Originally Posted by
tuscanyx
We've made several international trips with our daughter since she was 5 month old. Never bought her a separate seat before she was 2. My recollection is that lap child cost almost nothing. Check with the airline to see if they have a bulk head seat with a bassinet you can reserve. Your child will sleep most of the time in the bassinet if she is a decent sleeper.
AA will not let you reserve the bassinet until you get to the airport, and they will not guarantee availability, even if you are the first person to request it at the airport. The bassinet is not available for business or first class use. It has to be affixed to the coach cabin bulkhead. I have taken two international trips with our infant (he was aged under 1 year old in both cases) - both trips were r/t on 767's. No bassinet was available, even though AA customer service said one would be available on a first-come-first-served basis. They just don't put these things onto the aircraft with any kind of consistency. It's not worth the gamble of one being available.
Please, please consider getting your child a seat. It's the safest and most comfortable option of you and your little one.