Buy seat for 1 year old on plane???

[Daisysmom]

I know we don't need to, but would it be wise to do it and have baby in a car seat? How does this work? I will be taking my (exactly) one year old granddaughter. Thanks moms!

 

[beattyfamily]

I prefer a seat for a small child under 3 because they behave and are so much more comfortable in their own carseat. For them its just like a car ride and they usually end up napping.

If you book with Delta and AA through Expedia you can get the child seats for 50% off so that is what I did.

I flew with my DD under 2 three times (with Delta, through Expedia) and got the 50% off seat. If you go through the airline directly online, you won't see the discount. I think you'd have to call directly if you want the discount or go through Expedia.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We went last march and my daughter was exactly 12 months also. We did not buy her a seat, plane tic's are so expensive so we figured we'd do that to save the money. But if I had to do it again i'd buy the seat. She was pretty figgity, and if she had her own seat, she would have had her own space and have been much more comfortable. But if you wanted to do it to save money, i'd say it was doable, just bring alot of distractions ( bring alot of distractions anyway, even if you do buy the seat)

 

[tjmw2727]

I have always purchased a seat for my dd's and used a carseat until they were 3ish.

You are not required to purchase a seat for a child under two. Both the FAA and AAP recommend that children under 4 and 40lbs have their own seat and use a CRS on the aircraft just as you would in the car.

Here is a link to the AAP information if your interested:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;108/5/1218

If you can afford it I highly recommend purchasing a seat for safety and comfort (yours and the childs!).

Many airlines offer a discount for children under two but often the discount web fares are cheaper so you may want to do comparision shopping.

TJ

 

[Vickie46]

we never bought a ticket but was always able to give her a seat once everyone was seated.. we had a extra seat beside us.

 

[3littleHalls]

We always purchase a seat for our littlest one. It was always an easier, safer and more pleasant flight. Plus we only had to pay half for that seat. We flew once when our oldest was only 5 mos. and didn't purchase a ticket for her(Louisville to Chicago to Baltimore) so on the way there we had the extra seat, but not on the way back! A full flight, with no room, and a fussy kid. I highly recommend a ticket, b/c there are always lots of kids on flights to Orlando and back, so the chance of having an open seat goes down.

 

[BlondeAlligator]

I used to purchase seats for my DD and she NEVER sat in them. She always wanted to be in my lap & would fall asleep there. We had a harness that was approved for use during the flight (not take-off or landing) that would attach to my seat belt in case of turbulance.

If you do decide to buy a seat for her, check your car seat carefully to see if it is OK to use on the airline. We have always used Britax car seats, and they are too big for the planes. If it doesn't fit in the seat correctly they will make you check it.

Good luck & have a safe trip!

 

[AllyCatTapia]

Not really. If you're going down, you're going down! a "car" seat ins't going to cut it!

 

[INDISMOM]

We bought a seat for our 1.5 yo DD. It was well worth the money. She was more comfortable in her own carseat and fell asleep on both trips. I was also more calm because I knew she was safe.

 

[BlondeAlligator]

The safety issue isn't about a plane crash...it's about the far more frequent problem of bad turbulence mid-flight. It is possible to sustain very bad (even fatal) injuries from turbulence. This is why car seats are a good idea (if you can make it work), and also why you should always wear your seatbelt even if the seat belt sign is off.

 

[INDISMOM]

Not really. If you're going down, you're going down! a "car" seat ins't going to cut it!

Yes, that's true but if there is turbulence during the flight the child could slip out of your arms and a carseat would prevent that. My DSIL witnessed this on a flight and since then has bought a seat for my niece on every flight. I just wouldn't want to take the chance.

I know people fly thousands of miles without things like this happening, but I have such bad luck, it would be the one time I didn't buy a seat the that plane goes through record turbulence!

 

[tjmw2727]

I used to purchase seats for my DD and she NEVER sat in them. She always wanted to be in my lap & would fall asleep there. We had a harness that was approved for use during the flight (not take-off or landing) that would attach to my seat belt in case of turbulance.

If you do decide to buy a seat for her, check your car seat carefully to see if it is OK to use on the airline. We have always used Britax car seats, and they are too big for the planes. If it doesn't fit in the seat correctly they will make you check it.

