EXPERIENCED Airplane ride with lap seat child

[Lewski709]

My DS will be almost 12mo when we go. What can I expect? What can I do to make it easier? What if he has a poopy diaper?

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My child did well flying for 4-5 hours. We bought a ticket for him and he slept in his car seat. I would never fly with a child sitting on my lap. If we couldn't afford the ticket we just wouldn't go. JMHO

I did have to change a diaper and i had to balance him on my lap in the lavoratory. Not a pleasant experience.

Lori

 

[debster812]

I think you have to do the best you can with any diaper situations that come along. Today's aircraft are certainly not known for their spacious lavatories.

I know this is a very personal decision, and everyone has to do what is the right decision for them and their families, but we always bought a ticket, strapped the car seat in, and DS felt like he was in the car.

 

[cgcw]

Originally posted by pirateofthecarolinas
We bought a ticket for him and he slept in his car seat.

When our DS was 7 months, he also slept most of the flight in his carseat. Made it much easier to keep him content when he was in his seat -- as that's how he always traveled when we were in a moving vehicle.

Originally posted by pirateofthecarolinas
I would never fly with a child sitting on my lap. If we couldn't afford the ticket we just wouldn't go. JMHO

I totally agree. Not worth the risk when I offset it by the price. Our DS flew when he was an infant for 1/2 fare -- $82 round trip. I couldn't beat it. And, when I heard the stories of flight attendants telling passengers to put their children on the floor in the event of an emergency, I knew this was not something I would ever be able to do. Again, JMHO, but my child is very precious cargo that I wouldn't want to have something happen to because I tried to save money.

 

[sap1227]

I also bought a ticket for DS when we flew. Safety was my number one concern. I knew if he was in his car seat he would know that he could not get out. I was afraid if he was on my lap he would squirm and want to get down and walk/crawl all over the plane. My other concern was what I would do with him if I was sick or needed to go to the restroom (I was in my first trimester and sick A LOT), I knew if I had the carseat I could leave him in his seat if I had to (Thank God I was OK). I changed DS right before we boarded and then as soon as we got off the plane (it was only a 2 hour flight---but I had given him so much to drink for his ears he was VERY FULL).

Good luck with your decision!

Christy

 

[ChibiJones]

And, when I heard the stories of flight attendants telling passengers to put their children on the floor in the event of an emergency, I knew this was not something I would ever be able to do. Again, JMHO, but my child is very precious cargo that I wouldn't want to have something happen to because I tried to save money.

I've heard those stories too, and they are so heartbreaking. I've also heard of adults being seriously injured in bad turbulence because they weren't wearing their seatbelts. If adults can fly up & hit their head, so can a baby. I made the decision long ago that if I ever have a baby, he/she either goes in their own seat or we don't go at all. I cringe inside whenever I see lap babies on planes.

Besides, you have to carry so much stuff for the baby, having the extra under seat storage space would be helpful.

 

[Lewski709]

I hear you loud and clear, but I have 3 tickets. Please respond if YOU HAVE experience with a lap seat. Not if you don't. I can't undo what is done.

 

[Arabella Figg 2003]

I am also going to suggest you buy another ticket. You will be much happier. I flew with a 12 month old in my lap, more than once. Fortunately it was a short flight each time, and the worst thing that happened was an upset tummy and a leaky diaper, which, believe me, was no joy to change in a lavaratory half the size of an old-fashioned telephone booth. Carrry extra clothes and more diapers and other supplies with you than you could possibly use -- you don't know if the plane will be delayed, after all.

Even on a short flight a child can get bored and start to squirm. On one ocasion I wound up wearing my dinner tray, on another I wouldn up with soda spilled in my lap. And if the child becomes uncomfortable or has a bad reaction to flying, you will be miserable. The last time I flew with a toddler, there was an empty seat next to mine, and I was able to bring the car seat onto the plane and place my child into the seat. It made a world of difference.

 

[jfulcer]

We've flown twice with our DD#2, and once with DD#1 in our laps. We were fine. There was a little squirming at the start, but when they realized it was sit in daddy's lap and play time, they were ok - except for one or two attempts to break outta jail. Both daughters were 'daddys girls' and loved to sit in my lap and play so it wasn't too bad.

We also have traveled with a car seat, and it's a tradeoff. Child is easier to manage, but one of the trips DD#1 did nothing but scream and try to take the seatbelt off - even though she was a perfect angel in the car in the seat.

We've done both. You will be fine. Bring toys along for the infant to play with. New toys are a good thing. We also had colors and I read some books to her.

And of course, I'm beating all those odds. In the 30+ times I've flown to WDW and other places, I've never experienced turbulence that would bump me from my seat. And to be honest, I would assume the pilot would know ahead of time of bad turbulence, would put on the seatbelt light, and I would have asked for a seatbelt extension to hold me AND DD in. I know they have them, but never had to use them. (and I'm sure there will be people that post here that they had turbulence out of the blue/etc... so take my experience for what it's worth)

You'll be fine.

 

[jfulcer]

Originally posted by Arabella Figg 2003
The last time I flew with a toddler, there was an empty seat next to mine, and I was able to bring the car seat onto the plane and place my child into the seat. It made a world of difference.

