Planning on Taking a 9 Hour Flight W/ a 21 Mo Old

First of all, there would be an oxygen mask for your daughter if she's on your lap -- there are at least 4 per a row of 3. So don't get the extra seat for that reason. One thing I have done is to lug the car seat with me out to the gate in case there are extra seats, then they cn move you guys around and get you near an open one to put the car seat and child in. If not, you can gate check the seat and have it waiting for you when you arrive. As for her comfort -- is she the type who will sleep happily in a car seat? Does she sleep on long car rides? For everyone's comfort, if she will want to or need to sleep, having the car seat to have her snug in is great, but the cost can be a lot. Gotta weight those things.

Hi K.,

Be sure to get a No Dropsey - they're a life saver on planes and while traveling with toddlers!

Get her a seat. 9 hours is a long time to have a child on your lap. Even though she will play musical laps, I'll bet she'll want the comfort of mommy's lap almost the whole time.

I took a 12 hr flight from NY to Istanbul with my 19 mos old (now 23 mos). I had traveled a lot with him, but it was a hell flight. On the advice of a travel agent, we paid for a bulkhead with bassinet, only to find that it was too small for him to comfortably sleep in. (My little one is 40th percentile height). I thought that since we paid for him, they would provide food. Wrong--so he ate my food. By the time I got off the plane I was hungry, bruised from little feet, and exhausted (even with a helpful husband). It was no way to start a vacation.

In another 3 months you will have to do it, so you might as well start getting used to it now, and planning it into the cost. IMO, if you get there feeling like I did, it isn't a savings.

For entertainment, pack toys into two or three hour bags, putting away each bag before bringing out the next. This will control the clutter (fewer lost toys), and keep the toys from getting boring. Also bring a small new toy for each flight, saving it for when you've run out of the ability to occupy.

Have a great trip!

You say you are worried about her comfort. I'm thinking it's the comfort of the three adults you need to worry about more. I would be reluctant to pay the extra too, but it might be worth it as long as you can afford to pay. Airplane seats, even in the first class cabin, are just too close together to promote much comfort on such a long flight. You may find your daughter still spends a lot of time playing "musical laps" but at least you'd have the seat for her to give you some rest from that game.

I took my 18 month old to Japan and I had a seat - especially if you are in coach. If you're wondering about whether to take your car seat I think I would advise against it. I took mine and the car seat was so large that the tray table wouldn't fully fold down and she only slept for 1 or 2 hours anyway. It was a pain to cart through the airport along with the carry on and the stroller (which you definitely need and you can gate check it). However, I was one adult with 2 kids under 5 so your experience might be different. Good-luck.

I would buy her a seat not just in case something happens but for the comfort of everyone. If there are turbulence it would be safer. There isnt much room for anyone to be comfortable and 9 hours is a long time.

I flew to Europe with my son as a lap child when he was 8-9 months old and would not consider it again. We fly again in 10 days and he has his own seat. Admittedly, it was just me and him so I had no-one to pass him off to, but it's going to be nice this time that he can sit in his seat and I can actually eat my dinner! plus with sleeping - they are too big for the bassinets and you have to pick them up if the seatbelt sign is on, which isn't good if they are sleeping. So personally, I'd go for the seat. It just isn't comfortable to be trying to wrangle a little kid when you are stuck in one of those little airline seats.

And there are spare oxygen masks - they'll seat you in the correct place so they are available.

E.

Our family just went on a 5 hr plane trip with our son (same age) on my lap and I so wished I had bought him his own seat. Not for safety reasons but for comfort. It's a really long flight for a little one and your family. Plane seats are small, uncomfortable and so confined, you'll need the space. Bring protable DVD player and her favorite movies to keep little one occupied you'll need it.
You may also want to find out if its a full flight, if not then you be lucky enough to have an open seat next to you, (depending on seat configuration of plane). If you don't bring a car seat, there is a special seat belt you can use, I think its called CARES (www.kidsflysafe.com)
Good luck.

I traveled regularly on long flights (NY to CA) with my son from the time he was a couple of months old. I almost always bought him a seat, but was fortunate on many occasions to find a free seat available for him when I did not. Unfortunately, planes are just so crowded today that it is unlikely you will be able to stretch out and use an empty seat. Since your parents are with you, it may make it easier for you (I was almost always alone) to be able to switch the baby back and forth if you don't get a seat. As far as the oxygen mask is concerned, yes, highly unlikely you will ever need it, but you do want to know everyone will be safe. I have been on some flights where there was more than one lap child in a row. The flight attendants have changed seats around so that there is only one lap child per row, saying that they have to do that because of the number of oxygen masks. So, maybe there are four masks in a row rather than three? It seems to me this is the type of question the airline should be able to answer for you. I would give them a call and see. BTW, if you do get a seat, make sure that your car seat is FAA approved. Some flight attendants will specifically as you. Have a great trip!

oh my gosh, YES, get her her own seat!!!! you will be soooo glad that you did!!! first of all, she can have her carseat and be safely belted in for takeoff and landing (when most plance accidents happen) and she can NAP in her seat (a total blessing!) and she can sit beside you for books, activities, etc: the seats are so tight, i vow you'd be sorry you didn't get one, especially for such a long flight -
we've always forked over the extra (precious) money to get our own daughter her own seat for all flights and we've always been soooo glad that we did!
have fun!
lotsa love,
S.

We always bought our kids their own seats, even as babies. I figured I wouldn't hold them in the car, so why assume the same risks on a plane? Safety was the number one concern.

Also, you have to lug the car seat with you on the trip anyway, so having it on the plane ensures it will be there when you get to your destination.

9 hours is a long time. I would buy her a seat. We took our daughter to Canada, then 14 months, and we were so glad we bought her a seat.

For a flight that long, I would advise getting a seat so she has room to play a little. You can be bookends while she is in the middle. When we flew with my son to Europe (about 15 mos), we had his own seat but not the car seat and he snuggled down between us with a blanket for nap time. It would have been very uncomfortable for him to be on our lap. Plus, he sat on his knees at his own tray table to play with his little toys and to have his snacks. Have a great trip!

We fly a lot with our kids (my one year old has flown 4 times already) and have never bought a seat for either until my daughter turned 2. Of course, our trips were only 4-5 hours at the most. I think for such a long trip, I would recommend buying a seat. If your flight is not full, you can ask to move to a row with open seats, but I would not count on that. Another option if you choose to not buy a seat is to request the bulkhead row. There are no seats in front of you, so there is a lot more leg room. My daughter sits on the floor and plays or colors there.

I always get at least one or two new toys or coloring books to keep my kids entertained. The ColorWonder books are expensive, but worth it to me. My daughter only gets them on plane trips, so she thinks it is special.

We always take our car seats to the gate and check them planeside (my daughter sits in hers since she is 3 now). I never check them with the suitcases- too much risk of them not arriving. And you can't exactly leave the airport without it! It's kind of a pain to lug them around, but worth it. The drawback to using the carseat on the plane is that the lap tray won't fully open and lay flat- most seats are too high for that. But I don't feel safe letting her sit in the plane seat without her car seat. The seat belt is way too easy for her to unbuckle.

About the oxygen masks- most planes have you sit on the right side because there is an extra mask there. That's why when you book the flight you have to tell them that you have a lap child so they can give you the appropriate seat.

Hope that helps! Good luck!