Should I buy a seat for 9 month old?? (Airlplane question)

[bride03]

I have seen other discussions on this topic. That being said, I know the crash landing procedures. I'm trying to think about the pros and cons of a 4 hour flight with my 9 month old on my lap. Can you tell your stories about a 9 month old on your lap? It just kills me to lug along a carseat when she possibly might not even want to sit in it during the flight at all. We will only need the seat for the flights.

 

[Siouxstone]

We have flown with our DS quite a few times. I have always chosen to buy a seat for one simple reason: the car seat. He was used to trips to his Meme's house a few hours away and always napped well in the seat. I figured the car seat might make it all more managable. In my opinion, it did.
If you decide to buy a seat, one tip we use is a life saver. I tote everything on to the plane as early as I can while DH waits with DS until the last minute. That way I can get the seat installed, gear stowed, bottle/sippy cup ready for take off (to help with the ears) and pull out a special toy or stuffed animal.
As DS got older (on our last flight he was 2), he seemed to be very concerned that myself or DH wasn't driving!
Good luck!

 

[Cars2006]

We didn't on our first trip to disney he was 18mths and I was 6mths pregnant. On the flight down we got lucky and no one sat in the the seat next to us. On the way back he kick and wanted to get up instead on sitting on our lap. This time we have added two other children 18mths and 2mth old. We bought seats for the 3yrs and the 18mth old and the 2mth old will sit in our lap. We are also renting a car so taking the seats that they are comfortable in already is a pro. Con lugging three seats to and from the airport.

 

[Hannathy]

We never bought a seat for my kids when they were under 2. At 9 mos it would be easy to hold them and read or play with something. Most babies like to be held anyway. If you can schedule the flight to be close to nap time or bedtime, being held they should fall asleep.

 

[Benducci]

IMO I would never take a plane trip without putting the baby in their own seat. THey are used to it and it a lot easier to deal with a child in a seat than one who you are holding. If there is any delay or problems, the baby is strapped in and not fidgeting to get out of your hands. I just wouldn't want to spend my entire flight holding a child. I just think it is safer for them also in case there is any trouble.

 

[wlfans]

Buy a seat. Call the airline directly to get a child discount. Four hours is too long. Bring her carseat and she'll sleep in it. You'll be a lot happier.

 

[dougsmom98]

I have done both. We didn't buy a seat for my DD when she was 8 months old and it was really easy. We checked her car seat because we were off site and we needed it for the rental car but it was such a joy not having to lug it through the airport. We were not allowed to put her in the Baby B'Jorn for take off or landing, but we could use it during the flight. That was fantastic because she fell asleep each time we flew and I had my hands free so that I could eat my snack or read a book. The Baby B'Jorn was also a necessity when trying to make connecting flights and trying to keep track of my other children. I wouldn't think twice about not having a seat if I traveled with 8 month old again.
We flew again when my DD was 18 months old, and we did buy her a seat that time. I knew she would be a handful at that age and wouldn't want to sit unless restrained in her seat.
When we fly again in February she will be 2.5 years old and we have purchased a seat, but we will probably check her car seat and just use the seat belt on her.

 

[Tam1067]

We always bought seats for my kids when they were infants. We flew several times from Chicago to California, about 4 hours.

There are so many reasons to buy the seat. You'll have more room. If the baby is sleeping, he can sleep in the car seat. And most important, really, is safety. If anything goes wrong, the baby is much, much safer in that car seat than in your arms. There is often unexpected turbulence, and if he's buckled in, he's not going to risk being tossed around the cabin.

 

[Grendalynn]

We did buy a seat for our little one this winter when we flew to Florida. He was in an infant carrier at the time, so that was one factor, but also it gave us a little bit extra room and space as we have 2 older boys as well. They were able to stretch out a bit more and one of them actually took a nap on the floor at our seat midflight as well. I had no quams when it was all said and done, we would def do it again without a doubt!

 

[graygables]

buy the seat, I've posted why several times, but it's for SAFETY. You wouldn't drive with your child in your lap, you shouldn't FLY with your child in your lap.

that said, I flew with my DDs car seats back in the day when car seats were monstrosoties. What I did to make it easier, was to strap it to a wheeled luggage carrier. I practiced this several times at home until I had it down pat. I would simply place the seat on the rack onto the security belt, then put DD back in it and she would "ride" (this was also back when strollers were heavy, so were checked with luggage). If she fell asleep in the seat, I could simply strap it onto the luggage carrier and never have to wake her up (yeah, it was MY idea to do that integrated carseat/stroller thing, but did I ever patent it??? ) If she was awake, I just put her in the sling or carrier, strapped the carryons into the car seat and pulled them that way. Super easy. Also, most of my flying was solo with 2 little DDs, so if you have another adult to help out...no worries!

 

[Minniemouse07]

My kids use car seats on airplanes from the beginning until they outgrow a harness. In fact we purchased a bigger, FAA approved harnessed seat for dd one time specifically because I wanted to use it on an upcoming trip!

Dd flew 1x under 2yo in her seat (at 15mo) and she slept the entire time on the airplane. The hum of those motors is wonderful white noise!

Ds will be flying for the first time just before/after his 2nd bday (he turns 2yo while we are at WDW) and even if it wasn't required he'd be in his seat.

I agree about the luggage cart. We have a collapsible one made by samsonite that fits into our backback once we are on the plane. We haul a pretty large convertible car seat around on that thing and it works wonderfully. I also agree w/ having one parent go on the airplane to install the seat while allowing the child to continue blowing off steam at the gate.

Here is some wonderful information about using car seats on airplanes!