This is also a good idea. You can even ask at the desk to see if a single person next to you may be moved so you can do this. If it's a full flight, bummer - but you can then at least gate check the seat (and the stroller) and pick it up at the other end.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Renee

Here I am, following you again. I flew from Ft Lauderdale to Nashville with Kate on my lap she was 18 months at the time...Piece of cake. She was fine but I suggest a bottle or binky for the ears..she didn't have a problem, but she had her binky the entire time..in fact, she did great even with the turbulence.

 

[Lewski709]

HI DISNEYDMBNUT .....thanks.

I can not buy another ticket....sold out a long time ago. For the person who got a 1/2 price ticket, that is great. There was no offer for that for the airline I went with, or I may have considered it.

DS will be off the bottle, but I will bring a sippy and snacks. That should help.

 

[snoopy]

I flew with younger DS in my lap once to Orlando - like jfulcer, it was a piece of cake for us because both of my kids much preferred our lap to a carseat. I guess I was taking my chances, but at the time I didn't really think of it as such.

As far as the poopy diaper, that does require some flexibility on your part. I had that happen when the seat belt signs were still on, and I had to wait for 10 minutes to be allowed back to the bathroom. Not a pleasant experience for me or the people sitting near me. Once inside the bathroom, it does require you to move as swiftly as possible - there is not a lot of room but the sooner you get the thing off and a new one on, the better!

 

[Bichon Barb]

Oh great! The parenting police have arrived. I have never heard of a "lapped" infant or toddler being killed or injured on an airplane.

I know this isn't the debate board, but here's an excerpt from http://www.airlinesafety.com/letters/toddlers.htm. It is quite an interesting read.

"However, what child safety advocates and the FAA have not yet considered is that the proposal, if adopted, could have precisely the opposite effect of the one intended: the rule change could increase the travel injuries and deaths of infants and toddlers--and their parents and siblings. Those perverse results would probably occur because the rule change would drive up the cost of air travel and drive many families back to the nation's highways. And automobile travel remains far more dangerous, at least 30 times more so in terms of death rate per mile traveled, for all travelers--parents and children alike--than air travel by all scheduled (large and commuter) airlines.

In a study prepared for the FAA, Department of Transportation researchers concluded that mandatory infant safety seats could have prevented at most only one infant death since 1978. All other infant fatalities in airline crashes occurred in sections of planes where no one survived. On the other hand, nearly 1,200 children under five years of age were killed in automobile accidents in 1988. That means that there were approximately one-quarter more automobile deaths of very young children in 1988 alone than there were total deaths of children and adults on scheduled airlines during the entire 1980-88 period."

 

[Melora]

We flew twice with DS as a lap child. Once when he was 6 mos and another when he was 18 mos. After the 18 mos trip from Alaska I said never again! The man in front of us ordered a hard drink when the waitress came by and I think it must have been the fact that DS discovered that it didnt matter if our tray was hooked in place.. if you pull hard enough it SNAPS right out.. and causes seat in front of you to smack its occupant right in the back of the head... I spent a lot of time apologising on that trip. Towards the end DS was crying and the man in back of us said "Oh my thats a nice song" and the lady across the aisle from him said "I dont think thats a nice song at all" (thanks lady!)

There isnt a lot you can do to make it easier, just have some books or play things for them. Snacks are a must.

I changed diapers in the bathroom and it was a bit like a circus act trying to keep him perched on the sink (or closed toilet dont remember which.) He also had diarhea the last time we flew (he had his own seat but I didnt want to change it there). I went to the bathroom and suddenly we hit turbulence and wasnt THAT fun. The stewerdess scowled as me as went back to my seat as if I had gone AFTER the fasten seat belt sign went on....

When we flew the first 2 times, we had 5 other people to buy tickets for and budgeting in another full price ticket just wasnt a consideration.

 

[Arabella Figg 2003]

Whatever you're putting in the sippy cup, bring extra. I used to travel with juice boxes and parmalat milk -- it comes in the same kind of box as a juice box. Even sippy cups can spill, or the plane could be delayed, and there's no guarantee they'll have what you need on the plane.

 

[sap1227]

Originally posted by Arabella Figg 2003
Whatever you're putting in the sippy cup, bring extra. I used to travel with juice boxes and parmalat milk -- it comes in the same kind of box as a juice box. Even sippy cups can spill, or the plane could be delayed, and there's no guarantee they'll have what you need on the plane.

I could not agree more with the above. When we flew home, we had to sick on the run way for almost 2 hours due to lightning. They were not passing out drinks during this time (after a while the flight att did bring me some juice).

 

[tw1nsmom]

No real advice to give. Just wanted to let you know that we flew our twins on our laps when they were 9 months old. They survived, we survived, and I can't remember one major problem the whole time.

 

[Michelemouse]

I flew once with DD and once with DS as lap riders. You will be fine. My advice is to bring along a bag with some new toys (but of course you should also bring the favorite book(s) and toy(s) as well). The intrigue of something new lasts a while. Also, don't let him see all of the new things at once, pull them out as needed.

I will also second the suggestion of a sippy cup with extra juice. Make sure it is something that they actually have to suck on as that will help with his ears during take off and landing.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Oh, I forgot to tell you our experiences. We've lap flown at the ages of 2 months, and a couple of times at 18 months. All our flights were less than 3 hours, so we lucked out on the "poopy" thing. LOL. We just brought along lots of snacks and drinks. Both of my kids were pacifier and blankie addicts so that helped. Hopefully the little guy will fall asleep.