opinion on flying with a lap baby

lourdes

Well-known member
We must be neighbors, too! If you get an early enough flight (ours was 8 am), then there is practically no traffic driving to Atlanta. It was actually quite pleasant!

Taylors...
The way there is not that bad but when you are returning tired that's the biggest issue...
 
ADS

Carrie_R

Ambassador - CPS Technician
I am halfway through reading a position piece on why the FAA should require under-2s to have a seat. Reading that - including cases of lap children killed in potentially survivable crashes - has reinforced for me that unless it's an extreme circumstance (dying relative) I will never fly with a lap baby. It's just not worth the risk. I can grab the link if you'd like to read it, or share it with your DH.

$500 is $10 a week from now through the end of the year. Any chance you can do odd jobs or come up with something very part time to sock away the cash for the ticket?
 

lourdes

Well-known member
I am halfway through reading a position piece on why the FAA should require under-2s to have a seat. Reading that - including cases of lap children killed in potentially survivable crashes - has reinforced for me that unless it's an extreme circumstance (dying relative) I will never fly with a lap baby. It's just not worth the risk. I can grab the link if you'd like to read it, or share it with your DH.

$500 is $10 a week from now through the end of the year. Any chance you can do odd jobs or come up with something very part time to sock away the cash for the ticket?

No don't send me the link! I am pregnant, extra sensitive and with premature contractions! Can't read it! But I will take your word for it. That's why I ask her, I know that here people are well informed and this is a reliable source...
I think if we fly from Atlanta we can make it. And at the end my DH will go with what I say.... before we got pregnant we had talk about this and both agree that it was best to pay the ticket but we were both working at the time and I think we really didn't thought it was really going to happen, too much time trying...
Thanks for all the help... the main reason why I ask opinions now is because I have time to figure something out.
 

Brigala

CPST Instructor
So do everyone here thinks the same way, if you can't pay for the baby's air ticket you don't fly?

I may be the only one here with this opinion, but no, I do not think that people who can't afford a ticket for the baby should be forced to choose between staying home or driving.

I think it's over the top to be so worried about very small risks that you stay home. It doesn't make mathematical sense. Your baby is safer sitting in your lap on a plane than crawling around your house at home.

Your baby is also safer sitting in your lap on the plane than strapped into a car seat in your car on the freeway.

Don't get me wrong, I always encourage parents to buy tickets for their babies and take the car seats on the plane. I totally understand that a few babies are injured each year and, rarely but occasionally, one dies as a direct result of being a "lap baby." I have also flown with my baby and I don't know how I could have kept my sanity if we didn't have our car seat on board the plane, since it was a long flight. If you can figure out a way to afford a ticket for the baby, do it. If you can't, do everything you can to claim a "free" seat for the baby -- try to book flights that are least likely to be full, and always bring your car seat to the gate with you in the hopes that there will be a seat you can use. In no way would I ever argue that it's just as good or even almost as good to have a lap baby.

But I still feel that not going on a plane just because you really really can't afford one more ticket for the baby makes about as much sense as not going for a walk because you might get hit by a car. Sometimes we just have to balance the risks and benefits of the things we do and recognize that sometimes there are things we do in life that we decide are work the risks involved.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
I may be the only one here with this opinion, but no, I do not think that people who can't afford a ticket for the baby should be forced to choose between staying home or driving.

I think it's over the top to be so worried about very small risks that you stay home. It doesn't make mathematical sense. Your baby is safer sitting in your lap on a plane than crawling around your house at home.

Your baby is also safer sitting in your lap on the plane than strapped into a car seat in your car on the freeway.

Don't get me wrong, I always encourage parents to buy tickets for their babies and take the car seats on the plane. I totally understand that a few babies are injured each year and, rarely but occasionally, one dies as a direct result of being a "lap baby." I have also flown with my baby and I don't know how I could have kept my sanity if we didn't have our car seat on board the plane, since it was a long flight. If you can figure out a way to afford a ticket for the baby, do it. If you can't, do everything you can to claim a "free" seat for the baby -- try to book flights that are least likely to be full, and always bring your car seat to the gate with you in the hopes that there will be a seat you can use. In no way would I ever argue that it's just as good or even almost as good to have a lap baby.

But I still feel that not going on a plane just because you really really can't afford one more ticket for the baby makes about as much sense as not going for a walk because you might get hit by a car. Sometimes we just have to balance the risks and benefits of the things we do and recognize that sometimes there are things we do in life that we decide are work the risks involved.

I agree with you also
 

Mommy!

Active member
I'd never fly with a lap baby. It's not a matter of a serious unsurvivable crash, its a matter of a survivable emergency landing, or turbulence, and how you would feel if you weren't seriously hurt but your baby was, or worse.

Three years ago I was on a commercial airliner that skidded on landing; it was hard, and I felt the passenger behind me slam into my seat. The paramedics had to meet the plane at the gate for a baby that went flying and was taken away on a stretcher.

Last year there was a plane crash in northern Canada (Northwest Territories maybe?) where out of maybe 8 people on the plane, 7 pretty much walked away or weren't too badly hurt and one baby (6 months?) was killed. To me all but one walking away says the crash landing would have been survivable for anyone who was correctly restrained. I don't recall reading anything that mentioned restrained or not though, but just a feeling KWIM?

Edit: My flight attendant cousin once told me that a big part of the reason for the emergency procedure whereby a lap baby is to be wrapped in a blanket and placed on the floor at your feet for a crash landing is to protect other passengers from a flying 15 pound projectile, same as you are required to put your carryons under or in the overhead compartment. Don't know how true the reasoning is but the thought horrifies me. :(
 

tesslouise

New member
But I still feel that not going on a plane just because you really really can't afford one more ticket for the baby makes about as much sense as not going for a walk because you might get hit by a car. Sometimes we just have to balance the risks and benefits of the things we do and recognize that sometimes there are things we do in life that we decide are work the risks involved.

