If your child is under 2 years old, you aren't legally required to purchase an airplane seat for them. Instead, you have the option of holding your baby or toddler in your lap.
During even moderate turbulence, there have been instances where parents could not hold on to their babies safely. The safest way for a child to fly is in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved car seat. The FAA recommends that all children fly in a restrained car seat until they weigh at least 40 lbs.
You can choose to keep your baby or toddler in your lap if she's under 2. But children 2 and older have to sit in their own seats. In that case, both the FAA and AAP strongly recommend using a car seat or approved harness (booster seats aren't allowed).
On most airlines, babies under the age of two can sit in your lap on a flight, sometimes with a special lap belt that you attach to your seatbelt.
Children under six months of age will need to sit on the accompanying adult's knee for the duration of the flight. For babies between six months and two years, you are presented with a choice between sitting your baby on your knee or paying for an additional seat.
Infants under 2 years old can travel at no charge in the lap of their parent (any age), or an accompanying adult 16 years or older traveling in the same cabin. We welcome infants as young as 2 days old, but infants less than 7 days old require a 'Passenger Medical' form to be completed before your flight.
Families, children and infants
Young children and infants who are accompanied by adults should ideally be seated in the same seat row as the adult. Where this is not possible, children should be separated by no more than one seat row from accompanying adults.
What are the rules for flying as a lap infant? A baby must be under two years of age to qualify as a lap infant. Once your infant turns 2 years old, they will be considered a child and will need to travel in their own seat. This includes the date of your return journey.
In general, doctors recommend you wait to fly until your baby's immune system is better developed. This could be as soon as one month for full-term infants, though most doctors recommend anywhere between three months and six months.
You may bring your child's car seat and stroller free of charge as checked baggage. You can check these items with your other baggage, or wait until you reach the gate area. Strollers can be checked at the gate or with your regular checked baggage at the ticket counter.
The use of Doona™ Infant Car Seat is allowed only on a plane with a 2-point seat belt. The child seat may only be installed on these aircraft seats approved by the aircraft operator. Use only on a forward facing aircraft seat.
In general, lap infants, referring to children under 2 years of age who sit on an adult's lap on board, can typically travel for free (mostly on domestic flights) or at a discounted fare (for international routes).
Standard strollers, folding wagons, and car seats can be used to get to your gate and then checked for free. They'll be returned to you on arrival. Collapsible strollers can be stored in-cabin. Car seats can be used onboard your flight too.
Don't do it. Flying with a baby—no matter how small—in your lap puts him at risk of injury or even death if the plane hits severe turbulence. So it's worth paying for the additional seat, even if there's no discount for infants.
Try to sit as far forward on the plane as possible, since there is less noise on the front side of the wings. Bring a car seat that Baby fits snugly in. Depending on what kind of airplane you board, the seat might face forward, or backward. On most commercial airliners, Baby should be facing the back of the chair.
Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.
Note: For all options above, your baby would still need to be buckled into a car seat or held on your lap during takeoff, turbulence, and landing.
So, even if you can't find adjacent seats for your entire family, you can rest assured that your children won't be seated separately from an adult.
Don't fall for it. You can always skip seat selection and save the money, but do keep a few things in mind: Skipping seat selection doesn't mean you won't get a seat on the flight. You might get stuck in the middle seat if you don't pay for one.
On most airlines, you'll get assigned a seat at check-in or at the gate if you don't already have one. In other words, In case you don't wish to purchase a preferred seat you can always select any free seat available or would be assigned a seat free of charge at the time of check-in at the airport.
When our first child was born, our pediatrician told us that it's hardest to fly with kids between 6 months and 2 years old. He had a point. Around 6-7 months kids start crawling and they don't want to sit still on an airplane for a long period of time.
If you think it is unlikely that your baby will sleep during the flight, then choose to fly early in the morning when your child is at her happiest. Flying around nap time, can improve your odds to get a sleeping baby.
Travel with a 1-year-old is hard, but it's worth it! The more you do it, the easier it will get. Just be prepared, be flexible, have a good attitude, and enjoy the journey.