How did your baby do on the plane?

[redfive13]

We have our first trip with our baby coming up in September. She'll be 13 months at the time of the trip and we are a little concerned about the flight. We're curious to hear how other babies handled the flight.

Also did you buy him/her a seat and leave them in their car seat or did you opt to hold them on your lap?

Thanks everyone!

 

[erstwo]

DH and I have taken our kids on roughly 50 round trip flights. Never had any problems, except one time we only brought 3 extra diapers for a 1 hour flight and we had to take DS - about 2 at the time - off the plane naked. :lol: (Who would have thought he'd need more than 3 in an hour? We now pack like, 10!)

As for the seat thing, if your little one is walking/ crawling, I really advise it. I mean, if your baby wouldn't sit on your lap for two hours at home, then they probably wouldn't want to sit on your lap for two hours in a plane. They are used to being strapped into their car seat, so they don't mind being "held in place" by it. Plus it is safer.

Having said that, TONS of people do the "infant in lap" thing every day and they all seem to survive! We've seen some babies/ toddlers sit in laps the whole flight without a problem. Of course, we've also seen moms and dads having to squeeze -hold their screaming kids the whole flight too Nothing like those "bow the back, because I want to get down, tantrums!

If you do decide to take your car seat be sure it is approved by the FAA for in flight use. Some airlines are picky about that.

Have a great trip!

 

[Erika]

If you can swing it I definitely recommend buying her her own seat, especially at 13 months. Those seats can get crowded FAST and if she is anything like my daughter was you'll need to be prepared with lots to entertain her. Unlike a trip in the car, there's nothing much to interest them out the window. Keep a bag of tricks on hand with snacks, books (new ones if possible- esp ones with lots of flaps or other gimmicks to keep her busy), toys, etc- for us it was a lot of switching back and forth and it was a little exhausting but it kept her happy. If she doesn't use a pacifier have food/drink ready for takeoff to help with her ears.

Unless she falls asleep, gone are the days of restful travel with a good book :lol:

I've found that an easy, non-hectic day before you travel helps a LOT.

I also recommend asking the flight attendant when you board which bathroom has a changing table so that you'll know where to head when it's time. Sometimes if they see you coming they'll even open the door and pull the table down for you.

Have a great trip!

 

[Atomicmickey]

My favorite baby on the plane moment. Our daughter had a bit of
an ear infection as we were flying once. On the descent, she obviously
got fussy and started to wail!

Things get tense when that happens, of course, and you can feel people's
eyes burning into the back of your head hoping that you can do SOMETHING, maybe a shot of whiskey or something, to calm the child down.

So I said in a loud voice "wow, I've been next to the people with the screaming kid before, but I've never BEEN the people with the screaming
kid."

Everyone around us laughed, and we made it down fine. :lol: It really helped
to break the tension.

She was "on lap" rather than with her own seat.

 

[mouselvrmom]

I agree that buying a seat is definitely a good idea.

We took our littlest one at 11 months and she was ok on that flight. She wasn't yet walking so we just held her and she slept most of the flight.

The next flight she was a bit older and was walking. We didn't get her a seat since it went so well the time before. We were really wishing we had. She wouldn't sit with us and just wanted to stand in the aisle. I apologized to the flight attendant when she was trying to get around her. She said, "I would much rather have her standing here than listen to her cry." :lol: I'm sure they get plenty of that. Maybe if we had her car seat with us she would have been forced to sit still. But you never know.

Good luck on your flight.

 

[Ghall]

I have travelled with my daugher when she was just 9 months old from Ireland to Florida and my son's first trip he was 12 months old. The flight is nearly 9 hours long and both of them were fine on a long flight sitting on my lap. It was the flight on the way home which is an over night flight which wasn't much fun when they wanted to sleep all the way home and didn't have much room on my knee and I didn't get any sleep either!

As long as you have snacks, drinks, diapers, extra set of clothes(just in case!) some toys, there shouldn't be a problem. I always gave my kids a bottle of milk when taking off and landing so there wouldn't be a problem with their ears. There is no problem taking baby food and milk through security as long as it is scanned in a plastic bag.

 

[disneygirl1]

I have been flying with my son since he has been one and a half. We did not purchase a seat for him until we had to. He did great on the plane. We had DVD's and toys to entertain him and juice and snacks to keep him full. Depending on what time we flew out, he would usually fall asleep half way thru the flight. Good luck!

 

[happymom52003]

If it is in your budget, I highly suggest buying a seat and taking the baby's car seat on the plane with you.

I'll hop on my soapbox for a moment: Put your baby's safety first. Even the FAA strongly suggests you use a car seat. If there is severe turbulence, you will not be able to hold onto your child. Sure, it is rare....but it happens. People have been severely injured and even died due to not being buckled up on airplanes during severe turbulence. We will always buy a seat for our babies. If we ever can't afford to, then we won't fly.
Okay, off my soapbox now.