If you have any questions, give a yell... I'm a certified child passenger safety technician!

 

[alikat99]

From my experience, buy the seat. Babies are already used to their seats, so they feel comfortable to sleep and relax there. Four hours is a really long time to hold a baby on your lap and keep them happy. I did it for a 2 hr flight from FL to Chicago and there were times that I was so frustrated. At that point, I really wished I had bought the seat.

 

[bride03]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll just buy the seat. The only reason I was thinking twice about it is because the infant discount seats are MORE than our seats and I know the flight will be packed when we go. I'm just going to buy an adult seat. So the poster who thought the child "discount" seat was a great idea...it's not, it's a rip off. Second of all, my child screams in a car seat but hopefully by 9 months, she'll be over that.

 

[Ally_DeVille]

Discounted infant seat prices vary wildly among the various airlines. I've had the best luck with Southwest (60% off the regular adult fare, not ding), Delta sold me one at 50% of the regular adult fare. That's it, the other airlines don't really have a discount that I've found.


I had the same experience the OP did when I tried to buy tickets on American, double the internet fare I bought (from their website). Same for Continental, Northwest and United; I did tell the customer service person, nicely, that it sounds like the airline really doesn't care about infant safety since they don't offer a real discount on the fare. Every one agreed with me, it bothered them too but that is what corporate had set the price at; it's also the big reason I refuse to fly American Airlines anymore.


I haven't tried Jet Blue but they don't fly the cities I go to regularly, so don't know if they offer them.

I have always bought my dd a seat since she was 6 weeks old, the last time we flew and I held her, it was a miserable flight. She was cranky, I was cranky and the flight was CROWDED. I couldn't nurse her because we were packed in so tightly there wasn't room for me to get her into position without infringing on the other person's armrest; which he resented.

By the time she fell asleep I was dead on my feet as well; our flight had been delayed by a couple of hours. I couldn't sleep because I would "lose" my grip on her and she'd sag down in the Maya Wrap and wake up.

She is a great traveler and has logged more than 20 flights and she's just turned 2 years old. I have a sit and stroll carseat/stroller combo, works great for traveling; totally worth the money spent but it does get a lot of use. She's had her own seat since she was 6 weeks, is alway in a car seat and typically sleeps through most of each flight which typically range about 6 hours. I do book our flights around nap time or red eye to ensure she will get a good rest which means I get to rest and arrive ready to go.

 

[thepeach80]

We bought Ilana a seat for our trip, she'll be 10 mos. Delta would not discount a ticket for her though and their CS will not answer my last e-mail. They were the cheapest I found, but if I can get a discount like their website says, I'd like to get it, kwim?

 

[chipndales]

I have seen other discussions on this topic. That being said, I know the crash landing procedures. I'm trying to think about the pros and cons of a 4 hour flight with my 9 month old on my lap. Can you tell your stories about a 9 month old on your lap? It just kills me to lug along a carseat when she possibly might not even want to sit in it during the flight at all. We will only need the seat for the flights.

I always thought it'd be fine to put your child on your lap during a flight but I'll be honest. I saw a show that changed it all. I won't go into any details here because I don't want to frighten people or push things on people that they might not want to see or hear, but if you're curious you can always PM me. Please, I implore you, pay the extra money and buckle your baby in. She's the most precious cargo you'll ever have. Child seats save lives even in the air.

 

[eeyoregon]

I was all about budget and lap kids until I watched the show "Seconds from Disaster" the other night. This episode was about the United Airlines emergency crash landing years ago in Iowa. I don't think any of the lap kids survived as the parents were instructed to lay them on the floor in front of them.

If I had little ones, after watching that show, I would be buying a seat for my kids. Plus I live a 6+ hour flight away from the World and couldn't even imagine holding one of my sons for that length of time!

 

[daisax]

The movie "Fearless" (Jeff Bridges) will change your mind about kids flying loose, too.

A plane crash is a plane crash and if it's bad enough it wouldn't matter. But even though we mostly joke about turbulence, it can be really bad -- people break arms and legs pretty routinely enough that it doesn't make news. A loose baby? Don't risk it.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Basically, for me, it comes down to this:

If I knew the plane was going to hit major turbulance, or have an emergency landing...how would I want my child secured?

That is the way they will fly on the plane...every flight.

Anything less and I couldn't live w/ myself if anything like that had happened.

I travel in the car in the same way... every time the car is put into drive, everyone is secured as if we are going to be in a car crash during that trip... as secure as possible.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

Basically, for me, it comes down to this:

If I knew the plane was going to hit major turbulance, or have an emergency landing...how would I want my child secured?

That is the way they will fly on the plane...every flight.

Anything less and I couldn't live w/ myself if anything like that had happened.

I travel in the car in the same way... every time the car is put into drive, everyone is secured as if we are going to be in a car crash during that trip... as secure as possible.

AMEN!

A baby is the only thing in a plane that does not have to be securely stowed in a cabin during takeoff/landing. Just because the FAA doesn't require each person to have their own seat doesn't mean it isn't a good idea. People often use $$ as the reason to not buy a ticket, but I don't agree. Legacy carriers offer infant seat tickets at 1/2 the fare plus full taxes, it comes out to around 60% of an adult fare. Southwest and other discounters have huge specials. Is the extra $150-200 you spend for your baby's seat really going to break the bank when you are on a $3000-4000 vacation?

Beyond the safety issue, getting baby her own seat is a convenience for the parents. Holding a child for 4 hours is physically taxing, especially if they are wiggly or cranky. A car seat is a familiar and comforting environment in a sea of new experiences. My kids always napped on planes, which was great. Then they were in a much better mood when we arrived.