Good luck & have a safe trip!

Just about any carseat that a 1yo is using will be certified for use in aircraft, including Britax seats. Just check the back of the seat for the sticker, if the carseat has that sticker the FA's can nott deny you its use if you have paid for a seat for the child.

FWIW, we had a smaller lighterweight carseat for travel and trips in other peoples cars (nana, auntie,etc). It met the height, weight and age requirements for our dd but was easier to manage for travel and easier to install in other cars and on the aircraft.

If your unsure you can check your airlines websites for seat with and details on flying with toddlers including use of CRS's and recommendations.

HTH
TJ

 

[catherinesmom]

Not really. If you're going down, you're going down! a "car" seat ins't going to cut it!

But if your plane crashes, or hits turbulance, a properly restrained child (or adult) is much less likely to be injured. Many crashes are survivable, but children under the age of 2 who are not restrained properly are at a much higher risk of serious injury or death. If a car or plane suddenly stops moving, as in a crash, anything inside the car or plane continues moving at the original rate of speed. That's why we have restraints in vehicles. If you are in a plane crash, the plane will lose speed. A person properly restrained, with a seat belt or car seat/booster seat, will be held in place. An unrestrained infant will continue moving at the higher rate of speed. No person is strong enough to stop a child moving at that high a rate of speed.

If you can afford it, please buy a seat for your infant.

 

[pezpam]

Once you see video of babies flying around the airplane cabin during turbulence, it's hard not to get them their own seat. It's pretty much impossible to hold onto your child during a quick/sudden drop, even if 99% of flights dont' have that happen.

That said, I always got my daughter her own seat for comfort reasons and I'm glad I did. It made my life soooooo much easier and I have to admit that if I had a magic wand and could completely do away with all physical dangers, I'd still get her that seat. Just don't overburden yourself bringing things along - bring the carseat and a backpack with toys, diapers, a book for you, food, etc. It's very easy to pack 8 times what you need - remember that you have to drag it all through the airport itself, not just stow it on the plane....... and may have to drag it all while also carrying the baby. (I found that a backpack that went on both shoulders was easier to manage than a diaper bag that only had the one strap.)

Enjoy!

 

[jodifla]

We never bought our DS a seat when he was under 2. We did always gate-check his car seat and tried to fly flights that weren't too full. We'd just let the folks at the gate know what we were doing. Most of the time, we were able to use the car seat and have a seat for free.

 

[belle&beast]

Our son turned 2 while we were in WDW, so we could have put him on our lap for the flight there, but decided to purchase a ticket. He understands that he has to stay in his carseat, and we had no trouble keeping him seated the entire flight. He fell asleep at one point, too and he wouldn't have slept in a lap. I highly recommend it if it fits your budget!

 

[traviesojmt]

We have flown many times with both of our children when they were young. There is no way that I would fly without buying our children seats and using their carseats. Although I always did this for safety purposes, it has other benefits too. There is not alot of room between you and the person in front of you. My children always knew that flying was like driving in the car. We stay seated and buckled (with exceptions of bathroom breaks) at all times. I have flown when the turbulence was bad and I cannot imagine having to hold my child threw that.

 

[Daisysmom]

Thanks everyone. I agree that safety is a huge factor. I guess I will see what the Southwest and Airtran prices do (we are not going until late September). I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can get a good deal and can afford the extra seat for Alyssa. I wish Southwest would hurry up and post their schedule/rates for after 9/12.

 

[fcrouch]

we always bought our daughter a seat - and I highly recommend a stroller called "sit 'n stroll" - it is FAA certified - and it converst from car seat to stroller - you can get a cover or whatever for the hot sun - there is a small amount of storage space - not much - but it was great in airports - and for travel - didn't have to gate check a stroller and have a car seat....we used it from the time she was 1 until age 4. went through 2 of them

 

[all4fun]

Hi,
Just thought I would post a couple of helpful links:

Flying with Children blog put together my a former FA of 13yrs who travels frequently w/her 3 children.

Air travel and child safety site with tips on installing car seat on airplanes.

Carseat/Luggage roller combo w/pics Just thought you (or others reading this) might find this tip helpful!

FAA tips for parents using a CRS

hth!