I am flying with my 7 mo. old son as a "onlap" w/1 adult. didn't purchase xtra seat .do i need the car seat?

Question

It sounds like the airlines is saying I can have my son on my lap since he's 7 months only. Then it goes into something about having children in an FAA Approved child restraint does that mean I have my son in the car seat on my lap, or just plain on my lap cause I'm holding him???

people who go too in depth with my question back the F OFF .. I am a good parent My sister has a car seat for me in california so I donnot have to bring mine and get damaged when they throw our **** down under what the hell no my child is in a fn car seat in the damn car idiot!!!! he's flippin 7 months old fag

Answer 1

I don't see why they even offer the option. Air turbulence can be ust as bad as hitting HUGE potholes and some car accidents. Do you drive down the street with your baby sitting in your lap?!?!?! I HOPE not! I've seen the results of accidents where the idiotic parent decided that her ARMS were sufficient to restrain the baby, causing the child to rocket through the windshield, or around the cabin of the car!!
And there's nothing I can do to save this child's life. Kids don't have a choice in the matter, why should the parents?! You should have just ponied up the extra cash for a seat, and brought a car seat to keep the baby in!!

Answer 2

If you didn't purchase a seat for your under-2 child, he is then a "lap-baby". Children under two years old are allowed to fly for free (or greatly reduced price) but they don't have a seat.

Allowed doesn't mean safe and if something happens, your child is not protected. Having said this, there is very little chance of anything happening.

You still have another option. If you bring a FAA approved seat, bring it along. Most U.S. made seats are so look for a sticker, usually with a little airplane. At check-in, ask how full the flight is and if there are some empty seats, ask them very nicely to see if they can arrange an extra empty place next to you. Be aware that this is strictly a courtesy and they will not re seat other passengers to accommodate you.

If you use a bucket-style infant carseat, consult your user's manual. You have to be familiar with the belt-only installation, with or without the base, depending on the brand. Make sure you're comfortable with this installation before leaving (especially if it's usually installed with LATCH).

The other advantage to taking the carseat to the door of the aircraft is that if you can't use it onboard, it will be gate checked. It's less likely to be damaged this way. Even better is if you can stow it in the cabin. Chances are, you need your seat at your destination anyway (those from rental car companies can be dire and aren't recommended). Having it onboard almost guarentees that it wont be lost or damaged.

If you can't manage that, just make sure your child is loose in your lap and not attached in any way to you or your seatbelt. Remove any baby carriers. There is a contraption that attaches to the adults' seatbelt but in the fine print, it says not to use it on take-off and landing. Please save your money.

You will not be offered a "belly belt" on a U.S. or Canadian carriers. They are seen on foreign airlines but are dangerous.

Try to sit in the bulkhead seats. Some aircraft have bassinettes that attach to the wall. Not all. Perhaps you'll be lucky!

For more information, here's the FAA website;
http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_children/crs/

I wrote a totally non-commercial article on the subject. It's long but skim through the the parts that pertain to flying with an infant. I include information on getting that seat through the airport (can be done!!)

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a good flight!

Answer 3

If you have the free ticket for him to ride on your lap, you don't need a carseat - he'll just ride on your lap. Some airlines will let you bring the carseat on board and let you use it if there is an empty seat. If there are no empty seats, you can just check the carseat at the gate and get it when you get off the plane, assuming you need it at your destination.

If you want him in the carseat, you have to buy a seat for him. A lot of airlines charge 50% of the regular fare for a child under 2, but some charge full fare.

Answer 4

I don't think you have to purchase a ticket for a child under 2. That being said, how long is your flight? If it's a long flight it might be nice to purchase his own seat and bring along his car seat just to give your arms a rest. I'm guessing that you'll probably need a car seat at some point, like when you reach your destination, to travel from the airport.

Answer 5

Children up to 2 years old can sit in their parents lap for free. Therefore you will not have to have a car seat on the plane.
sometimes if there are extra seats they will seat you next to an empty seat and you can utilize that seat by placing him in it to sit or lay once the plane has taken off and he will be required to be in your lap again during landing.

Answer 6

To a certain extend, I agree with FirePhiter2000. But my question is when you arrive to your destination, will you not need the car seat to drive to where you are going? So yes, pay for the extra seat and keep your child safe.

Answer 7

If your son is under two years old, you can have him on your lap. The child restraint would only be necessary if you had paid for him to have his own assigned seat.

Answer 8

no, i flew with my 1 year old boy and he sat on my lap. the flight was not long. if it were longer i might have purchased a ticket....

Answer 9

Why do you want to risk your child's life?

If there's an in-flight emergency, or you hit an air pocket, that child will go flying.

Answer 10

you'll need to call the airlline about this to be sure but, if you use a carseat, he will be straped in his own seat. you have to pay for that.