DL_Biker

am I a bad mother if my 1-year-old sits on my lap during the flight instead paying for an additional seat?

this has become such a big issue in our family now that we're considering divorce because we couldn't agree on this issue.

doesn't the FAA or airline regulation say that children under 2 years of age do NOT need to buy ticket as long as they sit on the parents's laps?

how is this any more dangerous than my husband strapping the 1-year-old in a car seat on the back of his new Honda Gold Wing motorcycle? (which I checked is legal, according to my state's motor vehicle laws)

sbm12

No, it does not make you a bad parent. If you're getting divorced because of this I have to guess that there is more to the story.

And the FAA and airlines do allow it for kids under 2.

DL_Biker

one of my in-laws was a retired commercial airline pilot(a 747 or 777?) who said it is absolute a bad idea to let 1-year-olds sit on parents laps during flights. he even offered to pay for the seat, but my husband absolutely refuses it... the argument got so bad between the four in-laws, my husband, and myself, now I don't think we're flying home for Thanksgiving at all.... I used to think that labour pains during childbirth was bad... dealing with the in-laws seem even worse...

prncess674

The biggest thing it makes you is a bad passenger to the unlucky person who gets stuck sitting next to you and your child in arms for an entire flight. Airline seats are tight enough, now you get to add another person to the already tight quarters. Think about how tired you will be if your flight is delayed and you are stuck holding a squirmy child for hours on the runway.

DL_Biker

it's the new business lie-flat seat, so I dont' think there will be others sitting next to us. (the kind that's arraged at 45-degree angles) we have the rearmost four business class seats, plus the 1-year-old. I just think it would be an extremely bad idea to put a one-year-old by himself in a business class lie-flat seat, even if we strap a car seat to the seat)

thebat

I don't think it matters if the child is one or two or three. The fact is, you are betting there will be no emergency that requires a seat belt. You will almost certainly be OK (on a statistical basis.) But you have to consider the consequences of losing the bet.
Personally, I think all "lap children" regulations should be banished. It's just too risky for the sake of saving a few bucks. JMHO.

scoow

• Never discuss $ or ticketing arrangements w/ parents - yours or his. What they don't know, they can't criticize.
• If your FIL wants to pay & his son won't accept, let him hold the squirmy 1-year old.
• Legal /= Smart. That goes for the car seat on the Gold Wing. Just out of curiosity, is the baby in the car seat required to wear a helmet?
• Odds are the kid will be fine on your lap. However, the possibility of unexpected turbulence mid-flight makes many people opt for a car seat, just like most passengers wear a seat belt, even when the seat belt light is not on.

You might want to search the Travel with Children forum for other threads on this topic.

Ocn Vw 1K

Indeed, let's move this for further discussion to our Travel with Children forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

prncess674

On that long of a flight that child needs room to breathe as well. I am assuming you will be on a flight longer than 6 hours. If someone is ready and willing to pay for that additional seat then I say let them! At least you will have a place to lay the baby while trying to eat. You can also recline the seat completely and have a place for baby to wiggle about surrounded by blankets and pillows.

justforfun

You are most definitely not a bad mother.

Thousands of parents everyday have lap children. The FAA says it's okay. Have there been ANY reported incidents of a lap child being harmed during turbulence?

And you're in business class with 4 seats which means you have plenty of room to move around and be comfortable in your seat with the infant.

Money is tight these days. Why give it unnecessarily to an airline.

I think the best lesson learned here is to not involve too many people with your decisions. You're the mom, and what says go. While getting input from others is commendable, your ultimate decision needs to be respected by everyone.

CDTraveler

Can't tell you about "reported" but I personally have witnesses 2 such incidents, one of which resulted in the plane being met by an ambulance for the kid.

What I don't understand is why the OP feels like it is "an extremely bad idea" to put the kid in a car seat in the business class seat. Sounds more like a family power struggle than a true discussion of safety.

And, sorry, but the argument that the "FAA says it's okay" means that it is safe doesn't really hold water. That's a decision made on a cost benefit analysis with the presumption that flying is safer than driving, and more people would drive if they had to pay for a child's plane ticket. And keep in mind many of the other things our government considers "safe" - start at thalidomide and move along to coal emissions.

schwarm

If the seats are 45-degree-angled, I'd be certain the airline allows a car seat be used before purchasing a seat for the baby. This is not a US-based airline, correct?

I'd be interested in seeing data that a car seat is safe when used at an angle on an airplane. (Common sense tells me it probably is, at least for turbulence if not for take-off and landing).

KTW

Based on the "as posted" question, the answer is of course not!....Is it safe enough for your child? That's a question only you can answer. @:-)

Marathon Man

lap baby is the way to go til you have to spend money for their tickets!
besides, if the baby is small enough, airlines provide a floor bassinet. If you travel when it's night or nap time, that's even better/ Holding your little one when he or she is sleeping is fine.

CDTraveler

The OP is talking about a 1 year old child, not a newborn. A 1 year old is likely to be walking and squirming and kicking most of the trip, not napping. While a few airlines might have bassinets that fit a kid of that age, it isn't going to be common to find one, and I know my kid would never have stayed in a bassinet at that age. He was already trying to climb out of the crib by his first birthday.