Flying with a 14 month old...

[pouty_tink]

This is our first time flying with a 14 month old child. We are a little unsure if we should buy a seat for her, or is it ok to just have her on one of our laps for the duration of the flight? Were flying from PA so a direct flight (if were lucky) would be about 2 hours..
Anyone else out there have any suggestions on what might have worked best for them? Or even pro's or con's my Disney brain isnt thinking of?!

 

[las3888]

We have flown with DS (25 mos) 5 times now starting at 8.5 mos. I would recommend a seat, but our DS was somewhat squirmy and I highly doubt he would ever sit on my lap for more than 10-15 minutes at a crack. We have found that several airlines (not all) discount half price for children under 2 and it was well worth it for us. I have talked to a few friends who did not buy seats for their children when flying and they either said they would definitely buy a seat next time, or they are turned off about air travel and feel that they would rather drive next time.

For us, flying is the absolute worst part of going to Disney (or anywhere). We have had decent experience travelling, but I always feel wary and anxious about keeping DS entertained. We are big fans and believers of mini DVD players for flying and forget any and all TV rules we have for DS for that day. If you do buy a seat for your DC, you will have to use your car seat and install it. The first time I did this, I was somewhat intimidated, with all the people boarding, etc., but later I reviewed the installation procedures for our car seat and and felt much more comfortable.

Good luck!

 

[WDW Traveler]

I agree with las3888 - buying a seat is probably your best bet. We flew to Disneyland from NH (about 6 hours) when DD was about 14 months. We used her car seat on the airplane (which yes can seem very nerve racking since you feel like you have to rush - but try pre-board, less stress) so we had it with us when we arrived in CA for the rental car. At 14 months, they can be very squirmy and I think when they get strapped into the "car seat" they tend to understand that they need to stay seated. My DD slept for about 1/2 the trip and was awake and coloring, watching movies, etc. for the rest.

Good luck with your decision!! Enjoy your trip.

 

[DisFanEY]

We recently flew down with our 1 1/2 year old daughter (from NY, so a similar flight to yours) We purchased a seat for her, and of course on the way down, she wanted nothing to do with her own seat, and wanted only to be held. My husband, who was seated across the aisle from our seats, ended up moving over and sitting with us, leaving his seat empty the whole time! We flew down on JetBlue, so at least our seats were very inexpensive!

 

[fishie]

I always preferred buying a seat and lugging the carseats (and we have twins!). We would have DH preboard with as much as he could carry, and set up the carseats. Then, I would bring the kiddos on at the regular boarding time. That way, the kids didn't have to wait strapped in their seats while everyone else boarded. For us, I find that they were more comfortable in their own carseats.

I also bring tons of food on the plane, as well as a few new or "travel only" toys to help them stay occupied. Now that they are older, we use portable DVD players. The last time we flew, the girls were about 3 1/2, and we checked their carseats and let them use the regular airline seat belts.

Whatever you decide, have a good flight and a fun time!

ETA: so far, most of our flights have been about 2 1/2 hours long.