Originally Posted by
ChangingNappies
Whatever option you choose, pay up if needed for bulkhead. So you won't have to worry about him/her kicking seat in front, and it will be more confortable when s/he wants to seat on your lap.
Bulkhead seats with toddlers are mixed bag, in my opinion. The pros are well outlined above.
The cons are that generally bulkhead seats have fixed armrests, meaning that kids can't raise the armrest and sleep on your lap. Also, if your child is good at escaping, the bulkhead makes it much easier to do than in a normal row, especially since s/he won't be in a car seat. Some bulkhead seats can also be assigned for disability seating, meaning that you can sometimes lose your seat assignment at the last minute.
PS. I just re-read the OP and realized that it's just the wife & child traveling together. I would definitely get the child a seat and strongly recommend bringing a car seat....that is a looong flight and the car seat at least gives some peace of mind that your child isn't going to walk off if you fall asleep.