Buy DS a plane seat or not?

[potatopie]

I'm flying solo with DS in June back the US. It will be a 30+ hour trip and he will be 22 months. I'm 99% sure I want to buy him his own seat but DH is giving me a hard time about spending money when I don't have to. Obviously, DH has NEVER flown with a toddler on a long journey.

The prices I'm finding right now are good ($600 for a one way, we're not buying return). Or I could even possibly buy two tickets with my miles.

WWIND?

[origami]

There is no question in my mind that your DS should get his own seat.

[frlcb]

Absolutely get his own seat. That sounds like a nightmare to me.

[fbf2006]

Buy him a seat!

[UnderProtest]

Yeah, your husband is nuts! Get the kid a seat.

[potatopie]

Thanks. I needed some IN reassurance!

[pittpurple]

We never got Maya a seat but once she was wiggly age we always travelled together. I literally cannot imagine trying to travel on my own with her now (just over 2) without her own seat. Just the physical aspect of it seems impossible!

If you can afford it without a huge problem and certainly if you can cover it in miles it's a no brainer to me.

(That would be enough money for us to consider it carefully though)

[MauMau]

LOL at your DH. I've met a younger version of your DS. I couldn't imagine wrangling him on my lap for 30 hours or any baby by myself.

[dulcemariamar]

I never bought LO her own seat until I had to but I have never taken that long flight alone with her. So in your case I would.

[Deleted]

Put a chair in your closet. Tell him to sit in there for 30 hours with the kiddo on his lap. Then see how he feels about it.

Yes, buy the seat.

[Shreddingbetty]

That close to 2 I would get him a seat especially since you are flying solo. You need to be able to put him somewhere and get a break for a bit. Are you moving back to the US?

[dorothyinAus]

I'm not a parent, but watching parents struggle with their children on my recent trans-Pacific flights, I would definitely recommend if you can afford it, buy him his own seat. He may only use it during take-off and landing, but it makes such a difference to have that bit of extra space, especially when you're on your own.

And having shared a row with a mothers traveling by themselves with both lap-children and seats for the child, I can say as a fell passenger it's nicer for all involved if the child has his own seat.

[potatopie]

Jan 26, 2015 22:40:57 GMT -5 Shreddingbetty said:

That close to 2 I would get him a seat especially since you are flying solo. You need to be able to put him somewhere and get a break for a bit. Are you moving back to the US?

We're going for a year-long sabbatical for my H's work. We'll be out in San Francisco. Not positive what the situation will be after that so i don't want to buy return tickets.

MauMau, I'm going to be in WI most of the summer. Let's definitely catch up!

[potatopie]

dorothyinAus DS is pretty independent so i know i'll get him to sit in his seat to play or watch part of a movie. Plus i can set him down when he's sleeping. You're right that it'll be better for everyone.

We're flying to italy for Easter and i'm so tempted to sit somewhere else and let DH get a taste of it since we're not buying a ticket then. With my luck, though, there will be a bunch of extra seats and DH will wonder what the worry is.

[MauMau]

potatopie Yes, please! We can go out and do a kid friendly activity.

[Deleted]

I would buy the seat, but then again I'm flying solo in June with DD who will be about 14mos and we are buying a seat for her. I cannot imagine sharing a seat with her for the whole flight! She never sits still. ne.ver.

[stever]

Yes, yes, yes. We took an 11 hour flight when DS1 was 22 months and, despite the fact that he spent half the flight in my lap, never regretted getting him his own seat.

[Deleted]

YES! We got DD her own seat for a 10 hour (red eye) flight to London at 20 months and I still barely survived, I CANNOT imagine her not having a seat!

[potatopie]

Ok, I'm obsessing, but I have one more question. Do you think I could manage with a lap toddler in first class? It looks like it would be lie-flat seats on each flight. Would the space, service, and possibility of my sleep be better for both of us?

It's not really about the price, this is only if I can get a good deal with my miles. I just want to most comfortable journey. so either first class lap or economy two seats.

[pittpurple]

Mar 11, 2015 3:08:45 GMT -5 potatopie said:

Ok, I'm obsessing, but I have one more question. Do you think I could manage with a lap toddler in first class? It looks like it would be lie-flat seats on each flight. Would the space, service, and possibility of my sleep be better for both of us?

It's not really about the price, this is only if I can get a good deal with my miles. I just want to most comfortable journey. so either first class lap or economy two seats.

I have never in my life been in first class so no idea! I would think that 2 economy seats are less space than 1 first class seat for sure. It's just a matter of if your toddler sleeps better in a carseat/seat or curled up with you (my daughter WILL NOT sleep in our bed)

I think you'd obviously be better off for space for eating/playing though right?

