I am flying alone with my 9 mo old in a little over a week and wondering if I should try to change my seat assigment. Does anyone have advice as to where to sit on the plane?
Hello all!
Thanks for all the advice. The flight was pretty stressful but mainly because nursing was a challenge. There really isn't a way to discreetly nurse my little man anymore... my cover is a peek-a-boo game and all of the commotion of people and sounds were so distracting. Since nursing was so tough and he was both hungry and tired, nothing else really mattered in the end. But we finally made it with a few tears (from both of us!) shed.
I think if I hadn't been alone, a bulk head seat would have been best for the room. My little guy could have used room to bounce his legs a bit. I sat in the very back of the plane hoping that nursing would be a little easier but it wasn't the case this time.
Next time, we shall see!! :)
Thanks for all of the advice and shared experiences.
HI! I wanted to say that I remember flying with my daughter when she was about 9 mo old. I would try to get an aisle seat. That way you can get in & out of the seat easily. Hope you have a safe flight!
Flew to Maryland from CA last year with our then 9 mo old, arrive early for seat assignment (if the plane is not too full they will accommodate your seat even without ticket for baby), sit toward the back if baby is fussy you can walk around etc. Not the bulkhead as people have mentioned, I've read some post that said over the wings might help to lull the baby to sleep, iffy in my opinion. Hmm, you didn't ask but nursing or giving a bottle right before take off and landing really helps baby. Make sure you have plenty of snacks, favorite toy and a couple of new toys to keep baby entertained. I was a little intimidated to fly with baby but this age (as long as they don't cry the entire flight) is far easier to fly with then my now almost 2 year old. Happy travels.
I agree with Mary, the bulkhead would be the way to go if you can. Most airlines have a bathroom in front as well so you don't have to walk to the back of the plane. When my daughter was 2 1/2, my mom got us a bulkhead and my daughter was able to lay down and take a little nap. Just make certain the nap is not too near the end of the flight or the stewardesses/stewards may make you pick your baby up before they are done napping (our problem). Good luck and God bless you both.
The back of the plane, next to the bathroom. That a way you can get out of your seat and move about freely if your baby gets fussy. You can also bring a bag of his/her special snacks. It also helps to be in an aisle seat so you can get in or out quickly.My Doctor told me to give my baby some Tylenol to help calm my babies nerves. I told him I would not feel right doing that .His reply was that traveling can be a stressful event for an infant. He said it would be what he reccommended. I sure hope that my advice will help out for you a little.
I agree with Kate B. No bulkhead seats because you're not able to stow anything in the seatback pockets or under the seats in front of you since there are no seats in front of you. Very inconvenient. I also suggest sitting at the back of the plane. There are several benefits to this. 1) You will be near the bathroom. 2) It's usually noisier in the back of a plane due to the engines. I've found that my baby actually was easily lulled to sleep by this. Another plus is if your baby is fussy, nobody will really hear the crying. 3) By being in the back of the plane, you deplane last giving you all the time you will need to gather up your belongings and your baby. The last thing you need is to be rushed by impatient passengers.
Good luck!
Hi,
Depending on where you are going (long /short flight) and which airline you can call the airline ahead of time and let them know that you will be traveling with an infant. I did that and asked if they offered a bassinet (they seat you at the bulkhead and attach a bassinet to the wall in front of you). There are some weight restrictions of maybe 22 lbs for using the bassinet. It worked very well for us! Good luck!
M.
T.-
If you can get a bulk head seat- it gives you a little more room and their is no seat in front of you.
M.
If they know you are traveling with a child they may move you to a seat that has oxygen mask for children. When i flew with my one year old they moved me to a certain side of the plane. He had his own seat so maybe that was why? I noticed all the kids were on one side. It was for the shorter leg of the trip with a smaller plane....maybe that was why also?
Dear T.,
All I know is that the closer to the front of the plane you are, the easier it is to get on and off. I'm terrified of flying and my sister and I just went back east. She booked the tickets. We were at the very back of the plane on every single flight. I told her I hated it and she took it to mean that it made me more scared.
She got the picture when she realized that we had to stand to board while others found their seats first and stowed their luggage. Same thing with getting off the plane. We had to wait for everyone else to gather their belongings and leave first. If you are travelling with a small child, I definitely would want to be up towards the front. Make sure they know you are traveling with a baby ahead of time and they should be able to advise you on seating. But I'd stick with being toward the front. There were lots of babies on our flights and they were all towards the front...first to get on and first to get off.
Have a wonderful flight!
I flew alone w/ my 9 m.o. last year. (SF to Kauai, about 5 hrs.) It went really well.
If you can sit in bulkhead seat where you're not required to be "ready to assist in case of emergency" that's ideal. Check in way early to get the seat assignment you want.
If your little one still fits into a carry car seat, bring that. It will strap in to the seat next to you and your baby may just well sleep most of the flight.
Even if you didn't purchase a seat for your baby, they will give you an empty if one exists. Checking in early is key.
I had a car-seat/stroller travel system plus my Moby wrap. This was crucial. This way you are wearing the baby while you are dealing with your equipment and tickets, getting settled in to your seat, etc. etc.
In your carry-on, bring a collapsible bag. Once on the flight, fill the soft bag with baby necessities so you don't have the entire bag in your way. Hope this helps!
No no no, no bulkhead seat. You would have to stow all your stuff up top and you DON'T want to have to wait to grab things. But I agree with being near bathrooms and attendants. There are benefits to both window and aisle (aisle would be a problem if the baby conked out and then people next to you wanted to get out, but if you are in the window seat and want to get up it's more challenging with a baby in your arms) so I would say sit where you are normally comfortable yourself. Whatever you prefer is best.
Just a heads up- if you are taking a carseat for your baby, the carseat must be in the window seat. That was a surprise to me, as I figured I could put it between my me and my husband. I guess, though it's a safety hazard to since it pretty much leaves no room to get around it in an emaergency.
I would suggest getting a window seat so that you don't have to worry about getting up or out of the way of other passengers or don't block anyone with the carseat (if getting two seats). You do want to be close to the bathrooms/flight attendants if possible.
Hope you have a nice flight!