My youngest was 12 months old on her first flight. She was a VERY active baby, so I was worried about the flight! We lucked out and she fell asleep before we even took off. However, she woke up about 45 minutes before we landed, and while she was cranky, it was not too bad.

I highly suggest stickers and lots of snacks! Even at 12 months my daughter was fascinated with stickers. We also bring a portable dvd player.

 

[KingStefan]

My first DD flew several times a year between Paris and NY without her own seat from about seven months old until she was two years old. There were never any problems that we would not have had anyway if she had her own seat. It was just a bit less comfortable.

It really depends on you childs demeanor. For some kids, it may very well be a great advantage to having a seat for them, with or without a car seat. But in my case, it would have been a sheer waste of money.

As for the safety thing, the chances of your child being seriously injured because of turbulence are miniscule, and I would not worry about that (unless you are the overly cautious type who worries about everything, then nothing I can say will change your mind anyway).

As for the "approved" car seats, the main problem is that not all car seats will fit in an airline seat and can be buckled down. This is their main concern, not that they are picky about which seats you bring just to be mean. In fact I believe that MOST car seats will NOT fit in the airline seat. So if you're going to bring one that you intend to use on the plane, make sure it's an "approved" one to avoid disappointment. More than once, I've seen the flight attendant just check to see that it could fit in the seat and be safely buckled in - not check a list of any kind - and if it can't fit and be buckled in, it was into storage with it (or the luggage compartment).

One tip: when flying with a child under two years old without a seat, try to get seats right behind a bulkhead. There's plenty of room for them to dance around on your lap, or even sit on the floor and play with a toy. If you get in a regular seat, and the person in front of you INSISTS on their "right" to put their seat ALL THE WAY back, even though you have an infant in your lap, then complains when your child bumps the seat back even a little, nobody will be happy (this actually happened to me once - you can really meet some people who behave like complete jerks when they travel).

 

[Erika]

If you get in a regular seat, and the person in front of you INSISTS on their "right" to put their seat ALL THE WAY back, even though you have an infant in your lap, then complains when your child bumps the seat back even a little, nobody will be happy (this actually happened to me once - you can really meet some people who behave like complete jerks when they travel).

Before she outgrew it, we had our daughter in her Graco car seat that came as part of her travel system- she faced backwards and ended up with plenty of (strapped in) play room as the length of the car seat prevented the one in front from reclining! I felt only a little bit bad. :lol: Or maybe not at all. :goodnevil I usually don't recline my seat myself because I feel bad knowing it's halfway in someone's lap, baby or not

 

[mousebymarriage]

We have been flying to Disney with our kids since they were 6 months old (daughter now 12 and son almost 8). On our daughters first trip at 6 months she sat on my lap and it was no problem. After that we always go them their own seat and it was problem free. The kids could nap and I didn't have to worry about every move I made fearing I would wake them. Be sure to bring plenty of snacks and other things to keep your little one occupied. A portable DVD player with some familier DVD's is a huge help.

 

[partyoffour]

My little one always sits on our lap. Usually he falls asleep before the flight. I wanted to get him his own seat this time but my husband refuses to pay the money if he does not have to.

My doctor suggested Benadryl for my son if I was worried about him not sleeping on a flight. My son has already been taking it for the hives he gets from time to time. So I know it is safe and he gets sleepy from it.

I know of moms who have done this and says it works great but again I would check with your doc and test your child before u fly. My one friend says her girlfriend who was adopting from Russia did it to her LO on the flight back home and it had the opposite effect and the LO was up the whole flight to New York !! Yikes !

I have never done it cause I am just to afraid to give my kids a medicine they dont need.

Hope it helps

 

[happymom52003]

FYI....for anyone that is interested in the FAA's opinion on this matter:

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

 

[KingStefan]

FYI....for anyone that is interested in the FAA's opinion on this matter:

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

That's all well and good, and I agree with everything they said on that page. However, be aware that it's all about lability in this litigation-crazy country of ours, so of course they are going to say all that (wouldn't you?). The question is: at what cost and how much is the benefit, really? Each parent has to answer this personally for him-or-herself. For me it is definitely not worth the extra cost.

 

[MichRX7]

I have "lapped" both of my youngest sons on plane trips to Disney around that same age. We usually took up our own row and could share the responsibility of entertaining our children. We also took two empty bottles and were able to make one bottle after security for during the takeoff, and the plane stewards were always very helpful getting us warm water to make a bottle for landing. That seemed to help with the ears.

As with every situation in public with a young child patience and a loving smile is at a premium.