[origami]

Mar 11, 2015 3:08:45 GMT -5 potatopie said:

Ok, I'm obsessing, but I have one more question. Do you think I could manage with a lap toddler in first class? It looks like it would be lie-flat seats on each flight. Would the space, service, and possibility of my sleep be better for both of us?

It's not really about the price, this is only if I can get a good deal with my miles. I just want to most comfortable journey. so either first class lap or economy two seats.

unless your toddler is used to sleeping on you I don't think sleep will be better in one first class seat. You may want to sit up and watch movies while your kid wants to sleep, or vice versa. The service would be way better but it's the seat that makes first class awesome, and 30+ hours with a lap toddler would be sheer misery IMO. If the flight was a lot shorter I'd be more inclined to try it, but long ones have too much possibility of mismatched sleeping schedules and needing to be entertained in eleventyseven ways. At 22m I'd probably go for an upgraded economy seat and use a harness (or car seat if your child doesn't like to sit still). Manytimes you can lift up the armrest (except in some bulkhead rows) so that will give you some more space.

What kind of plane is it and what's the configuration in first class? I've only been on Delta's business elite seats on 747s & 777s and those are not that wide. Like I would not be able to sleep side by side with my kids in that seat.

[frlcb]

I agree with deltas first class, I wouldn't be able to sleep sude by side with a toddler on it. I would do two economy over 1 first class.

[tktravels]

I've not yet purchased a seat for my 17 month old, so I don't yet know what that is like. If H & I fly together with her, I still hold her 99% of the time. I had the opportunity to fly with her in 1st class on an overnight flight back from South America, and the extra space plus level of service would have me opting for one 1st class seat over two economy class tickets. My kid sleeps best cuddled to me, and even when she's awake, she's pretty snuggly.

[potatopie]

hmmm. you're all making good points. It's a tough call because DS and I do co-sleep, so we're certainly very cuddly. But he does like to lie on his own usually. Though on our last flights, he was pretty good at falling asleep on top of me.

Not sure about configuration yet since there are a few possibilities of flights. I would only consider it with some of the newer planes that have a lot more privacy/space in business/first class.

Ok...more to ponder. I have to wait anyway since the miles deals still aren't good at the moment.

[origami]

Mar 12, 2015 3:19:15 GMT -5 potatopie said:

hmmm. you're all making good points. It's a tough call because DS and I do co-sleep, so we're certainly very cuddly. But he does like to lie on his own usually. Though on our last flights, he was pretty good at falling asleep on top of me.

Not sure about configuration yet since there are a few possibilities of flights. I would only consider it with some of the newer planes that have a lot more privacy/space in business/first class.

Ok...more to ponder. I have to wait anyway since the miles deals still aren't good at the moment.

If it looks like this:

It does have a lot of privacy, but the extra room is taken up by the shelf and tv area. The seat is not wide. ETA: there is a footrest area that a kid could sit on when the seat is upright but that doesn't help you for watching the tv or sleeping. The ones with little privacy have more width IMO. I'm sure seat guru or something has dimensions. Better to look at that than trust me since airlines do it differently.

[potatopie]

Yeah, I thought that kind of configuration would be nice because I could possibly get one of the single seats on the sides. But you make a good point that the added space wouldn't really be there.

Plus, I do wonder if other passengers would be pissed at me for bringing a toddler into first class. Economy is much more forgiving!

I might ask again if/when the prices are good and I know the actual configurations. I'm also not looking forward to having someone in the same row as us in Economy, so I would be hesitant if I can't get two seats alone. I know I'm probably asking for too much!

[frlcb]

Have zero qualms about bringing a toddler into first class. You have every right to be there with him, end of story. A first class seat does not guarantee a child free flight. But I just think you are expecting more space than you are actually going to get. And that is a LONG flight to hold a toddler on your lap, first class or not.

[pittpurple]

Mar 12, 2015 7:29:23 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Have zero qualms about bringing a toddler into first class. You have every right to be there with him, end of story. A first class seat does not guarantee a child free flight. But I just think you are expecting more space than you are actually going to get. And that is a LONG flight to hold a toddler on your lap, first class or not.

Yup and yup.

[pittpurple]

If the money isn't the issue, have you looked at Economy Plus at all? We spent the money for it when we went to the states when LO was around 18 months. There were 2 of us so 2 laps and the extra inches really made a difference.

[potatopie]

Good idea, pittpurple. i looked at ecomony configurations and economy plus might give me the privacy of two seats alone.