought him a ticket early because having 2 adults + lap infant with 2 seats wasn't comfortable. Having 2 adults, 1 child and a lap infant worked great for us. Now that we buy 4 seats, it's sucks! I'm stuck with both kids in a row while DH snores across the aisle.

Make one of the kids sit with dad. Or make both of them. Clearly you're entitled to a break.

We flew with DS as a lap infant a few times before he was too old (7 months, 10 months, and 15 months). By 15 months it was a pretty tight squeeze and I was grateful that he would need his own ticket soon.

There wasn't ever a time a child is required to fly as a lap child. It doesn't look like a matter of him needing his own seat evenually, but that the choice was made to not buy him a seat/ticket.

I am not looking forward to flying with DS now that he would need his own seat because I don't know how I would keep him in it.

How do you kep him in his carseat in the car? Wouldn't that work on a flight?

 

[anonymousegirl]

If you decide to go the lap child route, you might consider sitting in the seat in front of your daughter. Lap babies bump the seat in front of them and can kick at the seat. I know some families that use car seats that take one row of three with one parent or older sibling taking the seat in front of the child so the toddler is only bothering his own family with inadvertent seat kicking.

I once sat in front of a special needs child who banged my seat regularly, and repeated the same two syllables over and over for 4 hours. Mom was super embarrassed, but what could she do? I was super uncomfortable and about to lose my mind over the continual droning, but what could I do but just try to bear it and fly standing up for as long as was allowed (flight was full).

 

[TheSchragFamily]

Under 2 we never bought plane tickets for our kids, we just used a Baby B'Air flight vest which secures the child to the parents' seatbelt in case of turbulence. They nursed on flights, anyway, so we didn't feel the need to have the extra seat, but we did not want them unsecured. Baby B'Air is FAA approved. Personally, I would not be okay with an unsecured lap child. People who talk about surviving plane crashes are ignoring the much more obvious danger: injuries which occur during regular turbulence, when a lap child flies out of the parents' arms and can be injured and injure others! Your child basically becomes a 20-lb. projectile, and you can't always predict when turbulence will occur, nor can you necessarily hang onto them when it happens! My kids need their own seats now but I'm telling you...Baby B'Air was the best thing ever! Make sure you get the right size; there is an infant size (smaller) and a toddler size (for babies over 6 months). Good luck!

 

[robinb]

Under 2 we never bought plane tickets for our kids, we just used a Baby B'Air flight vest which secures the child to the parents' seatbelt in case of turbulence. They nursed on flights, anyway, so we didn't feel the need to have the extra seat, but we did not want them unsecured. Baby B'Air is FAA approved. Personally, I would not be okay with an unsecured lap child. People who talk about surviving plane crashes are ignoring the much more obvious danger: injuries which occur during regular turbulence, when a lap child flies out of the parents' arms and can be injured and injure others! Your child basically becomes a 20-lb. projectile, and you can't always predict when turbulence will occur, nor can you necessarily hang onto them when it happens! My kids need their own seats now but I'm telling you...Baby B'Air was the best thing ever! Make sure you get the right size; there is an infant size (smaller) and a toddler size (for babies over 6 months). Good luck!

I had the Baby B'Air when my DD was a toddler and it was the device I was told I could no longer use. First I was told I could use it on take-offs, taxiing and landings (as they say on their website) but I was eventually told could not use it at all. I loved it while I could! I would say that if someone buys one they should be prepared to be told they can't use it even during flight.

 

[TheSchragFamily]

I carried the FAA regulation with me but was never challenged about it. Last time I used it was a few months ago. My daughter is still only 1 but the next time we fly to Disney (in August), she will be 2.

 

[luvmy2babies]

I traveled with my daughter as a lap child with the Baby B’Air; but that was long ago now. She was great, really laid back as a baby plus dh was with me if I needed to hand her off. I remember watching the inflight movie while she sat and looked out the window. She’s 12 now with hormones flying and sometimes I miss that little laid back toddler.

