UPDATED Flying with a Baby: Lap or Seat??

Buy her a seat.

It is worth the investment for you both to be comfortable (those seats are tiny) as well as all the other passengers plus most importantly.... safety.

She will fit with you... simply because you'll have to stack her on top of your belly. BUT... you'll be uncomfortable and she won't have any room to wiggle around. It will be a long flight for the two of you and anyone near you.

Also, it's not exactly safe to hold a child during a flight. If there's turbulence or a crash, she's not protected. It is tons better to buy a seat and bring her car seat. Most of the major brand names are FAA approved - you can look on the side of your car seat or call the manufacturer.

Check your current car seat the label will say if it is FAA approved. Children are NOT required to use a car seat on an aircraft it's not like driving in a car. I would think in certain emergencies (like if you had to get off quickly) they would be more likely to get in the way.

When I traveled with my daughter at that age I would have her sit on my lap or my husbands. They also make vests that hook onto your seatbelt if you are worried about turbulence. Once she turned two we would get her a seat of her own and gate check the car seat. We would always bring her small travel pillow and let her curl up with her blanket and stuffed toy.

I have seen parents of all sizes with their children on their lap and as long as the children are not a nuisance then the flight attendants won't give you a hard time.

FYI: If your flight is going to be more than 3 hours I would get a seat for her so that you are comfortable.

Call the airline. At under two, "lap children" fly for free. However, you might still be charged fees, and taxes for your little one which can add up. we are being charged some $700 for our 20 month old's r.t. to Australia. comparing the cost of the fees, with the cost of purchasing a seat, and the actual duration of the flight might be worthwhile.

Also, if you are flying internationally, your US and FAA approved carseat might not pass muster abroad.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

It really depends how long the flight is. If your flying for several hours, you would both be more comfortable if she had her own seat. I would imagine most car seats are FAA approved. This link shows a pretty cool seat belt thing...would be easier than a car seat...not sure where to get it...

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

P.S. Way to go on the weight loss!

You don't say how long the flight is, but I'm such a stickler for safety that we've always purchased a separate seat for our daughter, no matter what. And since your daughter is a toddler, I would again say that a seat is going to be your friend or you'll be dealing w/ squirming the entire time. If you don't want to lug a seat onboard, we've used the CARES Child Aviation Seatbelt on 6 flights and it's AWESOME! FAA approved and it's $63 on Amazon. I later sold ours on Ebay for $45 so totally cost-effective. You can also rent one for a trip; just google it. Good luck!

Buy the seat. The trip will go more smoothly, you will know what to expect, your daughter can sit in her own familiar carseat if it is FAA approved and may even take a nap. You will all be more relaxed when you arrive, and be able to make better use of valuable vacation time when you get there, rather than be exhausted and upset and need to take a day to recuperate. Not to mention, safety and peace of mind.

Get the baby her own seat. You'll both be more comfortable.

Can you ask your airline? While my daughter was still under two we did the lap child thing and everything was fine. She slept through most of it.

I had to ask about my dad and flying since he is a bigger fella and they told me I would have to purchase and extra seat for him.

However, he is 6'1 and 350 so quite a bit larger than you. I would just ask your airline. I must also say that even though the expense was more, when we did start buying a seat for my daughter it was a bit of a relief. We had a lot more room to spread out!

She'll be on your lap if you don't buy another seat for her so it's not like you'll be side by side. She'll still need a ticket. I was not allowed to take our car seat (varies per airline), but if it says it's approved for airline travel on the seat, you can try it. Our almost 3 had to have her own seat and I was glad because then she could lay down and sleep. If I could afford it, I would buy another seat for a long flight (more than 2 hours). Also try to get a flight during her nap time so she'll sleep. We took one part of our trip at 6AM so DD basically slept the whole way.

ETA: If you have two children, get there early and find out the airline's policies for keeping families together. I've heard that some domestic flights are putting kids apart from parents. Virgin Atlantic kept all the families that I saw together on their flights. Some airlines will give you better seating, but you have to pay and sometimes it's all just worked out on board or when you get your boarding pass.

My DIL has used his own seat since he was one week old, for comfort and safety concerns.

If you fit into the seat, that should be all that matters. The child sits on the lap (vertical space not horizontal).

M.:

CONGRATS!!! On losing 15 lbs!! you go girl!!!

I would purchase a seat - especially if the flight is over 1.5 hours!!! Can you imagine having your one year old on your lap for any length of time!!! it's best to buy a seat!!!

I know you've already decided on a separate seat. I was just going to say that I am petite and held my 9 month old on my lap on a 3 hour flight. It was fine for me, as he nursed on the way up, slept the whole trip, then nursed on the way down. He was a lot lighter too. I was flying my byself, so unfortunately I had to sit the whole time (no getting up to pee!) I had a sweaty child and two people crammed next to me. I was glad I found a window seat so I could at least nurse in private.

So for you, if you can afford it, YES get the second seat.