I totally agree.

We also don't have $300 lying around for a TV, a plane ticket, or anything else. If only!
 

lourdes

Well-known member
But I think we will try to make the necessary adjustments to be able to buy the seat. The baby will be 10 months old by then and having a almost toddler on my lap for a long flight is not ideal either...
 

alake

New member
I'd never fly with a lap baby. It's not a matter of a serious unsurvivable crash, its a matter of a survivable emergency landing, or turbulence, and how you would feel if you weren't seriously hurt but your baby was, or worse.
:(
:yeahthatsad:
People give me this all the time. My aunt and uncle hit really bad turbulence when moving back from South Africa and I remember hearing that their plane dropped a few thousand feet and they had to make an emergency landing. The kids were strapped into car seats. I can't imagine if they weren't.
We have never used the lap child option. We don't live somewhere, that we could easily drive to our destination.
 

redsox_baby

New member
I think if your family budget is THAT tight that the extra plane ticket is a no-go, then the whole trip ought to probably be a no-go.

I strongly believe ALL children should be in seats. One reason: safety. Second reason: it's a pain in the butt for everyone around you, and very presumptuous on the part of that family.

I am writing this both as a former frequent business flyer (before kids) and now a mom to two small ones (over 2yo now).

Most of the lap "babies" out there aren't babies at all, and if someone thinks they are going to have their kids' legs in my legroom or ask me not to put my seat back because their kid is there in order for them to save a few bucks, they need to think again! If I paid for my own seat on the plane, I am sure the heck not going to be hassled on behalf of someone who did NOT pay!
 

Baylor

New member
Well, I am going to say that I agree with the reasonable real world posts. If you have time and can save up for the ticket that is great.

If you can afford it then please buy a ticket for the baby. If you can't then you can't.

We know flying is safer than driving so you are already putting the baby in a better position than if you drive the highways to get where you are going..

Until there is a law it remains parental choice.
 

Lovatic24

Member
You never know if you going to be in an accident in a car, but you have a car seat. You never know if there will be turbulence, bumpy landing, a drop in altitude, or a collision on the runway but your baby is on your lap? You can't hold on tightly every second of the trip and those things are aren't usually planned. If you wouldn't hold a baby on your lap in a car on the ground going 60 m.p.h, why would you on a plane 30,000 ft. in the air going 300 m.p.h?
 

lourdes

Well-known member
You never know if you going to be in an accident in a car, but you have a car seat. You never know if there will be turbulence, bumpy landing, a drop in altitude, or a collision on the runway but your baby is on your lap? You can't hold on tightly every second of the trip and those things are aren't usually planned. If you wouldn't hold a baby on your lap in a car on the ground going 60 m.p.h, why would you on a plane 30,000 ft. in the air going 300 m.p.h?

I agree with you but... in that case I can't get up from my seat or I can't feed the baby because there is the chance of an unannounced drop in altitude or turbulence that is not always announced, if I am going to apply the same law as if I was driving then the baby has to stay in the seat the whole time...
If it was a matter of driving 12 hours then no problem but the option of driving is driving to a different city to use a bigget airport to get air tickets more affordable but I can't drive to PR.
 

newyorkDOC

New member
I flew with DS as a lap baby last year. He was 5 months old. I wouldn't fly with him now as though as a toddler bc u think it's be uncomfortable.

Basically we were in your same situation. We can't drive across the Atlantic and our tickets were over $1000 each in coach. It wouldn't even occur to my family to chip in for our tickets and frankly I don't think it's their place. If we hadn't gone, my son would not have met any of my family. My parents just came here to see us for the first time since he was born and he's 16 months old.

I'd try to save up for a ticket but if you can't you can't. It is what it is. I know how difficult it is living in another country avid wanting to see family. You NEED to see them and I'm sorry but skype doesn't cut it. So just want to say I've BTDT and totally understand. No stones from me.
 

Baylor

New member
I agree with you but... in that case I can't get up from my seat or I can't feed the baby because there is the chance of an unannounced drop in altitude or turbulence that is not always announced, if I am going to apply the same law as if I was driving then the baby has to stay in the seat the whole time...
If it was a matter of driving 12 hours then no problem but the option of driving is driving to a different city to use a bigget airport to get air tickets more affordable but I can't drive to PR.

It is just not the same as driving.
And in planes people get up and walk around all the time. You don't do that when driving. You can not predict everything.

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can. Hopefully you will find a way. If not, You do the best you can.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
It is just not the same as driving.
And in planes people get up and walk around all the time. You don't do that when driving. You can not predict everything.

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can. Hopefully you will find a way. If not, You do the best you can.

And that's why I don't think we can use the same rule as driving, it's just not the same... that was my point.
 

lourdes

Well-known member
I flew with DS as a lap baby last year. He was 5 months old. I wouldn't fly with him now as though as a toddler bc u think it's be uncomfortable.

Basically we were in your same situation. We can't drive across the Atlantic and our tickets were over $1000 each in coach. It wouldn't even occur to my family to chip in for our tickets and frankly I don't think it's their place. If we hadn't gone, my son would not have met any of my family. My parents just came here to see us for the first time since he was born and he's 16 months old.

I'd try to save up for a ticket but if you can't you can't. It is what it is. I know how difficult it is living in another country avid wanting to see family. You NEED to see them and I'm sorry but skype doesn't cut it. So just want to say I've BTDT and totally understand. No stones from me.

You are exactly right. We are planning this but we won't get out like to vacation, we just want to go to see our family and for them to meet the new baby. My DD also misses her family and they can't all fly here to visit... and with the baby that will be 4 tickets...
 

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