The two times he flew before age 2, I bought my son a seat. He wasn’t as laid back as a baby plus dh had passed and I was alone with the children. I wanted my hands free in case my daughter needed help with anything plus him having a seat meant we could take up the whole row.

You have noticed I’m sure you get varying and really strong opinions on this one. I remember thinking there’d be car seats galore after reading on here and some parenting forums. I was surprised when heading to Disney with my children when ds was 10 months and to Orlando again for a Sea World trip when he was 21 months and being asked more than once if I was sure I wasn’t going to gate check his seat. He was the only child in one.

I'd go with what the mom feels is best.

 

[alaska8]

Im a flight attendant and I hit the ceiling in clear air turbulence...plane just dropped! That's why I have always taught my child that his seat belt has to be fastened at all times when hes seated (as is mine) Im always amazed when parents are buckled in in turbulence yet their baby/child is strewn across the empty middle seat and they look at me as if im a monster for asking them to fasten in their child (or hold their baby).....yes it will wake them up but so will hitting the ceiling. Believe me Ive seen what a baby looks like after hitting an overhead bin!!!!

 

[coluk003]

All the commercial airline accidents between 1983 and 2000.

And, for what it's worth, during that time period there were 561 accidents. Only 71 of those resulted in any fatalities at all.

The idea that people don't survive plane crashes is completely false.

Just have to say that is some seriously old data

 

[alaska8]

Under 2 we never bought plane tickets for our kids, we just used a Baby B'Air flight vest which secures the child to the parents' seatbelt in case of turbulence. They nursed on flights, anyway, so we didn't feel the need to have the extra seat, but we did not want them unsecured. Baby B'Air is FAA approved. Personally, I would not be okay with an unsecured lap child. People who talk about surviving plane crashes are ignoring the much more obvious danger: injuries which occur during regular turbulence, when a lap child flies out of the parents' arms and can be injured and injure others! Your child basically becomes a 20-lb. projectile, and you can't always predict when turbulence will occur, nor can you necessarily hang onto them when it happens! My kids need their own seats now but I'm telling you...Baby B'Air was the best thing ever! Make sure you get the right size; there is an infant size (smaller) and a toddler size (for babies over 6 months). Good luck!

BBÁir are no longer permitted for use on aircraft for take off and landing

 

[DebbieB]

Just have to say that is some seriously old data

How many major plane crashes have there been in the U.S. in the past 10 years? Very few. There was the Prop crash in Buffalo, I can't think of any other involving a U.S. Airline with fatalities. Miracle on the Hudson - all survived.

 

[alaska8]

FYI The flyebaby hammock is also NOT permitted for use (at any time) on most airlines. Check with the airline you intend to travel on before purchasing please

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

How many major plane crashes have there been in the U.S. in the past 10 years? Very few. There was the Prop crash in Buffalo, I can't think of any other involving a U.S. Airline with fatalities. Miracle on the Hudson - all survived.

Not a U.S. Airline, but this accident with fatalities happened at SFO:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_214

 

[DebbieB]

Not a U.S. Airline, but this accident with fatalities happened at SFO:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asiana_Airlines_Flight_214

3 of 307 died, one was run over by a fire truck. 97.7% survival rate despite the almost rollover.

 

[sam_gordon]

How many major plane crashes have there been in the U.S. in the past 10 years? Very few. There was the Prop crash in Buffalo, I can't think of any other involving a U.S. Airline with fatalities. Miracle on the Hudson - all survived.

Flight 5191 in Lexington, Ky. A single survivor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comair_Flight_5191.

I do agree dying in a commercial airline crash is rare, but it does happen.

 

[ParrotBill]

Crashes are rare, but in-flight turbulence is common and causes far more injuries than anything else in airline travel. We always bought a seat and put our daughter in an approved infant seat when she was small. In turbulence you simply may not be able to hold on to the child and she'll bounce around the cabin. I have flown perhaps 100 times in my life, and have seen this kind of turbulence about 5 times. Those are not odds I would gamble on with my child.