How uncomfortable is flying with a lap infant?

[WishUponAStar3]

Help, I keep going back and forth on whether I should buy a seat for my 1-year-old for our November trip to WDW or if I should just keep her as a lap infant! How uncomfortable is a longish flight with an average-sized 1YO on your lap? We're flying from LA, so it's about 5 hours. Aside from cost, the other reason I wanted to keep her on my lap is because that way the 4 of us will have one row to ourselves, as opposed to splitting into two rows and sitting next to others outside our group- I figure that will be safer for avoiding Covid exposure on the plane. But if it's really hard to keep little ones contained and calm in a shared seat for that long, should I spring for the extra seats and split our party into 2 rows? What would you do? Thanks in advance for the advice!!

 

[EACarlson]

I would not want a 1 year old as a lap child for that long of a flight. By the time my kids were one they were squirmy and always moving. I would buy a seat, strap them into a car seat in the window and almost guarantee they sleep a good portion of the flight. What is the make up of your traveling party? It's you, the small child, who are the other two? I would book one row of three and then the aisle across.

 

[Haley R]

We’ve always bought a seat for our 2 yo and used his car seat. There’s no way he would’ve sat still on our laps. He’s a wiggler and constantly moving. He’s used to sitting like that in the car so he seemed content doing it on the plane

 

[sponica]

I flew with a lap rider at 20 months and have regretted it to this day. Don't get me wrong, she was the ideal lap rider, non squirmy and just sat there....but she really wanted her own seat and my lap got really tired of having a little person sitting there. 4 years later when her sister was 20 months old, we bought her a seat.

 

[georgina]

Lots of variables. Time of day, length of flight, child personality. When my oldest was little she would sleep on flights if timed right, people who walked by on the way out would say they had no idea there was a small child on board. I flew home from Orlando in May and the woman next to me had a lap child who slept the whole time, this was a late evening flight. I had the window seat, good thing I didn’t have to use the restroom! However, these were 2 hour flights. Five hours sounds too long to hold a lap child to me.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Definitely buy a separate ticket. Especially if you don’t plan to buy extra legroom seats. You can always stick him/her on your lap at times but you will appreciate the extra space during such a long flight.

If you are really concerned about COVID we sprung for business/first class for our 2021 flights to give us a bit of an extra buffer, both during the flight but also when boarding in the airport. I told my kids not to get used to it!

 

[SLThomas318]

Agree with all of the above, buy the seat... it is SO worth it! We are also a family of 4 and we do 3 in one row and then the other adult on the aisle so they can help if needed.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

Get another seat. I flew with my 11 week old and I was SO PARANOID the whole time about turbulence, I can't imagine doing that and trying to keep a hand on a kid that can get around!

 

[jo-jo]

My niece flew with her child on her lap. Partway thru flight, child threw up on her. Enough said.

 

[Brett Wyman]

We took the free ticket for as long as they would let us! Did Atl to Cali twice in that time. As others said all depends on the kid.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Help, I keep going back and forth on whether I should buy a seat for my 1-year-old for our November trip to WDW or if I should just keep her as a lap infant! How uncomfortable is a longish flight with an average-sized 1YO on your lap? We're flying from LA, so it's about 5 hours. Aside from cost, the other reason I wanted to keep her on my lap is because that way the 4 of us will have one row to ourselves, as opposed to splitting into two rows and sitting next to others outside our group- I figure that will be safer for avoiding Covid exposure on the plane. But if it's really hard to keep little ones contained and calm in a shared seat for that long, should I spring for the extra seats and split our party into 2 rows? What would you do? Thanks in advance for the advice!!

I have done the flight in reverse from east coast to LA and would never try to hold a year old for that flight again. think about sitting and watching a TV program for an hour how would it go? bet I know the answer. Covid or no covid I would buy the seat and use the carseat that she is used to using in the car. also you can not use the tray table most times with a lap child. plus based on our flight our checked carseat was damaged and unusable when we arrived. nothing was open at time we arrived so we had to hold on way to family's home.

 

[Muskrat191]

From a safety perspective, it is ideal to purchase a seat and use a car seat. Aborted take offs/landings and turbulence can cause injury to a lap child. Granted it was a smaller plane, but there was a runway overrun crash in Canada where everyone survived except the lap infant. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngo...dent-boards-call-for-infant-safety-restraints

 

[SLThomas318]

From a safety perspective, it is ideal to purchase a seat and use a car seat. Aborted take offs/landings and turbulence can cause injury to a lap child. Granted it was a smaller plane, but there was a runway overrun crash in Canada where everyone survived except the lap infant. https://www.forbes.com/sites/johngo...dent-boards-call-for-infant-safety-restraints

We felt this way too… it was safer and we needed the car seat on the other end. We bought lighter easier to travel with car seats for air travel/rental cars. We also used the CARES harness on the plane in situations where we didn’t need to bring a car seat for our destination.

 

[rlk]

How uncomfortable is flying with a lap infant?​

It was very uncomfortable for me when I had to sit next to a parent with a lap baby on a 7 hour trip.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Buy a ticket. Having your own row is not going to help with COVID exposure at all. Just put an adult across the aisle. That is too long of a flight with someone on laps.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Would you ever be able to forgive yourself if your lap child was injured due to turbulence because you did not buy her a seat? And if you are worried enough about Covid that you are concerned about the seating arrangements on the plane, you may want to reconsider your trip.

 

[bakerr6]

We've done it with both our boys when they were under 2 (we still have another flight in March with our youngest without a ticket).

2 hour flights - we full their bellies and stick them in a front carrier for takeoffs and landings.

 

[DLgal]

Buy the seat.

Buy the seat.

Buy the seat.

Did I mention to buy the seat?

Buy the seat.

 

[Magical2017]

It's always safer not to travel with a child on your lap. As far as comfort, it really depends on the parent/child. I'd buy the seat.

 

[tjmw2727]

We've done it with both our boys when they were under 2 (we still have another flight in March with our youngest without a ticket).

2 hour flights - we full their bellies and stick them in a front carrier for takeoffs and landings.

Baby wearing is not allowed for takeoff and landing, (and should not be done at all) and please don't do this even if the FA doesn't notice. I don't want to post the why's here as it's hard to do without being graphic but look it up and I doubt you will continue to do this.