The Lap Infant Dilemma: What Happens When You Buy Your Baby a Plane Ticket?
It’s a question countless parents ponder as they book flights for their little ones: “Can my baby ride on my lap if I bought her a plane ticket?” The answer is yes, absolutely, but it involves some crucial considerations you need to know before you fly. Buying a separate ticket for your infant doesn’t force you to put them in their own seat; it simply gives you the option to do so. However, understanding the rules, safety implications, and practicalities is essential for a smooth journey.
Understanding the Core Rules: Lap Infants vs. Ticketed Seats
Airlines and aviation authorities like the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) generally allow infants under the age of 2 to fly as “lap infants.” This means they don’t require their own paid seat and can travel seated on an adult’s lap for the duration of the flight, secured with a special infant lap belt provided by the airline during taxi, takeoff, landing, and turbulence.
So, why might you buy a ticket anyway?
1. The Safety Priority: This is the most significant reason. Aviation safety experts, including the FAA and the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), strongly recommend that infants and young children travel in an FAA-approved child restraint system (CRS) – essentially, a car seat – secured in their own purchased seat. Turbulence can be sudden and severe, far exceeding what a parent can hold onto against. In the event of unexpected forces, a lap infant is at high risk of injury or being torn from a caregiver’s arms. A properly installed car seat provides significantly more protection.
2. Ensuring You Get a Seat for Them: If you want your child to use their own seat with a car seat, you must purchase a ticket for them. Booking them only as a lap infant means the airline will not assign them a seat, and you cannot use an empty seat for the car seat unless you pay for it at the gate (if available, which is often expensive and not guaranteed).
3. Comfort and Space: Flying with an infant on your lap for hours can be physically taxing. Having their own seat allows them space to sleep in their car seat (which they are often familiar with) and gives you significantly more room to move, eat, or rest yourself. This is especially valuable on long-haul flights.
4. Mandatory for Certain Rows: Some airlines mandate that if you want to sit in a bulkhead row (the row with extra legroom, often where bassinets are located), every passenger, including infants, must have a purchased ticket. You cannot have a lap infant in these rows.
What Happens if You Bought a Ticket but Want Baby on Lap?
This is perfectly acceptable. Here’s what typically happens:
1. Booking: When you book, you’ll reserve a seat for your infant as if they were any other passenger. You pay the applicable fare (which is usually the same as an adult fare, minus some taxes in rare cases, though often it’s identical).
2. At the Airport/Check-in: Inform the airline agent at check-in (or when managing your booking online beforehand) that you have purchased a seat for your infant but intend for them to fly as a lap infant. Crucially, you must tell them this.
3. Seat Assignment: The airline will need to “block” or reassign the seat you purchased for the infant. They cannot leave it empty and available for someone else if it’s technically sold to you. They will typically move it to an unassigned status or might assign it to another passenger if the flight is full. You will not get a refund for the purchased infant ticket. You paid for the option and the seat space, regardless of whether your infant occupies the seat itself.
4. Boarding: You board with your infant as a lap infant. You will not have a separate boarding pass for them to occupy a seat; they will be documented as traveling on your lap.
5. Onboard: Your baby stays on your lap, using the infant lap belt provided by the flight crew when required. The seat you purchased will likely be occupied by another passenger or kept empty by the crew. You cannot place your infant in that seat without their FAA-approved car seat properly installed.
Important Considerations & Practical Tips
No Mixing Mid-Flight: You generally cannot switch your baby between your lap and the purchased seat during the flight unless they are properly secured in an approved car seat in that seat. Airlines won’t allow an infant to be loose in a seat.
Bassinets: If you plan to use an airline bassinet (only available on certain aircraft and in bulkhead rows), having purchased a ticket for your infant might be mandatory for those specific rows. Check your airline’s specific policy. Bassinets also have strict weight and age limits.
Car Seat Use: If you want to use the seat you purchased, you must bring an FAA-approved car seat labeled for aircraft use. Flight attendants will check this label. Practice installing it quickly!
The CARES Harness Alternative: For toddlers (typically over 1 year and 22-44 lbs), the FAA-approved CARES harness is an alternative to a car seat. It uses the aircraft seat belt to provide upper body restraint. Important: The CARES harness requires the child to have their own purchased seat. They cannot use it while sitting on your lap.
Cost vs. Safety: Weigh the cost of the extra ticket against the significant safety benefit. While expensive, the peace of mind and protection during unexpected turbulence can be invaluable.
Check Airline Policy: Always, always double-check the specific policies of the airline you are flying with regarding lap infants, ticketed infants, car seats, and bassinets. Policies can vary slightly.
The Bottom Line: Choice with Awareness
Buying your baby a plane ticket gives you a valuable choice: the enhanced safety and comfort of their own seat with an approved restraint, or the option to have them travel on your lap. Choosing the lap option after purchasing the ticket is allowed, but understand that you won’t get the ticket refunded – you paid for the seat space/option. The critical factor is making an informed decision based on safety recommendations, your budget, and your family’s comfort needs.
While the FAA permits lap infants, they unequivocally state that the safest place for your child during a flight is in an approved car seat secured to their own purchased aircraft seat. Holding your baby tightly feels natural, but it simply cannot match the protective forces of a properly installed CRS during severe turbulence or an accident. Consider the purchase of that extra seat an investment in your most precious cargo’s safety.
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