How do you secure a baby in a plane seat?

The safest way for your baby to fly is in a child safety restraint?an FAA-approved car seat or airplane harness device. It should be approved for your child's age and size, and installed with the airplane's seat belt.



To properly secure a baby in their own ticketed seat, the FAA and international safety boards recommend using a hard-backed, FAA-approved Child Restraint System (CRS), which is essentially a car seat certified for aircraft use. You should look for a sticker on the seat that states, "This restraint is certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft." The seat is secured by threading the airplane's lap belt through the designated path on the CRS. Infants should remain rear-facing as long as possible, following the manufacturer's weight and height limits. For toddlers weighing between 22 and 44 pounds, an FAA-approved CARES harness is a popular, lightweight alternative that attaches directly to the plane seat's back and uses the lap belt to create a four-point harness. Avoid using "booster seats" or "vest-style" restraints, as these are not certified for use during takeoff or landing.

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Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.

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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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Additional infants under 2 years old must be ticketed and occupy an infant safety seat or in a separate aircraft seat. The infant must be under 2 years of age for the duration of the trip. If they turn 2 during a trip, they will need their own seat for the remainder of the trip.

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However, statistically speaking, a seat close to an exit in the front or rear, or a middle seat in the back third of the plane offers the lowest fatality rate. That said, flying is still the safest form of transport.

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Each airline will have its rules about who can sit where, but a bulkhead seat is generally considered an excellent option for families traveling with young children. The bulkhead is at the front of the cabin and sitting in those seats usually guarantees you some extra leg room.

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Water for babies is allowed in reasonable quantities in carry-on bags. Remove this item from your carry-on bag to be screened separately from the rest of your belongings.

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On long-haul flights, you can request a bassinet/sky cot for your baby to sleep in. You'll need to book a bulkhead seat (a row with no other seats in front) to get those though. Contact the airline as soon as you know you're travelling to see if you can reserve one (Flying with a baby, 2018b).

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Standard strollers, folding wagons, and car seats can be used to get to your gate and then checked for free. They'll be returned to you on arrival. Collapsible strollers can be stored in-cabin. Car seats can be used onboard your flight too.

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Every US citizen, regardless of age, must have a passport to travel abroad. Newborn babies, infants, and toddlers all need a passport to leave and enter another country. Just as if an adult was applying for a passport, babies must have Form DS-11 filled out and submitted.

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