Can babies sit anywhere on a plane?

Seats. Infants do not get a seat on the plane as they sit on the lap of the accompanying adult. You can purchase an additional seat for the infant if you wish, but please note the infant may not sit in the seat during takeoff and landing unless it sits in an airline-approved car seat.



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Look for rows on the plane with more space, like the bulkhead. Exit rows are out, for safety reasons. Choose a seat closer to the window, if possible. Aisle seats can be risky for babies during beverage service.

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If the conditions are satisfied, airlines that assign seats and guarantee fee-free family seating will provide adjacent seat assignments to the adult traveling with a child age 13 or under no later than on the day before the flight.

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The best time to fly with kids While you can't always fly at the optimal time (based on your child's age, that is), it's great when you can. The best times, most agree, are between three and nine months, when kids aren't yet mobile, and any time after age two or three.

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On most airlines, babies under the age of two can sit in your lap on a flight, sometimes with a special lap belt that you attach to your seatbelt. You may have to pay a fee—primarily on international airlines—which may come with a special boarding pass. It helps to call the airline before booking to confirm.

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The TSA will allow you to go through the metal detector while wearing your baby, although you may be asked to undergo an additional screening even if there is not an alarm. The additional screening will consist of having your hands swabbed for chemical residue, and potentially a pat-down.

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The safest way for baby to fly Infants weighing less than 20 pounds should be bucked into a rear-facing car seat during airplane travel. Children who weigh 20 to 40 pounds should be restrained in a car seat. They should not be switched to using just the airplane's lap belt until they reach at least 40 pounds.

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Speak with an agent If you don't heed our advice and find yourself at the airport with a less-than-desirable boarding group, Southwest advises that you speak with a gate agent or flight attendant. They will see if any passengers are willing to move to accommodate your family if you aren't able to get seats together.

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Depending on their ages and which airline you have chosen, some airlines invite families to board in front of everybody else, while others allow those with kids to slide in somewhere between elite passengers and regular coach-flying folk.

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In fact, most regular airlines now charge for seat selection anyways. It's often around $10-$30 per seat per flight segment, so if you cave in and pay for that, it can add up quickly. You shouldn't do it. No matter which airline you're flying on, don't ever pay to select a seat.

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But the pain is only temporary — it won't cause any lasting problems for kids and usually will ease within a few minutes as the Eustachian tubes open to let the air pressure equalize on both sides of the eardrums.

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