 

[erstwo]

That's all well and good, and I agree with everything they said on that page. However, be aware that it's all about lability in this litigation-crazy country of ours, so of course they are going to say all that (wouldn't you?). The question is: at what cost and how much is the benefit, really? Each parent has to answer this personally for him-or-herself. For me it is definitely not worth the extra cost.

And obviously you've never seen that movie Fearless. That'll make you get a seat for you child every time!

But, if you are worried about safety, there is a special harness http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Baby-Bair-Airplane-Flight-Safety-Vest-for-Toddlers_W0QQitemZ120423156588QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09c78b6c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50 that sort of secures the baby in your lap. It is a vest for them and the belt goes around your (the parent's) waist.

 

[KingStefan]

And obviously you've never seen that movie Fearless. That'll make you get a seat for you child every time!

But, if you are worried about safety, there is a special harness http://cgi.ebay.com/NIB-Baby-Bair-Airplane-Flight-Safety-Vest-for-Toddlers_W0QQitemZ120423156588QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09c78b6c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50 that sort of secures the baby in your lap. It is a vest for them and the belt goes around your (the parent's) waist.

That's a cool idea - I like that. But I'm not sure what that does for a crash landing, where you are supposed to assume a bent-over position.

And thanks for the Fearless tip, but I try not to live my life in fear, and I certainly don't let movies control how I look at life in the real world. Or TV. Or newspapers. etc. Though I hear that is a great movie (I haven't seen it), our chances of dying in a plane crash are only about twice as likely as dying by being hit by lightning (no kidding). So I'm not going to devote any useless worry to it.

 

[happymom52003]

The question is: at what cost and how much is the benefit, really? Each parent has to answer this personally for him-or-herself. For me it is definitely not worth the extra cost.

For my family, the cost of one extra airline ticket compared to the total cost of the vacation is minimal. If I had to, I'd knock a night or two off of our trip to be able to afford the extra ticket.

I understand that not everyone can afford to buy their baby a ticket, but I think that most could find a way to do it if they tried. When you add up what the average family spends per day at WDW including resort cost, park tickets, and food, then knocking a day or two off of their trip could easily cover the cost of an airplane ticket.

As far as the benefit, well for me it is knowing that my baby will have the same chance at survival as me, my husband, and my older child if something were to happen. What if my plane is the one you hear about that skids off of the runway after landing? What if my plane is the plane that happens to have the severe turbulence that throws an unbelted passenger to the roof of the plane?

While rare, these things do happen every year. Don't you think the people on those planes that it happened to thought the same thing as most of us....that it would never happen to them?

Yes, air travel is safe. Much safer statistically than traveling by car. But humans do make mistakes, machineray fails, and nature is unpredictable. So things can and will happen.

By the way, my father is a former pilot and is in 100% agreement with me on this topic. He has experienced firsthand the kind of turbulence and events that make seatbelts on a plane neccessary, and he along with many, many people in the industry have very strong opininions that it should be mandatory for every child to have a seat and be secruly strapped in.

And I trust my Dad's opinion 100%.

 

[happymom52003]

And thanks for the Fearless tip, but I try not to live my life in fear, and I certainly don't let movies control how I look at life in the real world. Or TV. Or newspapers. etc. Though I hear that is a great movie (I haven't seen it), our chances of dying in a plane crash are only about twice as likely as dying by being hit by lightning (no kidding). So I'm not going to devote any useless worry to it.

Being careful and living in fear are not one in the same.

Securing your child in their seat for air travel is not an irrational fear as you are making it out to be.

The fear of the plane crashing is not the reason to have your child secured. If you are in a plane crash, chances are pretty high you are not walking away from it, whether you were buckled up or not.

The reason for seat belts is turbulence and other events that can throw people from their seats. It happens.

 

[mickey7879]

Buy a seat for your child and put them in their car seat. Trust me, you won't regret it!

The first time I flew with my son, he was 6 months old. We bought him a seat, but held him most of the way and didn't bring his car seat. Soooo wish we would've! Even so, with the extra seat room it made such a difference being able to have more room to entertain him. On our flights, there were no changing tables so we had to change him right in our seat, so you might want to check with your airline.

Bring some new toys and books along with old favorites. Bring a small blanket for nap time and make sure to dress them in loose, comfy, easy to change clothes. When we fly and travel long distances, we use Huggies Overnite diapers. Help prevent leaks and changing clothes.

If your little one is still on formula, make sure you mix the bottle before hand since you can't take plain water through security even with the intent of mixing a bottle later. Most places have water past security that you can take on the plane with you. Just before take off and landing, give them a bottle, sippy cup or pacifier to suck on to help with their ears.

We also love to fly Jet Blue since they have built in tv's with directv on them to help with entertaining or you can bring your own portable dvd player.

Most importantly, try to relax. If you feel stressed and frustrated, your baby will pick up on this. Plus, even if your child does fuss, more than likely you'll never see those people again!